Washing you hair is not so much for health as for appearance; six times a year would keep it healthy but probably looking awful. So it really depends on how it is worn, and what you see in the mirror. Try washing it every 6 to 10 days. If it is oily you will need to wash more often, if dry, less. (more…)
You will have a scar right round each ear. The scar behind your ear and its continuation across part of the scalp will be hidden by hair (except in the case of a man who becomes totally bald). The scar in front of the ear will be visible but usually it is faint and doesn’t shriek its presence. However, scars can widen and drop unpredictably and sometimes a hairstyle which covered them at first ceases to cover them later. If an incision is made under your chin to remove neck fat, a small scar will show here. (more…)
The best results are achieved when a face lift is done earlier rather than later. Although face lifts are usually not sought till the mid-50s or early 60s, a face lift carried out in the 40s may prevent some of the more distressing signs of facial ageing, such as hanging folds of skin around the neck, which develop later and which sometimes can’t be corrected well. Both men and women can have face lifts but the results are usually better in women. (more…)
You might have a throbbing headache for a day or two but otherwise little pain. Your head will be bandaged for two or three days, after which you can gently wash your hair, which will probably feel matted after the surgery. Stitches are removed about ten days after the operation, unless they are the dissolving kind. (more…)
Hair Transplant, What needs to be done?
The most commonly and successfully used method for transplanting hair is the punch graft, which can be done under local anaesthetic and takes a couple of hours.
You will receive an injection of anaesthetic in the area of your scalp that the hair is to cover and the area from which the hair is to be taken. The instrument used for the operation is, as might be expected, a small punch. This is used to punch out about 20 to 50 small circular areas of bald skin, in a shape that will provide a relatively natural- looking hair line once hair-bearing skin is implanted in the holes. Then the same amount of hair-bearing skin is punched out, from whatever site has been chosen for their removal (usually the lower back or side of the head where thinner hair growth will be less noticeable). The hair- bearing skin is fitted into the holes that are waiting for them in the bald skin. But there will of course be small areas of bald skin between the holes, where hair still will not grow. (more…)
Most men lose some of their hair and a fair number lose almost all of it, at some stage in their lives. Although balding is considered a common sign of ageing in men, very many suffer significant hair loss before their 30s or may even be almost entirely bald by then. Hair loss is hereditary and, if your father lost his hair young, it is quite likely to happen to you.
Despite much female approbation of big screen personalities, whose most immediately obvious feature is their lack of head hair, the first signs of hair loss are usually greeted with dismay by men. Some resign themselves to the inevitable but others resort to artistry with their remaining hair, growing it longer where possible and brushing it sideways to cover prominent gaps (a technique that doesn’t stand up to strong winds or vigorous exercise). Still others are prepared to go to great lengths in an effort to restore their hair. (more…)
I know, life isn’t fair. Some of us are darker and fuzzier in places we wish we weren’t, and during our period a female ‘moustache’ can become darker and more noticeable.
If you have noticeable hairs on your face you have three options:
More than three out of four women shave their underarms, bikini area, and/or legs to remove excess hair, and almost all men shave their beard. The secret of a good shave is closeness with comfort. An understanding of hair growth and a proper shaving technique are important. As a dermatologist, I often see shaving-related problems such as irritation or pseudofolliculitus (pimples). (more…)
As if women don’t have enough worries, many still have to contend with unwanted facial hair. The genetic tendency to downy hair on the cheeks has been admired by many poets and novelists. Usually this soft, fine hair decreases by the age of 30. Women are dismayed, in contrast, by the appearance of thick, dark hairs on the cheeks or chin (stimulated after menopause by the adrenal androgens no longer balanced by higher levels of ovarian estrogens). (more…)
The most permanent (and the most successful), these dyes are included in a number of products for colouring hair such as tinting shampoos, highlighting shampoos, and the single-step and double-step permanent colourants you can buy in packages at the chemist. They are permanent dyes, because the artificial pigment is made to penetrate into the cortex of the hair shaft. There it stays. How this happens is most interesting. (more…)
There are three kinds of permanent hair colourants: vegetable dyes such as henna, metallic dyes such as those used to gradually cover grey hair, and the aniline dyes or oxidation tints, which include most of the colourants used professionally in salons.
Henna is the best-known, since its use dates back thousands of years. Taken from the Lawsonia plant, which is indigenous to Africa and Asia, henna varies in colour depending on which country it comes from. It can be strong orange in colour, as Moroccan henna, or a deep red, as the henna that comes from Iran — the most sought-after in the world. The plant is harvested, dried in the sun, and then crushed into a greenish powder, which is what one puts on the hair. It coats the hair shaft’s cuticle a reddish colour. (more…)
Several fungi can infect human skin, nails and hair. Those fungi which normally live in the soil or on animals tend to produce inflammation as well as scaling but those which are specifically human fungi give rise to little reaction on the skin. The term ringworm is used because many fungal infections produce a circular rash.
Ringworm on the foot is also called athlete’s foot and it is the most widespread form of fungal infection. It is easily spread from one person to another and swimming baths and changing rooms are likely sources of infection. The usual changes are redness, scaling and maceration in the space between fourth and fifth toes, and it may be accompanied by small blisters. It may remain like this for years causing no discomfort, however, it may itch and spread to the other web spaces or other body sites. (more…)
Most of the time we take little notice of our hair and nails. During adolescence there may be times we would wish to have different colored or textured hair or curse that our nails break too easily, but after that we pretty well accept our lot. That is until some change occurs. When hair starts to be lost there is not only an immediate cosmetic problem but the scalp may be damaged by sunlight or low doorways. Equally, when finger nails fail to develop properly this problem is both cosmetic and functional: it may become impossible to pick up small objects.
This term is used because it is so much more marked in men than in women. The typical changes of receding hair and thinning on top are well known and often run in families: the process may even start before the age of thirty years. Women are much less severely affected and anyway tend to keep the front hair line. However, with increasing age many women notice some thinning on their scalp. The hair loss, in both sexes, is due to the effect of hormones but not an excess of them. The fault lies in the hair roots which become over-sensitive to existing hormone levels. (more…)
Don’t use the wrong shampoo and conditioner just because they’re the products you have always used. Even the products that once left your hair soft and silky may now be doing a less-than-perfect job. Why? Seasonal changes, environmental, chemical, and emotional factors all have their share of the responsibility. Do have your stylist analyze the current condition of your hair and prescribe products accordingly. Use products that are right for you now, and that come from the same line they’re formulated to work best together.
Don’t shampoo too harshly. Piling up layers of hair on your head or vigorously scrubbing your scalp can result in snarls and damage. Do be gentle when you wash your hair; save your strenth for washing the family car or helping Mom with the pots and pans! (more…)
Your hairbrush is the most basic styling tool you’ve got. If you were stranded on a desert island with only one hair-care implement, this would be it! You use your brush to shape, fluff, smooth, sweep, stroke, gather, and style your hair in dozens of ways. It’s also vital as a grooming tool, to remove the dirt and dust that hair collects and to distribute its natural oils. Look for brushes with natural bristles, which are the best—and the most expensive—money can buy. Actually coarse hair culled from wild boars, natural bristles go through the hair without irritating the scalp, and because of their uneven, ragged surface they are better able to pick up dirt, oil, and lint than are their smoother synthetic counterparts. Brushes are available that contain both natural and synthetic bristles; they may be the best and the most economical choice for you. (more…)
While all of the nutrients found in the Lifestyle Diet are important for skin, some are particularly vital to its look and health. Vitamin A, for instance. If you do not have enough of it in your diet or if you have some difficulty in assimilating and using the vitamin (many women do), this can bring about dry, scaly, and crinkled skin. For, among its many functions, vitamin A helps regulate the size and functions of the sebaceous glands. A shortage can result in enlarged pores, rough skin, and acne.
Without adequate vitamin C, the collagen fibers in the dermis suffer damage. Vitamin C and the biofiavonoids that are found in natural foods (such as the whitish inner skin of grapefruit) not only keep skin young by helping to protect the collagen fibers and keep them intact, they also ensure the health of the tiny capillaries that supply nutrients to the skin’s cells, protecting skin from fragile or broken veins (bruising) and early wrinkling. When capillaries are not strong and working properly, then the skin’s cells don’t receive all the oxygen and nutrients they need via the bloodstream, and their functioning suffers. Neither are wastes efficiently eliminated. This can lead to stasis in the tissues, and cellulite, as well as contributing to early aging of the skin. (more…)
These you have no doubt heard about—they are supposed to be the magical cure for graying hair and are often called color restorers. They deposit metallic dyes and salts of various metals such as manganese, cobalt, silver, and copper on your hair shaft, which gradually darkens the hair. But hair dyed this way does not permanent-wave well, nor is itscondition very good, as this kind of dye tends to make the hair look a dull, flat color. Metallic dyes have to be removed completely, with the use of a special preparation, several days before waving or tinting with a permanent colorant. Because of their many disadvantages, I think they are best avoided.
Hair bleaching is done with hydrogen peroxide, which affects the hair shaft both physically and chemically. Combined with an alkaline compound such as ammonia, it opens the imbrications of the cuticle so that it can penetrate the hair shaft, and then inside the cortex it chemically oxidizes the melanin pigments, fading their color, thus bleaching out the hair in the process. There are products on the market that are simple bleachers—they are called lighteners, and they consist of peroxide together with ammonia. Sometimes a “drabber” is added in order to remove the red highlights that come from bleaching darker hair. Bleaching forms an important part of the other permanent tints, which also rely on oxidation processes to work. (more…)
One of the simplest and most effective ways of changing your appearance is to change the color of your hair. As we get older, the color of hair tends either to fade or to go darker, so that a once shimmery golden mane or deep mahogany tresses can become lackluster and dull. One of the best ways of remedying the situation is with a color boost. Hair coloring these days is effective and reasonably priced and can look even better than most natural hair—provided, of course, it is done correctly. Otherwise it can end up looking like a burnished haystack.
There are two categories of hair colorants: permanent colorants, which enter the cortex and cannot be washed out, and the temporary and the semipermanent, which can be used to highlight and intensify your own hair color but won’t alter the cortex.
These are the easiest to use. They coat the cuticle of the hair with color that washes away with the next shampoo. You can get temporary highlighting shampoos and color rinses in a great variety of colors that don’t disturb the cuticle imbrications. Most of them have a shine- promoting pH, too. But what you can do with them is limited, for while they will darken the hair—say from blond to red or to black—they are really designed for minor color changes only. If you try to go too many shades away from your natural color, they tend to streak and give uneven coverage. They also cannot make your hair lighter than it is, because they have no action on the cortex, where the melanin granules are —they merely coat the outside of the hair shaft. (more…)
There are many causes. The most simple is that of poor circulation in the scalp, hair breakage from poor treatment or overprocessing, and temporary illness or stress. Other reasons include hormonal imbalance, underactive thyroid, drugs, and poor diet (specifically too little B vitamins, vitamin C, zinc, sulfur, and iron). If you find you are losing your hair at a rapid rate, don’t panic. There is a strong link between anxiety and hair loss, and a temporary excess shedding of hair at the telogen stage can be made much worse by worry about it. Instead, go through the process of elimination to discover possible causes and then seek whatever treatment is necessary to help correct the excess shedding. Start by asking yourself the following questions.
Are you taking any medication? The Pill or estrogen in hormone- replacement therapy is a common cause for thinning hair—thinning that is usually corrected in a few weeks after stopping it. Anti-coagulants, cortisone, and diet pills such as amphetamines are other offenders, as is boric acid, which occurs in many common proprietary products, from ointments for cuts and burns to eye baths. Thyroid medication can also be the culprit. So can simple aspirin, if you take as many as one or two a day. (more…)
Waving and straightening hair involve pretty much the same process. First you break down the sulfur bonds connecting the protein molecules by using a highly alkaline solution containing a chemical such as ammonium thioglycolate. Then you rearrange the softened hair into the structure you want it to have. Finally, you use a peroxide neutralizer to halt the chemical action of the bond-breaking chemical and to encourage the new shape to set. Since the neutralizer is acidic, it also helps close up the imbrications in the cuticle and encourages the hair shaft to become strong again. Finally, your hair is treated with some kind of conditioner to restore some of the damage done by the process.
In the case of the permanent, the reshaping of hair takes place while it is wound tightly on curlers. With straightening, the reshaping takes place while it is being combed, stretched, and encouraged to give up its natural tendency to curve. (more…)
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