Dubai Hair Doctor

Vegetarians and hair loss.

Every day in the clinic I see vegetarians, and while that is their choice it is not a good one for hair.Vegetarians don’t necessarily have less hair, but many people who make the transition to vegetarianism or veganism experience some hair loss because of the shortage of some nutrition or other factors. Diet does play a large part in hair health, and two most common deficiencies that you might be seeing in your diet that is causing this hair loss would be Zinc and B-12.

The good news is the Zinc is naturally found in beans, nuts, milk and lots of other vegetarian-friendly foods. A B-12 deficiency tends to show up more as a dandruff condition and less as hair loss than a Zinc deficiency. Those scaly dry scalps can easily be remedied  with ‘Clear’ shampoo. Most B-12 is found in animal products, but some fermented soy products will have it too. A multivitamin might be your best way to rule out if this hair loss is diet related. If hair loss persists even after taking multivitamins,  you need to look elsewhere to pinpoint the causes of your hair loss. DHD says, see your Trichologist if you are unsure

Do you really know how to shampoo your hair?.

People often ask me how to correctly wash hair. Have you ever considered if you are washing your hair correctly? We shampoo alone, and most often do it the same way.  There is no one to correct your mistakes when you cleanse your hair alone and more likely than not you don’t observe others washing their hair to learn from them or question their technique. I’m frequently asked how often should hair be washed and the answer is simple – daily! You wash or cleanse your face every day to keep skin looking its best – your hair goes to all the same places so it too needs daily care.

Choice of shampoo is important – choose one according to your hair type: fine and straight, wavy, frizzy etc

Pre-Shampoo
All hair types will benefit from a healthy hair regime that includes a ‘pre shampoo’. This is a conditioning treatment applied before shampoo onto dampened hair, and left in for approximately 15 minutes. The aim of the treatment is to moisturize the hair from within, penetrating deep under the hair cuticles helping to moisturise, condition and strengthen. This pre-shampoo treatment helps repair and protect your hair from weathering and chemical damage caused during processing such as colouring, straightening and perming.Cationic conditioners are particularly effective in pre shampoo treatments as they deposit a molecular layer of ingredients onto the hair surface as well as neutralising static and improving comb through and shine. Simply, using a pre-shampoo treatment prevents the heavy build-up that is often encountered with intensive conditioners. The ingredients used to carry the treatment into the hair cuticle need to be shampooed off otherwise the hair would be limp, sticky and without shine.

Detangle
Just before you wash your hair, firstly detangle the hair by running a wide-toothed comb through starting at the ends, gradually working up the hair strands. Use a ‘saw-cut’ comb in which each tooth is cut into it, making it smoother. They are available in plastic or vulcanite (hard rubber). Avoid cheap plastic combs made from a mould as these can cut into the hair. Metal combs are even worse as their edges can lacerate the hair.

Correct Shampooing
Pre-soaking
Pre-soaking is vital. Thoroughly wet hair needs less shampoo. Use warm water and gently draw your fingers through your hair as the water is flowing over it.

Shampoo and lather
Don’t pour the shampoo directly onto the hair, pour it onto the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and then smooth the shampoo over your hair. Gently rub your palms over your hair, and then massage the scalp with your fingertips in a gentle kneading motion. Massage on any part of the body is relaxing and gives a feeling of well being.  This is particularly so in scalp massage and shampooing. Continue the massaging action for approximately thirty seconds and every so often run your fingers through your hair from front to back in order to avoid tangling. One wash is all that is necessary when washing your hair daily.

Rinsing
When you think it has been rinsed enough, rinse again.  Dull hair is often caused by insufficient rinsing. There is no need to finish off a rinse with cold water.

Conditioning
You should always use an after-shampoo conditioner whatever your hair type. Pour a small quantity into the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and smooth the conditioner over the hair, paying particular attention to the ends. Do not rub into the scalp or put the conditioner on the hair near the scalp. Rinse immediately.Many people believe that leaving conditioner your hair is better for it. That is a false myth.There is no reason to leave conditioner in your hair for any length of time. A well-formulated conditioner should act on the hair immediately.
You can’t ‘over condition’. If you think you are – you may be using the wrong conditioner, or too much or not using it correctly.

Much like another reader’s question about using mayonnaise to condition their hair and prevent hair loss,there has been no clinical research linking the use of olive oil to the prevention of hair loss. While some people may swear by using olive oil, preventing hair loss has been clinically linked to overall health as well as the health of the hair follicle itself. However, even if you do all you can to prevent hair loss, some people may still experience it because of a genetic predisposition. Olive oil quickly attracts dust particles to the hair and can turn rancid very quickly, it is not a tested and true solution to hair loss.

If you think you are experiencing hair loss, DHD suggests that you make an appointment for a free consultation.