At all times, one of the most cherished desires of women was beautiful long hair, which was given not only magical, but also religious significance. Beliefs and legends associated with hair exist in every folk epic.
Traditionally, among all peoples, hair was associated with vitality. In ancient Egypt, it was not customary to cut children bald, they always left hair on the crown and temples, calling them "curls of youth".
In China, little boys were left with bangs when they cut their hair, girls - certain strands of hair, which were tied with a red thread. In ancient Greece and ancient Rome, cutting hair was a sign of slavery.
The ancient Slavs had a special custom – "shorn": in princely families on this day for the first time, boys were sheared and put on a horse. There is a myth among the Scandinavian peoples in which the goddess Sif was sheared bald by the insidious god Loki, but the dwarves forged her new hair from gold, and they could grow like new ones.
The Bible describes the character Absalom, who got tangled in the branches of trees with his long hair and was killed while trying to escape. It is often mentioned that Samson's strength was contained in his hair - he was a Nazarene by vow and wore long hair, but, having sinned, lost his strength, and the enemies cut his hair. Repentant, he managed to grow his hair back, and his strength returned to him. In the very same Christian religion, all rituals are associated with cutting hair – at baptism, at initiation into a reader, a monk, a singer, a rite of tonsure is performed. In Catholicism, all clerics shave their tonsure. In all religions, married women are required to wear head coverings to hide their hair. If one can argue with religious and ancient myths, then modern myths about hair are often far from the truth.
Ekaterina Bardova,
Candidate of Medical Sciences
Dermatovenereologist,
Cosmetologist,
Associate Professor, Department of Dermatovenereology, NMAPE named after P.L. Shupika
Let's clear up the hair myths
Myth 1: Frequent and vigorous combing stimulates hair growth.
This is not useful, but harmful! Combing pulls out the hair, breaks it and damages the scalp. It doesn't strengthen hair at all. The brush or comb should only be used for styling hair and not as a strengthening treatment.
Myth 2: Early gray hair is due to frequent stress.
Hair color is genetically programmed, as is color change. Graying of hair, especially early (when it happens in 20-30 years) also has a genetic tendency, more often on the maternal side. Occasionally, earlier graying of hair can be associated with diseases of the endocrine organs, more often the thyroid gland or with anemia.
Myth 3: Hair breakage is genetic and inherited.
Hair breakage is caused by frequent and prolonged combing of hair, especially with an incorrectly selected comb - with plastic or iron teeth, combing wet hair, abuse of styling tools without thermal protection. Genetics have nothing to do with it!
Myth 4: The correct diagnosis can be made on the basis of a trichogram.
To make a diagnosis, a dermatologist must have a broad clinical mindset, and a trichogram is just an auxiliary method of making a diagnosis. Particular importance is attached to a thorough study of the anamnesis, in particular with hair loss, the identification of concomitant diseases - all diagnostic steps are based on a differential diagnosis. For some forms of alopecia, a laboratory test can be decisive - the index of free androgens, prolactin, progesterone, with diffuse forms - thyroid-stimulating hormone, ESR, ferritin.
In case of alopecia areata – laboratory tests are needed to exclude an autoimmune process. In addition, auxiliary methods can be a hair tension test, and a study on parasitic fungi, and dermatoscopy, photodermatoscopy, and trichogram, and phototrichogram, and in difficult cases – and biopsy.
Myth 5: Low hemoglobin is the cause of hair loss, supplements and foods containing iron can help.
Indeed, one of the symptoms of anemia can be diffuse hair loss, but you should not rely on dietary supplements, because you need to determine the type of anemia, the cause and choose the drug, taking into account the level of serum iron and vitamin B 12, which can be done by a therapist.
Laboratory diagnostics can confirm or refute the diagnosis, but in this case they are guided not by the level of hemoglobin (it can be normal), but by indicators such as transferrin proteins, ferritin and serum iron. These figures are subject to change first. A balanced diet, of course, will speed up recovery!
Myth 6: Supplements and vitamins will strengthen hair and stop hair loss.
Vitamins and trace elements are needed not only to strengthen the immune system, but also to improve the appearance, for example, of skin, nails, hair. For the latter, the modern pharmaceutical industry has developed a large number of different strengthening agents: vitamins for hair strengthening, vitamins for hair growth, hair loss, etc. But they are only suitable for healthy people, especially those with increased physical and stress loads (for example, athletes, travelers , representatives of heavy professions) and for those who are fond of various diets. In the case of androgenetic, alopecia areata and some types of diffuse alopecia, they will not have the expected effect, and sometimes they can even harm.
Myth 7: Baldness is caused by a lack of calcium in the body.
The human body needs many micro and macro elements. The need for them is different, but the insufficient intake of each component has an extremely negative effect on the general physical and emotional state of a person. One of the most important minerals for the body is calcium. It is from it that the basis of our body is formed: bones, teeth, hair and nails. Therefore, insufficient calcium intake primarily affects the appearance of a person: the condition of the skin, hair, nails, teeth, and posture.
Calcium deficiency affects almost all vital functions of a person. Patients who were found to be calcium deficient complained of hair loss and brittleness, deterioration of the condition of the nails (delamination and unevenness of the nail plate), dental problems (caries, periodontal disease, darkening of the enamel, etc.).
Calcium deficiency is noticeable during puberty, in women during pregnancy and lactation, as well as approaching menopause. It is during this period that hormonal changes occur that cause hair loss. Therefore, during this period, the daily rate should be increased. However, which drug to choose and how long to take it, only a doctor can decide. Most likely, these will be medications, such as calcium gluconate, calcemin, and other complexes against the development of a deficiency of this mineral in the body. However, calcium deficiency cannot be the root cause of baldness.
Myth 8: abundant hair loss after childbirth is due to hormonal imbalance.
Indeed, after childbirth, there is increased hair loss. Most often, hair actively falls out within three months after childbirth. Increased hormone levels during pregnancy lengthen the hair growth phase, so the hair does not fall out at the right time. After childbirth, the estrogen content in a woman's body drops, the hormonal background returns to normal levels, and this affects the lifespan of the hair.
Hair loss is most intense in young mothers who are not breastfeeding. Unfortunately, this is due to the fact that the natural life cycle of the hair lengthened during pregnancy, and after childbirth, the "obsolete" hair falls out almost simultaneously.
It is important to remember that hair loss after childbirth – it's not forever! In a young mother, up to 60% of hair can go into the resting phase at the same time, and it will take time to restore hair follicles and grow new hairs. It usually takes 6 to 12 months to fully recover.
MYTH 9: You can get rid of bald patches with the help of herbal medicine and folk remedies.
The so-called bald patches are signs of androgenetic alopecia, genetically determined in both men and women. The course of the disease is most often progressive, so the main methods of treatment are aimed at stopping their loss. Minoxidil 2-5% solution is the basic external preparation, for other methods there is no objectively confirmed evidence of their effectiveness.
MYTH 10: If you have seborrhea, you need to wash your hair less often.
With seborrheic dermatitis, there is not only a quantitative, but also a qualitative change in the composition of sebum. Therefore, frequent shampooing, and all shampoos contain detergents that degrease the skin surface, can lead to exacerbation of seborrheic dermatitis. Washing your hair with seborrheic dermatitis is necessary on demand, and only with special shampoos.
Myth 11: Rubbing irritants on the scalp stimulates hair follicles and increases hair growth.
Indeed, in some forms of symptomatic hair loss, as well as in alopecia areata, if there are no cicatricial changes, rubbing in irritating substances leads to increased blood flow in this area, which leads to improved nutrition of the hair follicle, and, accordingly, hair growth improves. However, both the frequency of application and the irritating drug itself should be prescribed by a dermatologist in order to avoid the occurrence of contact dermatitis.
Myth 12: All hair problems can be solved using salon methods – mesotherapy, darsonvalization, laser therapy – if treatment is started as early as possible.
Salon methods can be a good help for a doctor who thinks clinically. Still, the main treatment is carried out by a dermatologist, and what exactly will be a priority depends on the diagnosis. For example, in case of androgenetic alopecia topical minoxidil will be the drug of choice, in case of focal alopecia - zinc preparations orally and irritating therapy, in case of diffuse alopecia - it is necessary to identify the cause against which hair loss occurred, and auxiliary methods will complement the treatment, if necessary.
Source estet-portal.com
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