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Questions and Answers
Q1.What are the causes of a dry itchy scalp?
Not washing the hair often enough
Dead skin cells are shed from our body all the time allowing space for new cells to replace them. We naturally exfoliate our skin when it is washed each day. Therefore a build up of skin cells on the scalp can occur because we do not wash our hair everyday preventing the cells from being lifted and washed away.
The skin is naturally dry
If a person has naturally dry skin then it is very likely that the scalp will also be naturally dry too as scalp is skin. In such cases the person has to be proactive in helping themselves by drinking plenty of water each day to keep the hair and scalp hydrated (moisturised), preferably using cream based products such as E45 and Aqueous cream.
Not rinsing the hair properly
Not rinsing the hair thoroughly after shampooing can leave traces of shampoo on the scalp. Shampoo contains chemicals, perfumes and preservatives and is only designed to be on the scalp for a short time. The same rules apply for rinsing as they do for shampooing which is to use the balls of your fingers to rub against the scalp as oppose to just allowing the water to run through the hair when rinsing.
Dandruff
Dandruff is also known as Pitiriasis simplex and is caused by increased levels of a fungus that lives naturally on the scalp. This causes a dry, itchy and flaky scalp. Medicated over the counter shampoos can be extremely effective. They contain ingredients such as ketoconazole and Pironactine Olamine, or Zinc Pyrithione.
Q2. How often should I wash my hair?
There is no standard answer to this question and there should not be because we are all different. However if we look at the reasons why we would need to wash our hair in the first place, it will help you to decide how often is necessary
We shampoo our hair to
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To treat a scalp or hair condition for example if a Trichologist prescribes a medicated product to address a scalp or hair condition.
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To remove dirt, grease and debris: If your hair gets dirty often due to your job, environment or pollution. For example if you work in a hot and sweaty environment then you may need to wash the hair everyday.
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If you use lots of styling products which causes build up on the hair you may need to wash the hair more often.
Everyone will have a specific time when they wash their hair whether its once per week or once a month. This is usually carried on from family traditions where the parent may have washed the hair at a specific time. This is good because it gives the person a benchmark to work from. You can then add days on or take days off depending on your hair and scalps needs. However I would not advise anyone to go more then 4 weeks before washing their hair again.
Q3. Is it ok to wash the hair everyday?
Just like we wash our skin every day there is nothing wrong with washing our hair and scalp everyday as the scalp is skin. Water is great for the hair. Unfortunately we cannot just wash and go and our styling needs mean that the hair may have to be blow dried and pressed. Styling the hair everyday will cause hair breakage.
Q4. I want to grow my hair long, what advice can you give me?
This is a question that many people ask me and the longing for longer hair is simply due to the fact that most black hair is short compared to other races. Here are some facts regarding hair growth.
Hair growth depends on how fast your hair grows
The length of your hair depends on the duration of the hair growth cycle
Hair can be prevented from reaching its natural length because it breaks before it get the chance to do so
You are advised to do the following....
Look at your family history
Was your hair once longer then it is now? was your mum or dads hair long and who's hair is most like yours? You may also wish to ask your family questions and look back at old photos. If from doing all of this your result is positive and you can identify that your hair should be longer then it is now, you should next look at 'preventative factors'.
Preventative factors
'preventative factors' asks you if there are any factors preventing your hair from growing to the length that it should. For example is the scalp healthy or have some of the hair follicles been knocked out? is there scarring? are you suffering from follicular degeneration syndrome which cause the follicles to produce fine weak hairs? Is the hair breaking and therefore prevented from reaching its natural length? Are you suffering from a mineral deficiency which causes the hair to become weak and break of?
If you answer yes to any of the questions you should consult a Trichologist, If you answer no to these questions it may be that your hair has reached its natural length and will not grow any further.
So what next?
If your hair has reached its natural length and you would like it to be longer you can experiment with weaves and hair pieces provided this is done safely and with a qualified stylist. This may not be something you have considered or you may have had a bad experience in the past. However their are many hairpieces which can be incorporated into your own hair. The trick is
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To try and enhance your natural hair rather then try to change it completely
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To use hair which closely matches your hair texture such as Yaki hair to create a more natural look
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Ensure that the hair is cut correctly particularly the fringe area to create a more natural look
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It is important to be realistic about how much hair you would like to be added to your own as too long in length can look unnatural and to short may defeat the whole object.
Other information
The great water challenge
The average persons body is made up of two thirds of water that’s 60-70%. The human body is made up of 95% water.
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Improve the texture of your hair
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Reduce hair breakage
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Hydrate the skin and improve dry itchy flaky scalps
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Allows the various chemical reactions to take place within the body
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Allows food to be digested and therefore prevents constipation
So challenge yourself drink 6-8 glasses of water a day.
When Water Fruit
Morning 2 1
Mid morning 1 1
Afternoon 2 1
Mid afternoon 1 1
Evening 2 1
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