TYPE OF HAIR

Hair grows from a hole called follicle. Each follicle has an oil gland that coats your hair and keeps it healthy. Every month hair grows about 12mm and its life is between 6-12 years. The growth pattern becomes uneven during adolescence when the hair growth is at its peak. It decline’s as we grow older. The kind of hair that we have whether it is long, short, thick, thin, straight or curly is directly linked to the physiological well being of our body. Hereditary/Genes also determine length of the hair.

Long Hair -
People with long hair need to take special care and dedicate a lot of time towards its wellness. Wash hair with shampoos specially formulated for long hair. After washing don’t brush your hair immediately. Blot out the moisture. Comb your hair when it is slightly dry; starting from the ends and working up the scalp. Very long hair is often combination hair, greasy at the roots and dry at the ends. Irrespective to whether your hair is long or short, you can create your individual style. You can consider Simple plait, French plait or Spiky chignon for long, hairstyles. For long Hair cuts you can go in for feathering or layering.

Short Hair -      
No matter how much they try to grow it, some people have short hair. Today’s workingwomen has a hectic schedule and cannot dedicate time for hair care. So they prefer having short hair, as it is easy to wash and maintain. Modern short hairstyles have evolved after coping with our changing lifestyles. Some of the common short haircuts are blunt, bob, graduating. Snake twists and mini twists are good hairstyles for short hair.

Fine Hair –
The thickness of each hair is determined by the size of the follicle in the scalp. The smaller the follicle, the finer is the hair. Blunt hair cut is ideal for fine hair because it gives a fuller and thicker look. You can use a grooming comb because it has wide teeth for grooming and fine teeth for fine hair.

Thick Hair –
 If the size of the follicle in your scalp is large, then you will have thick hair. You can take the aide of special thinning scissors or razors to reduce the thickness or bulk of hair without changing its actual length.

Frizzy Hair –
If there is moisture in the air than hair can become frizzy. Frizzy hair has often a dull, dry look and is hard to control. To prevent it you can apply gel on wet hair and serum on dry hair to protect it. This seals your hair and the amount of moisture absorbed from air is reduced. Attach a diffuser to your hair dryer to ensure that hair dries slowly and doesn’t result in a frizz.

Curly Hair –
The shape of the hair shaft and the shape of the follicle, determines shape of your hair. Curly hair grows from a kidney shaped follicle and has an oval hair shaft. Black hair is usually very curly. Curls allow moisture to escape from the hair and make it difficult for natural oils to travel down the hair shaft. This makes the hair dry and fragile. One of the styles that you can experiment with short curly hair is braiding. It is a technique in which hair is divided into tiny plaits, which can be arranged in various styles. You can even attach extensions of long spiral curls. Braids can remain unaffected up to two months.
Curly Hair Care
 As mentioned earlier curly hair is dry and fragile. Some tips to take care of the same is –
1. Comb regularly, as this will spread natural oils through your hair and makes it look shinier and healthy.
2.  Wash your hair with a gentle shampoo and rich conditioner.
3. Once a month replenish your hair with a moisturizing warm oil treatment.
4. Don’t braid your hair too tight, as they may break and fall out.   

Grey Hair –
White colorless hair mixed with brown hair gives an illusion of grey. White hair usually starts appearing in the thirties. This is because the body stops producing color pigment. Production of the pigment maybe affected by shock or illness. White hair may be dry and wiry. So you must use a conditioner. Even the most well maintained white hair, may go yellow due to dust, smoke and dirt.   

Detangling –
Whenever you color your hair or style it with heated appliances hair becomes dry and dull. It feels rough and gets tangled. Even fresh washed hair can get tangled up. In such cases, after shampooing, rinse finally with diluted vinegar (1 tbsp vinegar to a mug of water). This helps to restore acid mantle that has been just washed away. You can even use special cream rinse conditioners that are formulated to detangle hair. Cream rinses soften the hair. They coat the hair and minimize the stress of hair brushing. You can brush washed and dried hair with a wide toothed comb to detangle.

Split Ends –
Split end occurs when a hair shaft splits into two or more sections because the hair is damaged. If people with long hair treat their hair roughly, then ends occur. Fierce brushing snaps the hair and breaks it off. Using rubber bands to tie hair and using metal curlers or rollers to wind hair into a fish- hook can damage long tresses.

Dry, Damaged Hair -
If the sebaceous (oil) glands do not produce sufficient oil, than you will have dry hair. Flakiness and dandruff are the direct result of dry hair. Dry hair looks dull and is hard to brush. It is brittle and breaks off easily. Hair can also become dry as a result of the effects of the sun, perming, bleaching and hair styling. For dry hair use a shampoo which has added moisturizer. Condition your hair after every wash and once a week have a warm oil treatment for your scalp.

Home Remedy for Dry Hair –
1. Gentle Cleanser –
• Beat an egg in a cup of skimmed milk, till the foam becomes consistent. Apply it onto your scalp and after 5 minutes rinse hair thoroughly with water. Follow this routine twice a week.
• To a cup of coconut milk add 2 tbsp gram flour or 1 tsp shikakai powder. Massage it gently into your hair and scalp. Rinse after 5 minutes. Carry out this routine once a week.

2. Protein Conditioner
          Mix together 1 tbsp glycerin, 1 tbsp castor oil, 1 tsp cider vinegar, 1 tsp of protein and 1 tbsp mild herbal shampoo. Apply on scalp and rinse after 20 minutes with clear water.

3. Special Oil Massage/ Toner
Add 1 tsp of lavender essential oil to a bottle of castor or coconut oil. Heat a little and massage it into your scalp at night and rinse it out in the morning. Carry out the routine once a week. 

Growing your Hair -           
Hair grows on an average of 6 inches a year. On any given day 90% of the hair are in growing stage and 10% are in resting stage. In adolescence the growth pattern is uneven and the hair growth is at its peak. It reduces, as we grow older. In women the maximum hair growth occurs between the age of 15 to 30 years. Hair is made up of a protein called keratin, so it needs protein for its growth and wellness. Lean meat, fish and poultry, skimmed milk, soybeans, lentils, cheese and eggs are good source of protein. Hair growth vitamins are also found in fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grain foods such as oats and wheat germ.