Healthy, strong, and shiny hair is the symbol of beauty. Therefore, each women who values pretty look of hers, should take good care of the hair. For that reason, it is worth devoting some time and learn hair structure together with its properties. But do we really need this kind of anatomy lesson? Definitely, we do because this will enable us defining needs of hair and scalp.
Hair: Profile
Human head is covered with 100 up to 150 thousand of hair. Both condition and growth of hair depend on many factors like environmental pollution, diet, consumption of stimulants (cigarettes or alcohol), applied cosmetics and care (i.e. hairdresser’s treatments, products). All of these factors affect level of vitamins, minerals and, above all, keratin which is the most crucial component of hair.
Certainly, the less of the above-mentioned elements in hair structure, the worse condition of strands is noticed.
In order to take better care of hair, it is worth getting to know its three growth phases: anagen, catagen, and telogen. The first one, anagen, is a stage when a hair grows long and thick. It lasts approximately four months. The second phase called catagen is also know as a transitional phase. During this stage, follicle starts shrinking which results in limited supply of all the essential substances to the hair root. What is more, tissue cells that are located near the hair become flecking off. This phase lasts more or less two weeks. Telogen is called the resting phase of a hair and lasts a few months. During this stage, the full-grown hair falls out and is replaced with a baby hair.
Hair care
The appropriate hair care depends on application of the right cosmetics – the ones that meet needs of both hair and scalp at the same time. While buying a shampoo, a hair mask, or any other similar product, it is advised to pay attention to the product’s properties, composition, and manner of working. What is more, it is suggested limiting to the minimum undergoing hairdresser’s treatments such as hair strengthening, blow-drying, and hot styling in general. Lack of vitamins, some diseases, medicaments taking as well as stress might contribute to hair loss or deterioration of strands’ condition.
It can be said that hair is the indicator of the general condition of an organism. In the light of that, it is not surprising at all that we are perceived as healthy if our mane is dense and shiny. One of the methods that helps to maintain strands in a good condition is following the right order in which we apply the cosmetics. In fact, the way we tend to put care products on hair plays also a crucial role. For example, a shampoo should be firstly mixed with water and then applied on damp hair. After that, the washing cosmetic has to be massaged into scalp and hair, and then rinsed with lukewarm water. At the end, it is suggested applying a hair mask that answers our hair needs. This product has to be kept on hair for several minutes before being rinsed with lukewarm water. The last stage is drying hair with paper towels.
Hair oil is a natural alternative to hair masks. This product has moisturizing, smoothing, and nourishing features. It also happens that such a cosmetic is enriched with some caring substances. Although hair oil can be mixed with other hair cosmetics, it works best as a single product. This natural product is able to protect hair from solar radiation and environmental pollution. What is more, hair oil prevents natural hair colour from fading away by creating a kind of a protective barrier around every single hair. Another key feature of hair oil is that, it prevents ends from splitting and hair from breaking or falling out. What is also interesting, some hair oils can be applied on body skin as well.
