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Hair Loss
Hair fall or loss is a common occurrence of daily life with up to 100 hairs a day being regarded as normal.
However, when the quantity increases it becomes an understandable cause for concern. The incidence of Hair
loss is as much as 4 out of 5 people as some stage of their lives.
There are many causes listed as to why hair loss occurs, including: heredity, stress and trauma, local scalp
infection, certain diseases or infections which result in a high fever e.g. flu, pneumonia or typhoid; certain
mediations e.g. antibiotics, contraceptives, blood thinning drugs, certain antispychotics drugs; thyroid
medication or strong drugs, chemical therapies e.g. those used for cancer treatments; thyroid problems;
emotional or environmental stress; hormonal imbalances; following child birth as the hormones change;
menopause. Iron deficiency anemia and lupus can also cause hair loss.
In the body, a compound called dihydrotestosterone (dht), made up of water, cholesterol, testosterone and an
enzyme can have an adverse effect on the growth receptors in the hair follicle. It can cause the tiny blood
vessels in the papilla to shrink, restricting food and oxygen to the matrix that produces hair protein. Dht also
blocks certain receptors in the sebaceous gland, which then can produce a heavy sebum that later hardens in the
follicle to form a hard deposit. The hair restricted in both areas atrophies and falls out prematurely. The cycle
repeats itself until the follicle is only capable of producing a short hair, that falls out and the follicle itself
atrophies. This is then the sad state, which we term as baldness. It is important to note the pattern of hair fall
and quantity over what time period to assist in determining if there is an illness causing the hair loss. Typically
hair loss is preceded by an excessive production of sebum from the glands known as seborrhea. Sebum is
secreted naturally by the body from the ages of 16 or 18, however when the quantities of sebum secreted
become excessive, the hair follicle has difficulty breathing and producing healthy hair, resulting in hair falling.
Baldness in men is noted to be as high as 30 million males in the USA. Female baldness is less common and
usually occurs centrally on the head. Women usually only develop balding after cancer treatments, when
experiencing hormonal changes as in during adrenal or ovarian growths, menopause or after crash dieting or
fasting over an extended period of time.
Using the hair mask or shampoo made by Dead Sea products assists in cleansing the scalp, resulting in
improving the hair follicles ability to allow hair growth. This in turn reduces hair fall.
Dandruff
Shedding of dead skin cells is a natural part of the daily regeneration of the skin, which is shed every 24 days.
An excessive shedding of the skin cells of the scalp resulting in white flakes, and sometimes itchiness is known
as dandruff.
Dandruff, although a natural growth process of the skin, is caused by excess oiliness of the scalp and is
therefore seasonal. Contrary to common belief that it would be more severe in summer due to sweating or
dryness, dandruff is worse during the winter months.
Dandruff is very common and it is estimated that Americans spend up to $300 on products to manage the
problem.
There is no known cure for Dandruff.
Dandruff is affected by:
- Use of hairsprays and gels
- In- appropriate use of hair colorants and heated hair curlers.
- Exposure to cold weather or dry indoor heating
- Tight fitting hats or head scarves
- Stress, anxiety, trauma and tension.
Possible solutions for Dandruff:
Since dandruff is part of the natural growth process of cells, it can not be cured but only managed. For this
various shampoos are on the market that claim to reduce or eliminate dandruff. They contain various chemicals
of which sulfur is one. The Dead Sea salts as previously discussed, contain sulfur which in a natural form. In
addition the other minerals assist in detoxing and cleansing which is vital to restore the balance of cells to
reduce the oiliness of the scalp.
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