Instructions
Hair Types and Breakage
1. Our search for the best and newest "product" has led to some pretty silly experiments with hair. Before attempting to solve the problem of hair breakage with applications of vitamin E or any other preparation, learn what causes the problem and find out whether changes in behavior or healthier choices can solve it.
The average head contains nearly 100,000 hairs. Daily loss and breakage occurs naturally, but if you lose more than a few hundred hairs, consider nutritional or genetic issues. Some of us inherit dry or curly hair, both more fragile in structure than oily or straight hair. Curly hair varies in thickness. The thin portion of the hair is most susceptible to drying due to heat or chemicals such as perms or straighteners. African American hair, due to its structure, may break more easily than Asian hair, which is more uniform in width along each strand. Mediterranean hair, which contains protective oils due to a diet rich in antioxidants, breaks less than people's hair in areas where diets lack fish and olive oils.
Causes of Breakage
2. Beyond these natural reasons, let's consider factors we can control. Long hair puts more weight on the strand near the scalp and is likelier to break than shorter hair. Extreme environments, where hair is subjected to harsh sunshine, heat or drying winds, can also contribute to excessive breakage. The most common cause of breakage is abuse by chemical---drying hair care products and chemical treatments that draw the natural oils out of the hair. Equally important, though, is what we eat. A lack of vitamin B complex, vitamin E and a few essential minerals could go a long way to creating strong, supple hair. Most hair would probably stand up to most of the abuse that we---or our surroundings---heap upon it if we ate the right foods and chose hair care products more carefully.
Curing the Problem
3. Slathering vitamin E on hair will not correct a vitamin E deficiency in the hair. Some oils (like olive oil) rich in vitamin B are used in homemade topical treatments to repair damaged hair. But the only way to cure the problem is to internalize the vitamin by eating foods rich in the nutrients, like vitamins E and B complex, zinc, iron, silica and the essential fatty acids that encourage growth of healthy hair from within the body. Dark leafy greens, nuts, dairy products, dried fruits, fish, olive and flaxseed oils, and other sources of these nutrients should be part of diets. This is especially important for people who have genetic or environmental causes of breakage over which they have little control. Conditioners containing tea tree oil, vitamin E, hot oil, or egg yolks and olive oil might moisturize and protect hair. They may even help manage breakage, but they won't stop it.
Tags: care products, fish olive, hair care, hair care products, hair which