Common
Hair And Scalp Problems:
1.Itchy
Scalp:
If you have itching of the scalp, there maybe
two main causes.
A.Lice:Apart
from affecting the scalp, lice can reside
on
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the body anbd on the
clothes as well.The lice suck blood from the skin
and may cause infection.The main problem, however
is itching.The thing to look for, to confirm the presence
of lice, are the eggs laid by lice; these are attached
to the hair and are the size of a pinhead, so you
really have to search carfully for them.Once the diagnosis
is made the problem is easily treated with malathion
or gamma benzene hexachloride;both 
have
to be applied once a week for two weeks.
B.Dandruff:We all shed dead skin cells as a normal
process; these cells are not shed off individually
but as aggravates which are normally too small to
be seen.In dandruff, however, the shedding of the
dead cells is in larger visible aggravates;there is
also an excessive production of dead cells.Dandruff
is generally rare in children.Scaling generally begins
to emerge at adolescence.Starting at puberty, dandruff
increases gradually over the next few years; it is
maximum in the early twenties.Later over the years,
it gradually decreases and is decidedly rare in the
elderly.
Getting Rid Of Dandruff:
There are two ways of treating dandruff:either the
scales are removed as quickly as they are formed,
or the formation of scales is suppressed.Shampooing
is a good way to rapidly remove the scales.To be effective
the washing should be thorough and frequent.Application
of oils temporarily improves the appearance of a scaly
scalp because the scales stick to the scalp and are
less visible.But oils tend to nullify the effect of
shampooing to a considerable extent and are best avoided
if you are suffering from dandruff.Medicated shampoos
are very popular, these contain selenium sulphide,
zinc pyrithione or coaltar.These agents decrease the
production of scales in addition to removing the scales.Corticosteroid
applications are also very effective in reducing the
production of scales and are used for severe dandruff.But
the most important aspect of treating dandruff is
that the medications should be used regularly till
you outgrow the problem.
2.Greying
Of Hair:
The age of onset of the greying process is largely
determioned by our genes.Generally by the age of 50,
50% of the population have at least 50% grey hair.Grey
hair can sometimes appear earlier too.Premature greying
runs in certain families.Rapid greying of hair may
occur after severe emotional stress.In certain internal
diseases like diseases of the Thyroid Gland,certain
anaemias, hair may grey early.
What Can Be Done:
The usual and the most effective way of dealing with
greying of hair is dyeing it.There are several dyes
available.The oxidative dyes are the most versatile
and the most frequently used, despite the fact that
they can cause reactions.Henna is also used because
apart from its safety it is a superb conditioner.
3.Loss Of
Hair-Baldness:
image
Causes Of Baldness:
All of us loose hair.A loss of upto 100 hair a day
is normal, as this hair loss is replaced.Excessive
hair loss which is not replaced leads to baldness.Baldness
or alopecia, as your doctor would call it, has several
causes:
a.The commonest form of baldness that affects men.It
is called male pattern baldness.The hair loss in this
condition depends on two factors, namely the presence
of androgens(male sex hormones), and a genetic tendency
to develop baldness.One out of every ten men is likely
to develop some degree of alopecia by the age of 25;
by the age of 35, 4 out 10 men show some baldness;
and by the age of 50, nearly half of all men are bald.
b.Many systemic diseases can cause diffuse hair loss.Any
prolonged debilitation(thyroid, viral fevers, malaria,
operations, accidents and even child-birth) can be
followed by diffuse loss of hair.Mental stress must
be included as a cause of this type of baldness.Nutritional
deficiencies, crash dieting and anorexia nervosa are
all also associated with hair loss.Anaemia is an important
cause of hair loss in women.
c.The third type of baldness is called alopecia areata.Patches
of baldness first appear on the scalp, but can spread
to the eyebrows and eyelashes as well.In men the beard
area may be involved.Fortunately most of the time,
the problem resolves on its own.This pattern of alopecia
is more commonly seen in men and is sometimes associated
with leucoderma and diabetes.
d.Some diseases of the scalp like fungal and bacterial
infections on scalp can also cause baldness.
e.Finally physical trauma also results in hair loss;
this type of hair loss affects women more often than
it affects men.Tight hair styles, too much exposure
to hot air can also be a cause to some extent.
Remedy:
a.The easiest and the cheapest solution is to grow
the remaining hair, and to restyle it to cover the
bald areas.Conditioning the hair would give body to
the hair, but these methods can be resorted to only
in mild cases of baldness.
b.Another but rather expensive solution is hair transplantation.Hair
when transplanted from a hair producing area to a
bald area of the scalp, continues to function and
grow normally for a lifetime.If done with skill this
method seems to work fairly well.
4.Superflous
Hair:
Superflous hair or hirsutism maybe due to heredity
or ethnic causes.A mild hirsutism might be seen in
women after menopause.
Remedy:
a.Bleaching: Bleaching is one way of making existing
hair less conspicuous-it is good for down, rather
than for thick coarse hair.It is the most commonly
used method for camouflaging facial hair.But blaching
might cause irritations in some.
b.Shaving: It is a fallacy that hair grows faster
and becomes coarser after shaving.Yes, after shaving
hair does reappear with great rapidity(within 24 hrs),
because shaving cuts the hair just at the surface.
c.Pumice Stone:Abrasives in the form of pumice stones
and special emery covered mitts and pads, are frequently
used to remove unwanted hair.Though this method is
cheap, its effects are temporary.This method is most
effectively used on moderately coarse hair of the
legs and arms and is not practical for use on the
face.
d.Chemical Depilation:Depilatory agents such as creams,
lotions and sprays used in the method of depilation
may cause irritation and dryness of the skin and thus
should never be used on broken skin.However conduct
a patch test before using any of the depilatory agents.
e.Waxing:This is one of the oldest methods of removing
hair.However, the wax should be warmed to the right
temperature(neither too hot or too cold) and applied
by an expert.If doing at home use cold waxing method
instead.Waxing reduces hair growth if done frequently
and is the best method of hair removal
f.Plucking And Threading:These methods are usually
reserved for eye-brows, hair on the upper lip and
chin and for removing odd hair around the nipples.These
methods do not increase hair growth.
g.Electrolysis:Electric epilation is considered a
safe and a cosmetically acceptable method of removing
unwanted hair permanently.It is a useful way of getting
rid of facial hair, but for hairy arms and legs it
might prove too expensive and time-consuming.
