Dull Hair

Adding Polish to Dull Hair
 
      The biggest difference between the average woman’s hair and the hair you see in the fashion and beauty magazines is the way it shines. Those magazine images always feature long locks of shiny hair that seem to glow with a light all of its own. It can leave you feeling that you’ll never have hair that looks like that. Well, the first thing to remember is that unless you are a model and regularly have your hair photographed under professionally-set lighting, the level of shine and glow seen in magazine photos is not likely to become part of your daily life.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t make your hair appear shinier and healthier. It means that you have to remember which are real and which are special effects. Dull hair looks less healthy, and absorbs light rather than reflecting it. It can also make the color appear lifeless and leave you feeling that your hair is unappealing, when in fact it can be beautiful with just a few simple tips.
 
      There are many causes of dull-looking hair – chemical damage, heat styling damage, improper styling techniques, and even environmental soils and stresses. Fortunately, there are a lot of tricks and tips to make the hair look shiny again. Here are some simple ways to make your hair look shinier:

Cool Rinses
 
      We know from previous discussion that heat and moisture affect the shape of the hair shaft and that heat can cause the hair shaft to swell and the cuticle to open up. An open cuticle reflects light less effectively and can leave the hair looking especially dull.
 
      Yet one of the easiest ways to restore shine to the hair is by rinsing it in cool water. You don’t need to endure a cold shower to get the benefits, either. Simply remember at the end of your shower to switch the water to cold and chill your hair under the spray. The cold water helps the hair shaft contract and the cuticle close up. This leaves the hair looking smoother, shinier and more light-reflective.
 
      Just remember not to undo the benefits of the cold rinse by roughing up the hair while drying it. Squeeze the hair in the folds of a towel to remove excess water, and pat the hair at the scalp.
 
Natural Rinses
 
      There are also natural products that can be used to give the hair a little added “oomph” when it comes to shining the hair. The cold water rinse is great, but there are other simple techniques that can make a big difference as well. One such trick is to use vinegar as a finishing rinse after shampooing and conditioning the hair.
 
      You can add ½-1 cup of white vinegar to a gallon of cool water and pour that over your freshly washed and conditioned hair before you leave the shower. The vinegar is acidic, and works to counter the slight alkalinity of the shampoo and conditioner products. This helps to tighten the cuticle layer of the hair and makes the hair look shinier and healthier in the process.
 
Shampoo Choices
 
      The correct shampoo for your hair goals is another key element to making the hair appear shinier. Dry hair tends to appear dull, so be sure to use a shampoo that will add moisture and clean gently. Follow it up with a moisture rich conditioner and you can soon see dramatic results in the healthy look of your hair. Fortunately, modern advances in hair care products has brought us a wide range of shampoos from many makers that are geared toward improving shine by smoothing the cuticle layer and helping to maintain a smooth and silky look in the hair.

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Top 10 reasons for hair loss in women
10 Ways You're Ruining Your Hair but Don't Know It

Top 10 reasons for hair loss in women

A woman’s body goes through a lot of changes through her entire course of life. These changes can at times be a contributing factor in hair loss. But in order to treat this problem, we first need to figure out the root cause of it so that the apt treatment method can be suggested. We list 10 common reasons for hair loss in females.

#1 Bad hair etiquette

Excessive use of hairstyling tools like strengtheners and curling iron or hair products like gels, mousse, sprays, colours, etc. can damage the hair shaft and prolonged usage can hamper its growth. Tight ponytails, wrong combs, parting your hair, can further aggravate the condition. According to trichologist Dr Apoorva Shah, even excessive colouring can lead to hair loss. Can shampoo cause hair loss? Click here to find out.

#2 PCOS

In this condition, male hormones or androgens are secreted in excess and they form small fluid-like sacs in the ovaries which are known as cysts. It is due to hormonal imbalances in your body which negatively affects your hair growth as well. While you may notice more hair growth on your body, it can trigger hair fall from your scalp. Read more…

#3 Anemia

Anemia is a result of low iron intake in one’s diet. Many women may be anemic due to heavy menstruation or inadequate folic acid in their body. This results in low production of hemoglobin which means less oxygen to your organs. When oxygen does not reach your hair follicles, they tend to be weak and break easily. This results in hair fall. Here are 10 tips to beat this.

#4 Menopause

A lot of changes take place in a woman’s body once she hits menopause and one of them can be hair fall. This is because estrogen hormone levels are low in the body. They can make the hair dry and also cause hair loss if due care isn’t taken. It is essential to use mild shampoos and condition your mane as well as eat right. Here are a few remedies you could try.

#5 Labour

Many women experience hair fall after their delivery. This is because, during pregnancy, there is a peak in the hormone estrogen so you can expect a full head of hair. But once the baby is delivered, hormones go back to their normal phase which may result in hair falling out at once. But this is a temporary phase and hair growth returns to normal after a few weeks.

#6 Protein deficiency

Our hair is made of a protein called keratin. When we do not eat protein-rich foods, it depletes from our body making the hair brittle. This leads to weak strands which fall prematurely. Here are a few essential nutrients you need to eat to prevent hair fall.

#7 Medications

Women who are on birth control pills can have side-effects like hair fall if they abruptly stop using them. Other hormonal pills and therapies can have a similar effect. Chemotherapy sessions also result in hair loss. Here are 5 methods to combat hair loss after chemotherapy. 

#8 Extreme weight loss

Crash dieting and losing a lot of weight suddenly or too quickly can adversely affect the growth of your hair. This is because, usually these diets deprive your body of essential nutrients or put a ban on eating certain food groups which then impact your hair growth.

#9 Medical illnesses like thyroid disease, autoimmune disease

Thyroid is responsible for secreting triiodothyronine and thyroxine hormones which are needed for proper growth and development of our body. When a person suffers from hypo or hyperthyroidism, there is excess or low secretion of these hormones which can lead to deficiencies if not treated on time. Hair loss is one of the complications due to various changes taking place in your body. In an autoimmune disease, our body creates antibodies against our own cells and tissues. They attack hair as well as other organs resulting in hair loss.

#10 Any acute or chronic medical conditions

Conditions like diabetes, psoriasis are also responsible for loss of hair. Diabetes negatively affects the body’s circulatory system. This means that less amount of nutrients and oxygen reach the upper and the lower extremities of the body i.e. the feet and the scalp areas. If diabetes is causing poor blood circulation to the scalp, the hair follicles will die resulting in hair loss. Psoriasis is a skin disease which also affects the scalp and hair follicles.

While shedding of 60-100 strands every day is the norm, anything more than that over a period of time can cause hair loss. If you notice this, it is best to get yourself checked for any underlying condition which could be causing your hair fall. Here are 20 treatment options to combat hair loss.

With inputs from Dr Shuba Dharmana, a celebrity hair transplant surgeon. 

Image Source: Getty Images

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6 THINGS YOU'RE DOING THAT ARE RUINING YOUR HAIR

Hair Damage – Causes and how to avoid

6 THINGS YOU'RE DOING THAT ARE RUINING YOUR HAIR

When split ends, breakage and unmanageable frizz start to appear, take that as a major cry for help from your hair. Although heat is one of the most common factors for damaged strands, there are also many other ways you can be harming your hair.

In order to get to the bottom of these bad habits we turned to John Frieda celebrity hair stylist Sebastian Scolarici to find out just what we’re doing wrong and how we can never commit these hair sins again!

Sleeping With Wet Hair

While sleeping with wet hair isn't entirely disastrous, it could lead to nasty breakage. "What creates this breakage is putting your wet hair in a ponytail or tight hairstyles to sleep in," Scolarici explained. "If you need to sleep with your hair up, use a fabric hair holder and make sure you tie it at the very top of your head."

Over-coloring

Although trying new trends may be fun, coloring your hair too frequently can be killing your tresses. "I find the biggest cause of hair damage is over-coloring, specifically highlighting too frequently," Scolarici said. "Don't run to the salon every time you have a little root growing. You can use products like the John Frieda Go Blonder In-Shower Lightening Treatmentto get you by and stretch the time in between those salon appointments."

Turning Up the Heat

Step away from the plancha, ladies. By now we all know that heat can cause some vicious damage to your hair, but Scolarici said the true issue lies within how often you use heat on your hair. "Often women reach for their heating tools to combat frizz. Opt for the John Frieda Frizz Ease Hair Care line to find another option to fight frizz. [There] you can also find a styling aid to avoid the need for high heat."

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8 Ways You're Damaging Your Hair

Hair Damage – Causes and how to avoid

8 Ways You're Damaging Your Hair

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