Is Your Hair Telling You Something About Your Health?
Is Your Hair Telling You Something About Your Health?
by Sherrell Dorsey of OrganicBeautyVixen
We’ve got a handle on how to style, moisturize, co-wash, deep condition, twist out, braid out, big chop and transition our hair. Great. While everyone has spent the last few years becoming experts on their hair (and everyone else’s for that matter), one topic that is not being widely addressed across the blogosphere is how directly related the health of our hair is actually related to our overall health. Sometimes it’s not just about getting the best shea butter product on the market or experimenting in the kitchen with beauty food. Our deepest hair issues and concerns can often lie primarily in what is going on internally. Before we begin dressing up our hair concerns with product and remedies here are a few health-related hair issues that may require a call to our doctor:
Hair Loss and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome– I shared my PCOS story with you all when I first began writing this blog. This hormonal disorder affects more than five million women nationally affecting fertility, weight and hair growth. Women with PCOS typically produce unusually high levels of androgens (male hormones) which can cause a condition called androgenetic alopecia. This typically causes hair at the scalp to become thin and fall out. There are a variety of treatments for this type of hair loss involving birth control pills, medicines and even growth stimulants but it’s best that you speak with your doctor about what treatments are best for you. See also 9 causes of hair loss in women.
Dry Hair and Underactive Thyroid – Sometimes having even the best moisturizing hair care system in place just doesn’t cut it. When our thyroid gland does not produce enough produce enough of the thyroid hormone (also known as hypothyroidism), among a host of health-related issues, our hair, skin and nails can become dry, brittle and weak. Even our eyebrows can start to thin. It’s important that you check in with your doctor to find out if your dry hair issues are attributed to hypothyroidism. See also 13 ways you can treat it naturally.
Hair That Won’t Grow and Malnutrition – Our hair needs plenty of healthy vitamins and minerals to grow and stay healthy including lots of proteins, omega-3s, zinc and vitamin A. When our bodies are lacking in these important nutrients it can cause our hair’s growth to be stunted and even fall out. Malnutrition isn’t anything to play with especially when a main cause could be an eating disorder. It may be beneficial to meet with a dietitian or holistic nutritionist to determine what you may be lacking in your diet and how a meal plan may help you regain control over your hair’s health. What health-related hair issues have you had experience with and what did you do to treat the issue? Sherrell Dorsey is an eco-glamour expert, writer, speaker, social entrepreneur and creator of the blog OrganicBeautyVixen.com – “A Brown Girl’s Guide to Eco-Glam Living”. Sherrell believes that going green with your beauty routine doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your fierce and fabulous style. Connect with her on twitter and facebook for all things beauty, green, eco-friendly, organic, sustainable and of course… Eco-glam.
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