Essential Fatty Acids

People usually associate fatty acids with negative thoughts, I guess it is partly due to the media which seems to target the phrase 'fatty' as something that is detrimental to  health.

Nevertheless it is important for you to know that studies and clinical experience has shown that essential fatty acids are effective in combating male pattern baldness.

The acid compound such as linoleic, linolenic and arachidonic acids are  found in a variety of oil such as linseed, sunflower, black currant, evening primrose and soy. Even though these  oils can be purchased easily from supermarkets and stores, we don't seem to have enough of it due to our modern unhealthy lifestyle which involves consumption of food that is not beneficial such as fast food, soda drinks, processed food and etc

One way to ensure you have adequate consumption of it is by taking one teaspoon of  any one of these oils  once a day. For instance, you can take black current oil or evening primrose oil capsules. You can also use on teaspoon of sunflower oil with other dressing ingredients on a salad or other food and obtain the recommended dosage that way.

It is often hard to get adequate gamma linolenic acid, better known as GLA in your diet.  This important acid is found in blackcurrent oil. A 500mg of capsule of this oil twice a day will improve the textual, density and quality of your hair in six to eight weeks.

Hair Loss Prevention - Wrong Way To Wash Hair

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Thus, it is important for you to take good care of your hair and scalp even if you do not suffer from hair loss yet.

You will be surprised that many people, both young and adult do not know how to wash their hair properly. Most do not realize that the way they go about it does more harm than good. Always pay attention to the amount of hair that you shed daily when you wash your hair

Firstly, you need to take caution and make sure you choose the right shampoo type appropriate for your hair and scalp condition.

For instance, if your scalp is of that of oily type, then it makes no sense for you to choose a shampoo with added conditioner moisturizer. Why would you want to add more oil to your oily scalp right?

Likewise, if you have dry scalp or hair, choose a shampoo that improve sebaceous gland producing of oil in your scalp and with added moisturizer to improve the silkiness texture.

 Not all shampoo of various brands created alike. Always check the ingredients listed in the label. Be knowledgeable in hair care.  It may take you quite awhile to figure out which shampoo type works best but generally speaking,  it is always good to choose one with natural herbs and organic compounds.

It is a clear sign that you are not  using the right shampoo type if your scalp itch after you washing. Discontinue the use of such shampoo and try to get something else. It might be the case your scalp is sensitive or allergy to the ingredients of the product. I like to get shampoo that is pH balance and I think it works well on both oily as well as dry scalp type.

Never apply finger nail pressure on your scalp during washing. You could easily scratch your scalp and damaged the hair follicles unnecessary. Apply pressure using your finger tips instead of the nails while you run through during shampooing.

Don't wait till you start to lose your crowning glory for by that time it would be much more difficult for you to slow it down or revert hair thinning problem.

Sleep Deprivation And Hair Loss

Genetic factor is one of the major contributor hat determines the extend and the onset timing of hair loss in individual. Even if hair thinning runs in your family (for instance if one or both of your parents and siblings experience balding symptoms) it does not mean you can't do anything about it.

Apart from gene, there are many other factors linked to hair loss. Stress, anxiety, imbalance diet and other unhealthy lifestyle can accelerate and exacerbate your scalp problem. Did you know sleep deprivation is a BIG major factor that can lead to rapid hair loss?

Prolong lack of sleep can cause your body internal functions to go haywire. Sleep deprivation is known to cause hormone imbalance and affects the regulation of other endocrine functions. The condition of your hair reflects your general health.

Quality sleep enables the cells in our body to repair and regenerates.  Loss of sleep prevents lowers the body immune system and accelerate male or female hair pattern loss.

Research into sudden hair loss such as 'Telogen Effluvium' indicates strong correlation between severe stress and premature hair resting phase. A person suffering from 'Telogen Effluvium' will  experience sudden rapid hair loss as a result of hair entering resting phase, which is simply a condition where it stop growing for about 3 months before it shed off.

No amount hair loss treatment is going to be effective so long as you continue to suffer from lack of sleep and or experience sleeping disorder problem resulting in loss of quality sleep. Even though there are multiple factors that contributes to balding, sleep deprivation is definitely one of the which you should not ignore.

Have The Right Expectations About Hair Loss Treatment

One of the most common question that many people has in mind, particularly those who suffers from premature or early hair thinning problem is whether if there is any hairloss treatment that is effective and long lasting.

In my humble opinion, the question is hardly the right question to ask at all. You may wonder why? Well, in one way or another, sooner or later, everyone experience hair loss and this is always the case particulary as you aged.

I am not saying that every old man or woman is going to become completely bald eventually. I am sure you will agree with me that aging people usually has less hair,  hair thinning is more obvious in the older folks compare to the youths and the teeens.

You need to have the right mindset, particularly the right expectations on hair loss treatments. Don't go around and waste your money to look for a permanent lasting solution simply because there aren't any!

You should stay away from any bogus hairloss centers that tells you they have a permanent lasting solution to your scalp problem!  There are many dishonest people out there who is more than ready and looking forward to scam on you by selling you false hopes and dreams!

In summary, always take note that there is no such thing as a one shoe fit all size hair loss treatment so to speak. Each and everyone of us is unique in many ways. Our body  respond to different treatments in
different degree of effectiveness.

You set youself up for big time dissapointment if you continue to believe that there is a permanent solution to your hair loss problem. You can slow down the rate of hair loss but you can never cure it permanently.

Have the right expectations about hair loss treatment. By all means do your best and work with your hair care loss consultants or trichologist to formulate the best treatment. Just remember the only permanent solution if you mind, is get a tuopee over your balding head!

Conspiracy Theory - Hair Cloning Is Intentionally Delayed By Corporations

Hi sir:
I just found this site and you have pretty interesting material. I would like to know if you know of any intentional delays in hair cloning/multiplication access caused by the FDA, corporation or any other very influential source because it seems like a mighty slow process compared to even bigger breakthroughs science have accomplished. Thank you.

How do you really expect me to answer this question? If there is a conspiracy, how would I know this? But really, the question I must ask — Why would there even be a conspiracy? Why would corporations intentionally delay the cloning? What is the motive? Sometimes I can’t tell if someone is joking around or if they truly believe something as nutty as this.

Corporations will win by making money with the new technology. The doctors will make money with performing more cloning surgeries. Balding men will benefit in managing their problem possibly without surgery. The technology is slow to develop, but treating hair loss is a multi-billion dollar industry, so it would make no sense for any for-profit company to delay a new treatment if it were ready to market.
Then again, perhaps there is a secret club of men with full heads of hair who do not want social and economic competition from their bald counterparts. Something to think about…




View the original article here

Is it Rare to Go Gray and Then Bald Before 40?

I’m wondering, is it very rare for a man to go both gray and bald before his 40’s? I mean, I’ve never seen a 20'ish or 30'ish male balding/graying at the same time. Is there any famous person who’s got these two genetic conditions?
Thanks in advance

Balding and graying are independent genetic traits. To see this for yourself, go to a busy shopping mall with an upper level and look down on the men who pass under you.
Just because you’ve never seen it, that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. Men tend to start seeing gray in their 30s, but it could start at any age (depending on genetics). I can’t name any famous balding and gray 30 year old, but that could probably be due to younger actors dye their gray hair to stay looking young. If I come up with a name, I’ll update this post.


View the original article here

What Would You Do for Prince William, Specifically?

This is a follow-up to a post from last week:

Hello!
last week a question was posted about Prince William which you opened your doors to William if ever he decided to go down the hair transplant route…
my question would be - What would you do for William? we can all see where his future lies with his hairline, obviously we do not harvest an adequate amount of donor hair to cover the whole of the balding area, what would be the way forward for william in your opinion?
and also off the subject, i picked up on the comment made by the blogger, something to the tone of “feeling sorry for william on his wedding day, his looks seem to have diminished due to his balding process……” have you seen his wife? hes not doing to badly!

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Bald is beautiful“. With respect to Prince William, I am sure if he is bothered by his hair he would have done something for it. He looks like an excellent candidate to take finasteride and see what happens with the medication alone. One reader commented that they didn’t like Prince William’s thinning hair and wondered if he would be a candidate for hair transplant surgery. Yes, he’d likely be good candidate if that is what he wanted to do about it.
So hypothetically, assuming he has an average hair density and scalp laxity (the ideal scenario) he could cover the entire scalp with two surgeries. The first procedure would be the most dramatic, giving him a non-balding hairline with a frame to his face and some fill for the thinning top and crown. I couldn’t get too into specifics, as I’ve not met Prince William.
When and if he came to transplant, we would do almost exactly what we did for reality star Jon Gosselin. He had only one surgery and we did not address the continuing hair loss to the top crown area, which appeared to worsen. Jon has a similar hair loss pattern, but his hair is black as opposed to the royal’s blondish-brown hair. Since Jon’s hair loss gives less contrast to his skin, Prince William should attain better results.


View the original article here

Complaining Doctors and Pushy Patients

I am sure you guys see a lot of patients, and I just read an article on CNN about a site that lets doctors complain about pushy patients. Do you have any horror stories about patients that gave you a hard time? Here’s the article: Are you giving your doctor a headache?

From my regular reading of this blog I can tell there are plenty of people out there that fancy themselves as “experts” when it comes to hair loss and love to show off their armchair medical degrees that they earned by surfing the web for a few hours. Its great to try to learn as much as possible about various problems one might have, but at what point does it become a headache for you when the person insists a medication is causing their issue or insists that their hours of research are more accurate than your many years of treating patients in person?

Thanks and keep up the great work!!!

People are people and they come in all personality traits. As a doctor, you expect to see a wide variation of patient personalities, and if you didn’t, you should not be a doctor. I demand that doctors treat every patient with dignity and respect. If a patient does not behave properly or is disruptive to the goals of a first consultation, I use my people skills to try to end the interaction with a frank discussion that maybe we (doctor and patient) are not compatible. This has been very rare for me to find such a patient.

What usually happens is that if there is a patient who is upset about their hair loss circumstances, or afraid of an uncertain future, or were treated with less than proper respect, or achieved less than the results than they expected from a surgery with another doctor, then my job is the communicate with them. Many times what is thought to be a difficult patient, actually turns out to be a patient who is just afraid and if I take the time to listen to them, I almost always calm them down.

I believe that all people deserve the best efforts I can manage and I approach everyone that way. Sometimes I look back upon the interactions with patients and laugh to myself at the happenings. I remember one patient, for example, who had a hair transplant with me and the next day came in with a poster sized blow-up of his transplanted scalp with individual pins placed into every graft in the head that he could see. He claimed that I cheated him and overcharged him for the number of grafts that were given to him the day before. I sat down calmly with him, showed him grafts that he did not see (no pins in the picture) and suggested that he come in another day so I can show him a live surgery and demonstrate why the picture did not really show the actual hair graft count. He did just that and everything was fine after. Especially difficult patients produce difficult challenges and it is the doctor’s job to address the needs of the patient, always.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

View the original article here

Prosthetic Follicles?

Do you have any knowledge or opinion about prosthetic follicles? I was imagining a tiny hypo- or non-allergenic device of plastic, silicone, etc that could even eject broken hairs and be reloaded. If they can replace heart valves and if they can make silicon wafers with microscopic transistors, artificial follicles hardly seems unfeasible. I googled my idea and actually found something:
A hair prosthesis consisting of allogeneic hair and polypropylene mimicking follicular units: long-term result and histocompatibility in rabbits

This sounds wonderful for balding or bald rabbits. There’s still a lot that needs to be done before it is shown to be safe for humans.
There is reasonable experience in artificial hairs and the history is not pretty, with infections that really mess up the scalp. I have personally seen the results of artificial hair over the years and have removed them in patients I’ve seen, but the problems never seem to clear. They look good when they are initially done, but hopefully people will live long enough to regret the decision to do this.


View the original article here

Could Rogaine Make My Hair Even Worse?

Hi — I have a question about Rogaine.

I’ve read that Rogaine can make things worse before better. I’m OK with that risk. But is it possible that Rogaine could make things worse, and then NOT be effective for me, i.e. things would not get better again? So I’d just be left worse off than without using Rogaine at all? Thanks for your time.

Rogaine (minoxidil) is marketed for hair growth — not hair loss. There are occasional reports of increased shedding in the first month of use, but this is just temporary. Many people panic when they see increased shedding and stop the treatment so I suspect it would be a negative outcome if you look at it that way.

[tag]rogaine, minoxidil, hairloss, hair loss[/tags]

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

View the original article here

Hair Loss After Chicken Pox?

Sir,
Recently I had chicken pox and it caused a lot of scars on my face. So for the last 2 weeks I have been using a cream named Dr.Reddy’s Venusia (vitamin E cream). After the application of the cream my hair loss rate increased drastically and I really doubt its the effect of the cream. I apply it on every night on my face. Plz help me to clear of this doubt!

It’s possible that your bout of chicken pox may have been a large stress, causing you to lose hair or to accelerate an inherited genetic pattern. I don’t know anything about you though (age, for starters). I really can not help you without seeing you. Plus, I only deal in hair (not face) problems, so a good dermatologist might be a better initial choice.

Dr. Reddy is a large Indian generic pharmaceutical company that has run into problems recently with the FDA relating to their Mexico manufacturing plant. With that said, I wouldn’t expect that the Vitamin E cream they produce is the cause of your loss.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

View the original article here

Open Pores and Hair Loss

Hello Doctor

I understand that the “clogged pores due to dirt and buildup” is a hair loss myth. But what about open pores? Is it safe to use things like a spray leave in detangler, right after a warm head wash?

Pores are there to secrete oils to coat your skin and hair. Hair spray, lotions, and leave-in detanglers should be safe to use.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

View the original article here

Gray Hair in Children

A doctor via CNN wrote about a young child with gray hair. I thought it might be of interest to you and the visitors of this fine site. Thanks for everything, doc
Link: Why does my 4-year-old have gray hair?

Thanks for sending this!
The article was written by a pediatrician for CNN and contains some good information for parents of children with gray hair. Causes for graying hair in a child can range from anemia to genetic causes. Check out the article for more info.

View the original article here

What you Need To Know About Stress and Hair Loss

When are we really free from any stressful situation? Hardly ever, except perhaps when we sleep. Everything that we do can lead to potentially stressful situations.

One of the effects of stress on the human body is hair loss. People as young as those in their early 20's experience hair loss too - often it is not caused by genetics, but rather by a stressful work environment. This is particularly true in a work environment that emphasizes daily output production. Employees are required to come back during off days to do overtime. People working in a high chemical environment can also experience hair loss due to the chemicals they are exposed to.

Sudden, non-genetic hair loss is called Telogen Effluvium, which occurs after the end of stressful events. It causes hair follicles to temporarily stop producing hair and relapse into a resting state prematurely. Hair follicles remain in this resting phase for several months when an unusual amount of hair would fall from the head. The good news is that this kind of hair loss is temporary - it stops after hair follicles resume hair production, provided that you do not encounter any more stressful situations again.

While using bottles of hair tonic may seem like a good idea, an even better way to curb hair loss is by addressing the root of the problem and managing stress. There are several ways that you can do effective stress management and avoid hair loss. Cutting out stress is extremely helpful.

Although it sounds easy, we must realize that there are no 100% proven stress-free formulas. However, learning to reduce stress by understanding stress and identifying stress factors would be worth your time and well being.

One is by learning the art of dissociation. Free your mind from your body for a while everyday, even if it takes a few minutes of your day. The longer you're able to stay in this state of calmness, the better. Another form of disassociation is separating business from pleasure. Enjoy your time away from work, and don't think of things you would rather be doing when you are at work.

As much as possible, always try to slot in some time to relax. Not only by breathing exercises and applied relaxation, but by doing something you would love and enjoy. You can sing, you can paint, you can play computer games, or you can go to your favorite park for a stroll or walk your dog. Losing your hair, your good looks, your health and yourself is not worth the stress so, live life to the fullest!


To stop stress & end anxiety, you can download the 15 hours interview's contents with 14 world greatest industry experts, which compiled & offered by Dave McDonough for free. You can check it out at www.stress-relief-secrets-revealed.info Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

Guest post by Lester Sim

Yun Nam Hair Care Scam

Hair loss treatment and prevention is a billion dollar industry. Practically everyone suffers from hair loss one way or another in lifetime. If there is one hair care center that you need to be caution it is Yun Nam hair care. I signed up with Yun Name hair care package 10 years ago and throughout the treatment session, no sign of progress observed.

The usual tactic employed by this company is that they will tell you to sign up for a promotion package which according to them is very affordable. Once you sign up for the trial package, they will then try to urge or convince you to pay for add-on package which can easily amount to thirty thousand dollars or even more!.

The herbs and various concoctions that they used to apply as paste on your scalp and hair during the treatment cannot be that ridiculously expensive. Yun Nam management certainly knows how to play on the human emotion factor. They knows that those who visit hair care center are usually desperate people and at their lowest mood in life and they are willing to pay to get their hair loss problem fix.

Why I think this company sucks and also a SCAM? I don't deny that some of the oriental and natural hair medications formulated are quite effective albeit not for everyone. The effectiveness of the treatment varies for individuals.

The thing that I am totally put off by Yun Nam is that they charge customer huge amount of money for the course of the entire treatment (something like starting from 20K onwards) and they mislead the customer by over-hyping the high success rate of their hair restoration therapy.

When things don't go well by the completion of the whole course of the treatment, the staffs will give all sorts excuses such as that in life there is no such thing as guaranteed 100% success hair thinning treatment.

Well,they don't tell you when you first sign up for the course and they charge you as if it is a 100% success rate treatment! Some of the staffs even had the audacity to suggest customer to buy half a thousand dollar wig or toupee to cover the balding portion of their scalp after they have completed the treatment course package with little or no improvement to hair thinning problems.

Beware Of The Side Effects Of Propecia

Hair loss can be quite traumatic for many people, more so if it involves females. Despite the advent and breakthrough in understanding of what causes hair loss, nevertheless permanent treatment for hair loss remain as illusive as ever.

There are two different approach for hair loss treatment. The first category involves topical medication involving solution that is applied to the scalp and hair roots. One such medication which is approved by the FDA is Rogaine. The scientific name for Rogaine is Minoxidil. Success rate to reduce or stop hair loss via topical medication such as Rogaine varies and depends on the scalp and hair condition of individuals.

Oral medication is another method to address thinning of hair. Notably the only approved hair loss oral medication approved by the FDA is Propecia. The scientific name for Propecia is Finasteride. Some people experience tremendous improvement to hair thinning when they start taking Finasteride. Like any medication, you need to be weight the pro and cons of taking this medication.

Propecia is a control medication that require doctor prescription. There are lot of precautionary measure and risks associated with this oral medication. Notably, pregnant and expectant mothers should avoid contact with Propecia, not even touching it because laboratory studies indicates it can cause severe birth defects!

Apart from the potential danger of birth defects (Propecia manufacturer claimed there is no risk of birth defects associated with male taking the drug but there is no substantial and absolute guarantee that this will not happen), low libido and sex drive is a common symptoms experience by some.

Now there are further reports of side effects associated with Propecia. It should be noted that some of these side effects are temporal and the effects subsides when you stop such medication.

There are however some serious side effects that persists even after you stop the medication!. Do consider if it is worth the risks to take Propecia. Do checkout Propecia risk and side effects.

Expert Tips to Help Grow Long Black Hair Fast

Guest post by Rob Maraby

Struggling with hair loss or slow hair growth can be frustrating, but there are things you can do to improve your hair's health and appearance. When followed consistently, many of these suggestions can actually stimulate hair growth. Follow these recommendations to grow long black hair fast.

Did you know that using the wrong styling tools on your hair can contribute to damage and breaking? When picking a hair brush, be sure to select one with natural boar bristles. If you use a comb, make sure it is a wide-tooth comb. Both of these items improve the appearance and condition of your hair because they help to distribute your hair's natural oil from the scalp all the way to the ends. Simply by using the right tools, you can grow long black hair fast.

Tangles can be a pain to get out, and if you are not careful you can damage your hair trying to get rid of a tangle. It's best to comb your hair periodically during the day to avoid getting tangled hair. If you do get a tangle, work with just one small section of it at a time. Use short, quick, downward strokes. If you find that you just can't get the knot out, it's best to cut it out carefully. Never use a comb to tease or back comb your hair as this is very damaging.

Split ends are a pain that we all have to deal with. To minimize damage from split ends, you should trim your hair frequently because the damage from a split end will travel up the hair shaft. If you are still in the process of growing your hair out, it's best to trim off half an inch every three to four months. If you just want to maintain your current length, trim off half an inch every 4 weeks.

Be sure to check your hair frequently for split ends because they are very damaging. Hair with split ends breaks easily and you'll lose more hair if you allow them to linger. If you find any split ends simply cut them off, one hair at a time using a pair of sharp scissors. By taking control of split ends you can grow long black hair fast.

Tossing and turning during sleep can actually damage your hair as well due to the friction between your hair and the pillow. To avoid damage, wear hair in a braid or sleep cap and use only a satin pillowcase.

Heated styling tools are especially damaging to hair and can hamper your quest to grow long black hair fast. You should avoid using blow dryers, rollers, curling and flat irons, and crimpers. The heat from these tools will dry hair out making it fragile and brittle. You should also avoid steaming hot showers and vigorous drying of your hair with a towel. This creates friction that can damage hair.

You should also be careful when using hair accessories. Rubber bands are very damaging to hair. They tear at the hair causing damage to the outer layer which ultimately makes hair prone to getting tangled. Avoid anything with rough or sharp edges, and be careful of hinges because hair can get caught and break. The best hair accessories are soft scrunchies and hair sticks.

Be careful about how you style your hair. If pony tails and braids are too tight, it will cause stress at the root and lead to hair loss. Avoid any style that requires a lot of pulling and tugging. Growing long black hair fast is possible if you follow these easy suggestions.


If You Want To Grow Black Long Hair Fast Then You Need To Read About This Ancient Secret Oil Proven To Grow Long Black Hair Fast

Jul 16, Hair loss with depression and anxiety

by Brian
(Belgrade)

I am 29 years old and for the past 8 months I have been under severe depression and increased anxiety. I have always had full and thick brown hair.

However during the past 8 months I have noticed that my hair has started turning gray and I have also started losing a lot of hair and have experimented with different shampoos but nothing has really proven to work. I have tons of dandruff on my head.

Now this has turned into an obsession and every time I go to the bathroom I am afraid to look in the mirror and see the thinning and gray hair. I am going crazy over this. Will this stop once I am able to remove depression and start feeling better? Is there any shampoo/conditioner I can take to fight this??

Thank you?

Editor?s Comments,

Stress, depression and anxiety are all triggers for poor hair growth, hair loss and even hair turning gray. It?s all part of your body?s natural biological process to react during these unfortunate times. Your hair is one of the most easily affected part of your body.

Stress can cause oil build-ups thus causing dandruff problems. What you need to do is to fix your depression first, or else no treatment will really benefit your hair. Over time, under proper management and care, it?s highly unlikely that your hair won?t grow back.

As for recommendations, try a mild organic shampoo, take a look at our Shampoo for Hair Loss page for more information on choosing one. Remember, this is not a fight, but merely proper management of your mental health. Good luck.

Click here to post comments.

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to SYS - Sudden Hair Loss.

View the original article here

May 29, Omega 3 and Your Hair

Omega 3 is a type of polyunsaturated fat belonging to one of the four major classes of fat that is required to sustain life itself.

Together with Omega 6, they are both known as Essential Fatty Acids or EFAs for short.

A good balance of Essential Fatty Acids in your body brings a host of health benefits ranging from better cardiovascular health, stronger immune system and even better hair growth. While both of the Omegas are necessary for life, we will explain why taking more Omega 3 might be essential for you.

The term 'Essential Fatty Acids' or EFA indicates they belong to a class of polyunsaturated fat that your body itself cannot make but it's a necessity for survival. Therefore, in order to get sufficient EFAs, you will have to get it from your diet or through supplementations.

Essential Fatty Acids are further divided into 2 main classes, notably Omega 3 and Omega 6. While both EFAs are crucial for health, taking additional amounts of Omega 3 is usually more critical than the latter. (we will explain that later below.) Omega 3 is broken down into 10 categories but the 3 major ones that are crucially important are Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA)Escosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)

While your body cannot produce any forms of Omega 3 acids, it can however convert Alpha Linolenic Acid into the other Omega 3 acids like EPA and DHA. These 3 acids are essential building blocks for your hormones and play defining roles in Controlling immune functions

Preventing blood clots Promoting cell growthRetaining the integrity of cell membranesReducing inflammationMaintaining proper brain functions

With so many major bodily functions under the influence the fatty acid alone, it's needless to say how important it is to keep a healthy amount inside your system. While many people do not associate the EFA as prominent nutrient specifically for the hair or even for treating hair loss, the countless health benefits connected to Omega 3 might sanction it to be distinctive hair supplement after all.

While Omega 3 is primarily considered important for maintaining general well being, it's also a vital ingredient that can make a significant difference to your hair and skin's health. The first reason is simply by preserving optimum health and bodily functions, it will indirectly benefit your hair follicles as well.

Coming down to specifics, this EFA primarily affects many of your body primary functions like blood circulation and cell growth that your hair follicles heavily depend upon. Some of its effects include Increasing nutrient absorption
One of the major causes of hair loss is the inability of the hair follicles to absorb nutrients sufficiently to ensure proper hair growth. EFA and DHA help cells improve their efficiency to absorb vital nutrients that the follicles direly need.

Improving blood circulation to the scalp
Take Omega 3 supplements and regularly practice some scalp massage methods and you will definitely improve blood circulation to your scalp. Each hair follicle is attached to tiny veins that can be disrupted by many environmental factors. Improving blood flow to the scalp is one of the best ways to stimulate hair growth.

Preventing scalp and hair diseases
Many minor scalp and hair diseases like dry hair, scalp eczema and scalp psoriasis are alleviated by a poor balance of Essential Fatty Acids. The right amounts help ease inflammation and strengthen the immune system against scalp and skin infections.

Reducing the chances of stress related hair loss
A primary cause of sudden hair loss is always related to stress where your body despairingly shuts down the hair follicles in time of need. Stress is one thing most people cannot avoid but taking this essential fatty acid can help reduce tensions, calm the nerves and keep your stress levels in check.Notes

In one study Dr. Hamazaki of Toyama University in Japan studied normal students under stress. Hamazaki provided medical students with 1.5 to 1.8 g of DHA or a soybean placebo capsule for three months prior to university exams. At the beginning of the study and again at the end he measured the participants' levels of hostility by presenting to them potentially emotionally charged cartoon illustrations of various human interactions that had empty bubbles for each person to write in.

There was a much higher rate of hostile and aggressive dialogue in the nineteen medical students who received the placebo during the high-stress period as compared to the twenty-two medical students receiving the fish oil supplements. The rating of the students' hostility jumped 58% in the placebo group but did not change at all in the Omega 3 group.

Many other studies are being done with omega-3 fatty acids in reference to stress, and evidence of their benefits for stress is continually being reinforced.

Few years back, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a 'qualified health claim' status to two types of Omega 3 acids, EFA and DHA declaring that there are concrete studies indicating that both of these fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Not long after, the Canadian Government too has recognized the importance of DHA and allowed the following claim ?DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, supports the normal development of the brain, eyes and nerves?.

What's more, omega 3 is one of the most researched and studied EFAs by both government and private laboratories for a multitude of health uses. This clearly indicates that this EFA is key element in maintaining general health. Some of the common health benefits are Reducing Hypertension
Clinical studies of large groups of people have indicated that it helps lower the overall blood pressure. This is probably why Eskimos who ate a lot of cold water fishes have a much lower chances of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.Improving Mood Disorders

The brain is made of 60% and it requires EFAs to function properly. Researchers have link many mood disorders to low concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids in the body. In the other hand, additional intake of this fatty acid helps improve moods and depression because it enhances the capability of brain-cell receptors. Major trials are underway to prove whether the supplement can make a difference with other more serious psychiatric problems like schizophrenia, dementia and bipolar disorders.

Enhancing the immune system
Omega 3 contains anti-inflammatory properties that can improve the management of many inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, eczema and other autoimmune disorders. Both EPA and DHA can be converted into natural anti-inflammatory substances known as prostaglandins and leukotrienes, critical compounds that decrease inflammation and pain.

Preventing certain cancers
A preliminary research from the University of California suggests that this EFA might help maintain healthy breast tissue and prevent them from turning cancerous. Another study indicates that people that take fish oil supplements produced lower quantities of carcinogens that are associated with colon cancer.The examples above are just the tip of the iceberg of the amount of studies done on the benefits of this essential fatty acid. If you need more information on it, there are some references below that you might find useful.

Omega 3 study (Opens a new window)
You might be wondering about the other 'essential' fatty acid known as Omega 6. Is it less important? No! The truth is that both of these essential fats share equal importance and you will need sufficient quantities of the two to stay healthy.

The issue is, most people in the western hemisphere are well nourished with Omega 6 through their regular diet alone. Western diets are heavily enriched with the EFA that they can overwhelmingly exceed dietary requirements many folds. Many sources of Omega 6 are found abundantly in many nuts and seed oils like soy, which are used in most of the snacks, cookies, crackers, sweets and fast foods. Soybean oil itself is so commonly used in so many food preparations that it accounts for a shocking 20 percents of the calories in the regular American diet.

When your body has high ratios of Omega 6, it tends to lead to many negative health effects like Heart diseasesArthritisOsteoporosisObesityMood disordersCancerCardiovascular problemsAll the above-mentioned health issues are on the rise in America year after year. Not only that, when hair loss is concern, all the above conditions are also the principal contributing elements to your thinning hair.

One way or the other, whether it's your health or hair, a huge difference in Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio is a huge no-no for you. Allowing the gap to widen is a disaster waiting to happen to both your health and hair so keep it balanced always!
There is no recommended daily allowance for Omega 3 as the balance is defined from the diet. A typical American diet is leaned towards Omega 6 with a ratio 16-25:1. Reducing the ratio to 2:1 or even more optimally a 1:1 ratio is the best.  A higher intake of cold water fishes while reducing foods that is high on Omega 6 is generally a good way to tighten the gap. Supplementing with fish oil is also another alternative you can consider. Flaxseed oil is 6 times higher in omega 3 content than other fish oils and it's very suitable for vegetarian too.

A general rule of thumb is to understand your own diet. Each culture is different so you will need to know your diet and then adjust. People from the Mediterranean and Far Eastern counties like Japan have diets that are much richer in Omega 3 therefore they might not need to supplement as much as western nations. If you are not certain how much is really sufficient for you, visit your nutritionist for some advice.

Food Sources
Cold Water FishesFlaxseed Hempseed Chia sage Walnuts

There are no major side effects related to the oils but some minor issues have been noted depending on the dosage used it can cause nausea and diarrhoea. However, high dosage of any oils can create such symptoms too. A good way to minimize the chance of side effects is to start with a smaller dose and increase the gradually over the course of a few days. Taking the supplement with meals is also recommended.

If you are pregnant, consuming cold water fishes might increase your risk of ingesting mercury or other contaminants, it's best to opt for molecularly-distilled fish oil instead. If you are taking blood thinners like aspirin, ibuprofen or warfarin, caution is advised because it might increase the risk of bleeding. If you intend to use Omega 3 with any other medications, it's best to consult your doctor first.

A good balance between these two essential fatty acids helps keep your body happy and healthy. Keeping a strong, happy and healthy body will tremendously benefit your hair and also improve the effectiveness of treatments.

Taking Omega 3 is not compulsory if you think you have more than enough from your diet but if you think that your ratio is greatly biased towards the Omega 6 side, it's time to start adjusting or ensure you have it including in your hair supplements list.

 

 

View the original article here