Many of us celebrated Valentine’s day yesterday, and some us (including myself) have waited until today or the weekend to enjoy some quality time with the people we love.
Love comes in many forms. It can exist between couples, families and even friends. It can also exist between a man/ woman and their hair.In fact, I will argue that hair and love go hand in hand.
The love affair we have with our hair, is probably one of the greatest love stories of all time. This is a relationship that starts at a very early age, has its ups and downs, and is filled with moments of happiness, stress, and reconciliation. But quite seriously Hair Loss if closely linked to love in a very specific way…. through something called Telogen Effluvium.
Love loss and Hair Loss
When we lose love, the stress and anxiety of that loss can show itself in the quality of our hair. Telogen Effluvium is a normal condition of sudden hair loss following a traumatic physical or emotional event in one’s life. When the body is shocked by trauma or life change, the normal growth cycle of hair follicles can get interrupted and become stuck in the telogen (resting) phase and then pushed out in the exogen, or shedding, phase. When follicles fail to return to the anagen, or growth, phase, thinning and hair loss become noticeable. What can you do to prevent loss of hair during times stress? Starting with the basics is important: sleep and good nutrition. In today’s world most people should be supplementing given that our foods and diet simply cannot supply us with all the vitamins and minerals we need. There are a number of vitamins and minerals that not only aid in general health but also will help with hair growth and maintaining healthy hair. During times of stress our bodies are in ‘fight or flight’ mode, and are often using more nutrients then under normal circumstances. Calming herbals like valerian and passion flower can aid in calming the mind, relaxing the ‘fight or flight’ response and helping restore your body to balance more quickly.
At Capilia Truly You we believe that what you put on your scalp/ body, is just as important as what you take in. When we’re stressed it’s easy to neglect hygiene, but its also one of the most important times for us to maintain good hygiene if we are to maintain a healthy hair and scalp. Washing your hair and scalp often with products that are free of synthetic additives will give your hair the optimal environment to grow in. Capilia has a wonderful selection of natural products that can help not only get your scalp looking and feeling wonderful, but that also have stimulating agents that will aid in quicker and thicker re-growth: http://www.laboratoirenature.com/en/products-terapo-medik.html If you don’t have the time or energy to do your own hair, come in for a Capilia ‘Essential’ treatment: http://www.capilia.ca/en/solutions/programs/women/essential/index.cfm
New love and Hair Loss
The love of a mother is one of the most selfless and everlasting loves that exist in this world. With pregnancy comes a long list of physical and emotional changes. We give up a lot for the love of our child and often some of these sacrifices come very early on. Often 3 months after giving birth women will experience a large amount of hair loss. Why does having a baby cause hair loss?
During pregnancy, the level of estrogen hormones in your body increases, which causes hair follicles to remain in the growing phase and stimulates the healthy growth of your hair. Your hair follicles get shocked by the birth of a baby because hormone levels return to normal, lower pre-pregnancy levels and this drop can shock follicles into that resting stage, usually around one to three months post birth. Is there anything that can be done to prevent this kind of loss? Yes. If targeted early on (at about 4-6 months of pregnancy) you can control the amount of hair you will lose by using specific products that target reactional female hair loss. We also offer a series of 6 treatments that start at about 4 and a half months of pregnancy. These treatments supplement some of the amino acids that are lost to the fetus when it begins developing its own hair.
So remember whether you are falling in or out of love, your hair does not have take the ‘fall’ as well. There are many solutions right at your fingertips.
For more information on this, or other similar topics visit www.trulyyou.ca or www.capilia.ca. Also feel free to e-mail me directly at [email protected]. Please note that any recommendations made in this article are a reflection of the opinion of the author, and the result of their experience in the Trichology and Wellness. Individuals concerned about their hair or scalp should seek a consultation with Trichologist to identify the very specific reason for their ailment and provide the appropriate recommendations.
Wishing you hair happiness today and every day.
CR