Clip Hair Extensions

Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine using aromatic plant extracts, known as essential oils. It is a treatment for the relief of minor pains, soothing of the skin, and revitalizing of the whole body. It can also do wonders for a person’s mood as it promotes relaxation and eases tension, fatigue, and stress.
Aromatherapy is fast becoming popular with the proliferation of spas, salons, and organic cosmetic products. It is more known for its relaxing and skin improvement benefits, but it could also be used as a natural way of reducing hair loss. Some essential oils have been proven to stimulate hair growth. Others help stimulate the cells of your scalp and increase the flow of blood to your hair follicles, while others detoxify your scalp. Here are a few examples of essential oils that may help alleviate your hair loss problems:1. Lavender and bay
Combine six drops of these two essential oils with four ounces of either soybean, almond, or sesame oil. Massage the mixture into your scalp. Let it sit for 20 minutes before washing it off with water. With the added benefit of helping you relax, these essential oils will stimulate your hair follicles. You can also add three drops of bay oil to a palmful of shampoo, and you can use this to wash your hair everyday.2. Almond and castor
Combine equal parts of almond oil and castor oil and massage into your scalp once or twice a week.3. Olive. Apply olive oil onto hair and scalp
Cover your head with a shower cap and let it sit overnight. Wash it off the following day. The moisturizing properties of olive oil will help keep your hair and scalp healthy.4. Henna and mustard
Boil four tablespoons of henna leaves in 1 cup of mustard oil. Strain the mixture using a sieve and store it in a glass bottle. Massage the oil into your hair and scalp and leave it on for at least 30 minutes. It would be better, however, if it is left overnight before washing it off the following day.5. Cedarwood, thyme, lavender, rosemary, jojoba, and grapeseed
Mix two drops of cedarwood and thyme oil, three drops of lavender and rosemary oil, half a teaspoon of jojoba oil, and four teaspoons of grapeseed oil. Apply the mixture to your scalp and massage well for two minutes nightly. Using a warm towel, wrap your head and leave it overnight. According to an article in Health Magazine’s November-December 1999 issue, a study made by dermatologists of the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in Scotland showed that among 43 people suffering from hair loss, 19 grew half of their hair back after using the said oil mixture daily for seven months. A small fraction, on the other hand, regrew almost all of their hair. Note, however, that rosemary oil should be avoided if you have high blood pressure. Moreover, grapeseed oil could cause minor irritations to those with sensitive skin.
Essential oils are very easy to procure and to apply, but it is very important that one be patient in waiting for the results when undergoing aromatherapy. It could take at least 3 to 6 months or even longer for hair to grow back and scalp health improvements to be noticed.

Healthy people have it so dang lucky. Not only to their bodies look good due to all of their healthy habits, but their hair also tends to look great. Healthy good looking hair is just another side effect of good clean living.

A healthy hair follicle (singular) grows about one centimeter per month and continues to grow for two to six years. This is called the anagen or growth phase. Ninety percent of the hairs on your noggin are in this phrase at the moment. The other ten percent are in the catagen, or transition phase. These hairs hang around for a few weeks before the follicle shrinks and the hair is shred. The follicle then goes through a Telogen, or resting phrase before the cycle starts anew. Hopefully.

As we all know, for some people, their hairs tend to get stuck in this resting phrase for the rest of their adult life.  This loss of hair is known as alopecia, or baldness.

Here are some facts that you should know about hair loss:

Here are some of the main causes of hair loss:

Treating hair loss is dependent upon the cause. Simply switching medications, or ending treatments can treat a lot of hair loss cases. Diagnosing and treating the ailment can cure hair loss caused by infection or disease. Time and patience will usually take care of hair loss caused by stress or giving birth and switching birth control pills might help woman suffering hair loss caused by hormonal imbalance. Genetic hair loss however, is a little bit harder of a problem to tackle

Here are some possible treatments for genetically based hair loss:

Tips for healthy hair:

For millions of people world-wide, everyday is a “bad hair” day due to the problem of thinning hair or baldness. Discussing hair loss with a doctor is an important first step. There are a number of treatments available these days that make hair loss or thinning hair easier to live with. A concern not only experienced by men but by a growing number of women is Alopecia, or the excessive and abnormal loss of healthy hair. Traumatic situations and genetics can be the cause of hair thinning and loss and also by hormonal fluctuations, excessive physical force or poor nutrition. While these factors can affect both men and women, hair thinning and loss usually occurs for:

Men The most well-known pattern of hair loss is a thinning crown or receding hair line. Due to the presence of a derivative or by-product of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) hair loss happens. This hormone can contract the hair follicles and has a larger effect in the mid-anterior scalp and temples. Some categories of male hair loss are: Chronic Diffuse Alopecia – can happen because of nutritional, metabolic or endocrine matters. Acute diffuse alopecia – occurs from physical or psychological reasons such as hormones, nutritional shortages or medications. Androgenetic Alopecia – occurs because of genetic sensitivity to male hormones. This hardly ever affects women.

Women Most cases of hair thinning and loss are as a result of hormonal fluctuations, ie during pregnancy, childbirth or use of some methods of birth control. Women can also experience: Anagen effluvium – occurs due to chemotherapy. The matrix of the hair becomes damaged and, as a result, the hair shaft will narrow, eventually fracturing. Traction alopecia – caused by severe hairstyles, such as ponytails that are too tight, braiding, cornrows or the frequent use of extensions. These procedures pull at hair over a period of time but loss can be prevented if recognized and treated early.

Males and females can reduce or even halt hair loss or thinning, if found early enough, by using various over-the-counter treatments like: a). A shampoo that describes itself as “revitalizing/fortifying/energizing”. These will nurture and guard existing hair while removing oils that can obstruct the follicles and stop re-growth. b). A daily vitamin supplement. Look for supplements labelled especially for hair and/or nails and are fortified with Vitamin B3 (niacin). These defend the hair shaft, and antioxidants, to ward off harm from free radicals. c). Weekly use, leave-in scalp treatment prepared with essential oils – oils such as lavender and orange will relax and unblock hair follicles to encourage growth, regulate oil production and sustain cell repair. Results will vary, as with any treatment, and may possibly need to be continued on a regular basis. Also, allow around 6-8 weeks before expecting to see results.

Techniques to hide hair loss: Perhaps it is time to think of some techniques to hide your hair loss if you are unhappy with your thinning hair. Whether you are a man or a woman losing hair due to heredity, stress, medication or a medical condition you can use these tips to help you cope.

Use a Hair Thickening Shampoo or Conditioner Use a hair thickening shampoo and/or conditioner meant to disguise loss by making the hair appear to be thicker. Brush your hair gently after shampooing and conditioning to stop losing more hair, and allow hair to dry completely before combing or brushing it.

Techniques for Styling If your head of hair is not as thick as it used to be, there are some styling techniques and styling products that you can use to keep your head looking its best at any age. Avoid styling gels they will only matte your hair together and accentuate your baldness. Go for texturizing lotions and creams that will give you fullness and volume. Another great choice is to use a leave-in conditioner that can make your hair appear fuller and more textured. Blow dry thinning hair for a fuller look – For hair that is thinning on top, try blow drying after you wash and condition and comb the hair in front straight back. Use mousse or a light hairspray to keep the style in place. The blow dryer will keep hair from matting together and appearing thinner than it is.

Hair extensions are a quick and simple method Use a professional hair salon to get natural human hair added to your hair. This may last you for several weeks or several months. Hair extensions are used for women and men, with thick long hair to camouflage the fact that they are losing hair, and are an easy way to change your look.

Blow-dry your Hair Consider blow drying if your hair is thinning on top to give it added texture and body and to give your head more coverage. Brush it into a quiff on top of your head by brushing it from the forehead up. Maintain the style with a little hairspray. If your hair is thinning throughout, this is a good way to make your hair look fuller.Chaps – Getting a Buzz from your Hair The buzz cut is a way to disguise the fact that you are losing hair. Businessmen, sports stars and actors all use this as a classy, style that is easy to maintain. Groom your scalp daily and remove the hairs you have left for a clean, fresh look by using a wet-dry electric razor. If you’re disturbed about your hair loss or if your hair is starting to thin, make an appointment with your hairdresser or barber and request some advice on a fresh, new look. There are plenty of hair styles to choose from that have you looking great.

Losing a couple of follicles while you are under pressure is normal. If this problem persists for long and you face thinning hair problems, then you might be in for a serious problem. Not eating healthy food or consuming too much of one type of vitamin, could also be a cause of hair loss. If vitamin deficiency is the reason for hair problem a proper diet and food rich in vitamins and proteins should be consumed. Exercise should be combined with good food to promote natural growth. Your scalp should be stimulated with the help of massage therapy.

Although many medications mentions “hair loss” as potential side effects, drugs need not necessarily be the overall cause for thinning or lost hair. It is also evident that patients who have localized hair loss generally don’t go on to lose hair all over the scalp. Female is no exception to hair problems these days.

Hair problems can arise out of female problems such as menopause, ovarian cysts and other hormonal imbalances. Proper medications to ease menopausal symptoms and hormonal replacement will naturally arrest hair problems. DHT clogs up your hair follicles which would result to the thinning of your hair strands and would eventually lead to falling hair. Alopecia areata is considered an autoimmune condition, in which the body attacks itself. Most alopecia patients, however, do not have systemic problems and need no medical tests. Doctors refer to common baldness as “androgenetic alopecia,” which implies that a combination of hormones and heredity (genetics) is needed to develop the condition.

Exposure to hair straightening chemicals should be avoided to a great extent. Hair follicles get damaged due to ironing and hair straightening creams. You can make your hair look straight and nice even without chemical exposure. Make use of natural hair conditioners that smoothen your hair such as egg white and fermented beer. These promote hair growth and also smoothens your hair.

The other common tip is to brush your hair backwards several times. When you do this on a regular basis you scalp gets stimulated and promotes hair growth. The style that you wear your hair can also be a hair loss prevention opportunity. When ever possible, avoid pulling hair into styles that require it to be pulled tight and bound with elastic for long periods of time. Therefore, try out hair styles which do not require you to tie your hair tight.

Suffering from Tinea Capitis is no walk in the park. That is why it is important to educate yourself about this condition.
What is Tinea Capitis?
This is a disease that is caused by a fungal infection on the scalps skin, eyelashes, and eyebrows that attacks follicles and hair shafts. Also called ringworm of the scalp, this disease is normally found of children ten years old under, but could also happen to older people.
The symptoms on this disease have varied degrees. It can start from scaly but non-inflamed parts of the skin that resembles with seborrheic dermatitis, to an inflammatory disease with very scaly lesions.
As this progress, Alopecia or hair loss happens to severely inflamed abscesses which could eventually lead to permanent scarring or even baldness. How extent the condition becomes all depends upon how the body reacts to the fungus.
Causes of Tinea Capitis
This disease is normally a result of a person-to-person transmission. Organisms remain on brushes, combs, sheets, and couches for longer periods. Particular species of the Tinea Capitis are found in specific parts of the world.
Occasional bruising of the scalp basically provides entry for a microscopic fungus. The infection normally begins as small papules on around the scalps hair shaft or even in the eyelashes.
After a few days, the red papule starts to appear scaly and paler, and the hairs become brittle, lustreless, and discoloured. On some infected areas, ring-formed lesions may possibly combine. Pruritus, although minimal, are sometimes intense. This will then cause the hair to fall. Furthermore, inflammation may either be mild or severe. To diagnose the condition, it is very important to seek for the help of qualified dermatologists.
Diagnosing Tinea Capitis
Extensive diagnosis of a Tinea Capities generally depends on varied examinations and culture of scrapings, rubbings, clippings, or plucking from the lesions. Infected hairs that appear as broken stubs are ideal for examinations.
These hairs can be removed with the use of forceps without letting the patient feel any pain at all, or simply rubbing the infected area with a moist gauze pad will also do the trick. Few hair samples are then cultured and softened in about 20% of potassium hydroxide before carefully examined on the microscope. This examination will help determine if a Tinea Capitis infection does exist.
Treatments for Tinea Capitis
There are three major treatments that can be done for Tinea Capitis. The first is systemic administration of Griseofulvin that is considered as a proven effective oral therapy. Another one is using Selenium Sulfide shampoo so that transmission of the fungus to the others may be reduced. And finally, taking Itraconazole and Terbafine is also as effective as Griseofulvin.
Griseofulvin is basically a treatment for ringworm infections of the scalp. Effective dosages are often prescribed for six to eight weeks, with the 20-25mg/kg/d medication. This medicine works by accumulating in keratin of the layers and the hair, providing resistance of fungus invasions. Treatments are continued for six to eight weeks, enough for the infected keratin to be replaced by a much more resistant one.
It is important that people suffering from this fungal disease should consult immediately to a qualified hair expert. That way, spreading the infection will not be possible if immediate actions are undertaken.

A hair system can be any type of borrowed hair in the form of a full wig, hairpiece, weave, hair extension or a toupee, which replaces your own missing hair. Hair systems are often the only remaining option to replace the lost hair and to regain the appearance of a full head of hair. The quality and the price of hair systems depend on a variety of factors, such as the type of hair used, the production process used to weave the wig, the foundation of the hair system and how it is attached to the scalp.

The type of hair is the first thing many buyers will ask about. Both natural and artificial hair can be used. The natural hair can be of human or animal origin. Some hair systems blend human hair with animal hair to save on cost. The human hair can be of Asian origin (the least expensive option), Indian origin or European origin (the most expensive option). Asian and Indian hair must be often bleached, which makes it brittle and less durable. Considering the harvesting methods, virgin hair is the most expensive and hair gained from combs and hairbrushes the least expensive option. Human hair requires more care than artificial hair but it looks much more authentic, lasts longer and is more comfortable to wear. Its downside is its higher cost and the fact that it can lose its colour when exposed to direct sunshine for long hours or break, as normal human hair does.

As far as the manufacturing process is concerned, hair systems can be hand-tied or machine-tied. Hand-tied wigs can also be custom made, which happens to be the most expensive alternative. The foundation of a hair system can be either a polymer or a mesh. The polymer foundation is a more affordable but also a less comfortable option. A mesh structure breathes better than polymer structures and is therefore more comfortable to wear but, besides being more expensive, it is also a less durable alternative and more difficult to maintain. Mesh is suitable for creating authentic-looking hairlines, so many wigs combine both technologies, mesh for the hairline and the polymer structure for the inside of the wig.

The method of attaching a wig to your scalp and blending it with your existing hair is an immensely important factor (more info: http://www.greyhairloss.com/hair-replacement.html). There are semi-permanently attached hair systems that are either glued to your scalp or woven into your existing hair and these can only be removed in a hair salon once every five or six weeks for cleaning. These systems cling tightly to your scalp and can be unhealthy and uncomfortable to wear after a couple of weeks of use. The temporarily-attached hair systems use double-sided sticky tape or clips to fix the hairpiece to your scalp and existing hair. They can be removed and cleaned any time you wish but can also be easily and unexpectedly removed, leading to embarrassing situations.

The final, determining factor when deciding on buying a hair system is the price. Any hair system is temporary in nature, it will not last for ever like hair transplants do. Nevertheless, they can be quite expensive. Hair transplants can cost as much as ten thousand dollars or more. Although you can get a wig for a few hundred dollars, the more authentic pieces cost a few thousand dollars and require regular maintenance costing a couple of hundred dollars a month. In addition, you have to buy at least two identical pieces, one to wear while the other is being maintained by your hair salon. Though not cheap, hair systems are often the only option to replace the lost hair for many alopecia areata patients, as well as a large percentage of female hair loss sufferers.

If metal clip on extensions are continually worn and the tension on your hair is not regularly alleviated, scarring can occur as well as permanent hair loss, leaving the wearer with a less then desirable appearance they’ll be forced to deal with for their rest of their lives.

In today’s modern society, most people think only of the final appearance of their hair.

(2) The continual over processing with Chemical treatment such as bleaches, dyes, or strengtheners disrupts the keratin structure in a manner that reduces its tensile strength.

The hair follicles can become fragile. At first the hair fall out is not so noticeable because the clip on extensions are disguising it. Add brushing and combing your hair, you will note a difference in the reduced thickness of your hair line but ignore it initially. Later on some people might experience heavy fall out which can occur with brushing, combing and washing your hair. On top of that using extreme heat to fashion each day can also permanently damage the hair follicle.

If detected early, traction alopecia is reversible if diagnosed early. However, permanent loss can occur too slowly for immediate detection. Hair loss is often occurs in the front, but is also subject to the immediate adjacent area to where the clip in extension were pulling and damaging the hair root.

(1) The sad truth of the matter is that permanent traction alopecia does not respond to medical treatment such as minoxidil or finasteride since by its nature, the loss is different then genetic hair loss.

The only way one can treat traction alopecia is with transplants. Follicular unit hair grafting has been identified as the only practical solution to treating traction alopecia. Hair transplant clinics are reportedly seeing a rise in the number of patients with traction alopecia and say the results can be good to excellent.

However this can be a costly approach especially whilst clip on extensions appear so cheap. What you have to consider is whether wearing clip on extensions for over 6 hours a day versus the value of your own hair. Which is worth more?

There are over 18 different extension techniques. It is important that you find a technique that is suitable for your type and life style. There is a misconception that hair extensions can be worn permanently for up to 6 months at a time.

In today’s society, you need to hold on to what you’ve got, look after what you have and start being kinder to your hair.

Sources:
1. Basil M Hantash, MD, PhD, Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH. (2005) Traction Alopecia, Emedicine.com
2. Cheryl Guttman, May 1, 2003 Alopecia Options for Black Women, Dermatology Times,