Hair is the Barometer of our Health

[11-06-05]

Hair acts as the barometer of our health. Problems related to general health such as anaemia, thyroid problems, hormonal imbalance, etc. are first indicated in the condition of the hair.

The hair barometer swings up and down, reacting to drugs, diet, hormonal changes, fluctuations in weather and emotional disturbances. Normally, hair loss is nothing more than a signal and once the reason is determined and treated, our hair goes back to its normal pattern of shedding - which is so subtle that we may not even realizeit is happening.

The first step to getting your hair looking healthy is to understand it. A strand of hair consists of 3 layers - the cuticle, the cortex and the medulla.The cuticle is the hair's outermost protective layer consisting of tiny overlapping scales, which must lie flat if hair is to look silky. If this layer is damaged, then hair looks brittle, dull and tangles easily.

Lying below the cuticle is the cortex, which gives the hair its elasticity and contains a pigment called melanin that determines the hair color. Located at the centre of each hair is the medulla, which is composed of soft keratin cells and is believed to carry nutrients to the cuticle and the cortex. The growing hair gets its nourishment from the papilla, which lies at the base of the follicle. Nutrients come to the papilla through the blood. As our blood carries not only nutrients but also drugs, waste products and hormones, these elements influence our hair.

Our hair is made up of a protein called keratin, which is a chemical compound of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen in different percentages. Keratin is responsible for the disulphide bonds of the hair, which make hair strong. A balanced diet, rich in proteins, is essential for hair healthy. To maintain good hair, it is important to get a tricho-check done to find out the state of the hair shaft, roots and other internal conditions. The tricho analysis of the hair also indicates the keratin level of the hair.

The tricho-analyser helps to know the AT ratio of the hair, which is a diagnostic method to find out whether you suffer from hair loss.

The Anagen Telogen ratio, or the ratio of fall, under normal circumstancesis 80:20. That means, at any given point of time, in your scalp 80% of the hair are in the growth phase and 20% in the falling phase. Hence, the AT ratio should show 80% of the hair in the growth phase and 20% in the falling phase, which otherwise means you suffer from diffuse hair loss. The diffuse hair loss is further classified into grade 1 diffuse temporary hair loss, grade 2 diffuse permanent hair loss, grade 3 loose anagen syndrome and grade 4 telogen effluvium. These are the 4 grades of hair loss, depending on how much hair would be found in which phase.

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