Beauty standards include a beautiful hairstyle. If the hair is he althy and thick, it is easy to maintain the look. You can style them, do a perm or grow long curls. For such curls, colorists have created several decorative coloring techniques.
Who doesn't want thick hair! Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky. People spend a lot of money on ointments for hair growth, but so far no miracle cure has been invented. For many, the hair thins with age, gray hair appears. The rest become thinner, often completely disappearing in some areas. What does hair growth depend on? How to preserve what nature has given?
Building
You may be surprised, but on the human body, not all hair has the same structure. Allocate hair on the head, called "long" (they are of three types - curly, straight, wavy). The bristly ones represent eyebrows and eyelashes, the fluffy ones cover the entire body.
Hair has a certain period of growth, phases of stability and replacement with new ones. This order of changing one hair folliclesothers are constantly repeated. If you enlarge the area of the scalp several times, you will see thin and young among several rods of the same size. Sooner or later, the hair enters the replacement phase and falls out.
What affects the growth of hair on the head? In the figure above, you can see that blood vessels approach the follicle, through which nutrition is delivered. In the rod formation phase, cells actively divide here, bringing the young hair to the surface of the skin. With vascular sclerosis, malnutrition or metabolic disorders, there is no building material for the follicle, and the strands fall out.
On the head
The type of hair on the head is called "long" for a reason. There are cases when people grew a braid more than two meters long. But not everyone succeeds in repeating this: for most people, the growth phase ends when they reach several tens of centimeters. It is noticed that black straight Asian hair has a longer growth phase. The shortest period is for European light curly curls.
What affects the growth of hair on the head? Genes laid down at birth are not the only factor. It has been established that under stress in the body, blood vessels spasm, and the follicles do not receive enough nutrition. That is why many people begin to lose their hair when they have strong feelings. After chemotherapy, all cells affected by the drug die. These include the cells of the hair follicles responsible for division. Therefore, such treatment is accompanied by alopecia (baldness). It goes away after the endcourse of treatment.
Doctors agree that tissue trophism is what hair growth depends on. To form a full-fledged core, proteins, fats, vitamins and trace elements are needed. When a person’s nutrition is disturbed, this immediately affects the condition of his hair. With vascular diseases, poor absorption of vitamins and other disorders, nutrition can be complete, but this is not enough. Correction of the violation of the delivery of nutrients to the place of hair growth will be required.
Feeding the bulb
In the root of the hair there is a real plant for the production of the rod. Keratin fibers are formed here - protein compounds from oxygen, hydrogen and carbon. Keratin cells contain sulfur, traces of iron and arsenic. They are held together by cholesterol molecules and water. Due to the sulfur atoms, amino acid chains are deposited, which ensures the reinforcement of the hair and gives them strength.
Lack of dietary sulfur-rich foods disrupts the formation of the amino acid cystine, which affects the growth of hair on the head. This amino acid delivers sulfur to the site of cell division and is involved in the production of keratin. If there is little sulfur, the hair is thin and brittle. To provide the body with cystine, it is useful to have vegetables and meat and dairy products on the table.
In addition, three more amino acids take part in the synthesis of hair: histidine (suppliers are peanuts and fatty cheese), tyrosine (found in sesame seeds) and lysine (found in fish and meat, lentils). Vitamins and microelements involved in general metabolic processescontribute to the production of collagen and keratin, which determines the growth of hair on the head.
Growth rate
On average, hair grows in length by a centimeter per month. These data are inaccurate: in summer, growth is faster, in winter it slows down. In some people, the metabolism allows hair to grow one and a half centimeters a month. What determines the rate of hair growth? This is largely due to genetics.
African peoples have very slow hair growth. No care products, no procedures affect the speed. This is considered the norm, the he althy state of the African fine curl. Therefore, stores in the hot continent sell wigs and false strands.
The fastest growing hair in Asia. There, the length of the braid often reaches the height of a person. Europeans cannot boast of such speed. On average, the length of curls in Europe reaches half a meter, and the hair stops growing.
Bald loss
Receptors that are sensitive to hormones are suitable for the bulb. If estrogen increases hair growth on the head, then the male hormone testosterone in the hair follicle becomes dihydrotestosterone. It inhibits the follicles of the parietal and temporal region. In the case of baldness, elevated testosterone levels, hyperproduction of 5-alpha reductase, or hereditary hypersensitivity to dihydrotestosterone are suspected. This type of hair loss is called male pattern baldness. In women, their loss is uniform over the entire surface of the head.
Sometimes follicles are not just oppressed, but die, stopping hair growthin men. What determines their death? These can be inflammatory processes in the dermis (fungal lesions, seborrhea, folliculitis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, injuries, burns). A border of inflamed tissue is visible along the border of the bald patch. If you miss the treatment, then the diseased area is scarred, and irreversible baldness sets in.
Alopecia is treated by a trichologist. Before prescribing drugs and procedures, blood tests are taken to determine the presence of hormones and antibodies. It is indicated to do a biopsy of the scalp and get a consultation with an endocrinologist.
On the body
It happens that the hair on the head becomes less and less, but the growth of vellus hair on the legs intensifies, unwanted facial hair appears. What causes body hair growth? In some cases, due to the influence of hormones. In others, it is due to a lack of vitamin A.
The adrenal glands synthesize hormones, including those responsible for hair growth. With a lack of vitamin A, all mucous membranes suffer, the work of the thyroid gland, ovaries and liver is disrupted. The balance of testosterone and estrogen is changing. As a result, women begin to develop male pattern hair. Increased prolapse after childbirth and at the onset of menopause.
Although the importance of vitamin A is not disputed, the normal synthesis of the hair shaft requires the vitamin B complex, all fat-soluble vitamins and the presence of vitamin C, without which there are no metabolic reactions. These are the vitamins hair growth depends on.
Liver condition
Hair growth is constant. Alonebulbs wither, others are reborn. Losing 150 hairs per day is considered normal. But if this figure is increased, then there is a pathological condition. This may be due to stress, seasonal depression, poor nutrition, or diseases of the internal organs.
What organ does hair growth depend on? There are cases of complete and partial baldness due to disruption of the liver and gallbladder (hepatitis and cholecystitis). After the course of treatment, the bulbs are activated, and the hair is restored.
Even before the hair begins to fall out, the body signals a problem:
- The hair shaft is thinning.
- Hair looks dull.
- Hair breaks easily.
- Dandruff appears.
- Increases scalp greasiness.
This condition is a reason to see a doctor. When the main filter of the body (the liver) is disturbed, other diseases join over time: pancreatitis, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. This is what determines the growth of hair on the head. A characteristic sign of a serious liver condition is hair loss in the armpits and pubis.
In this case, the liver does not bother a person for a very long time. When pains begin in the right hypochondrium, this means inflammation of the gallbladder. The liver doesn't hurt. Therefore, it is very important not to ignore the poor condition of the hair - it can be a symptom of a he alth problem. Fortunately, the liver is able to regenerate with the right treatment. Need to follow a long diet, andafter recovery, do not expose the body to an unjustified load of alcohol, smoked meats and fried foods. Fatty foods are also excluded.
Influence of hormones
The following hormones influence the growth of curls:
- Testosterone in men decreases by about one percent per year, which leads to hair loss. Women with an imbalance of testosterone lose curls in the crown region. This happens due to a sharp jump in testosterone or insufficiency of female hormones. With uncontrolled use of contraceptives, the consequences can be in the form of hair loss.
- Somatotropin regulates the formation of the structure of the follicles. With an excess of it, unwanted hairs appear on the body, and with a deficiency, alopecia areata occurs.
- The thyroid gland produces TSH, a hormone responsible for the quality of the hair shaft. Shine and elasticity depend on the amount of water and fats in its composition. The strength of the hair depends on the number of sulfur atoms. With a lack of TSH, the curls become dull and sparse, break and split. With an excess of TSH, they become soft and unable to hold a perm (even a chemical one).
- Elevated prolactin levels cause hair loss.
- Progesterone deficiency makes them fade, they break and fall out.
Here are the hormones responsible for hair growth in women and men. To correct the hormonal background, select suitable medications. If necessary, they change contraceptive drugs, but do it under the supervision of a doctor.
Trichologist's tips on how to speed up the growth of curls
The doctor will be able to say what determines the growth of the hair of a particular person, only after the study. The trichologist works closely with the endocrinologist. Hair synthesis is affected by the hormonal apparatus, and its failure must be determined. If there is no violation of the endocrine glands, vitamin-mineral complexes are prescribed on the basis of a biochemical blood test. It is impossible to decide on your own which vitamins to take. With excessive intake of a synthetic vitamin in the body, a state of microelementosis can be observed. Only a doctor can deal with it.
After examining the scalp and hair condition with a trichoscope, the doctor can prescribe mesotherapy and inject the necessary substances under the scalp. These can be zinc, selenium, hyaluronic acid and vitamin preparations. The procedure is painless due to the very thin needle that is used for such injections. The duration of mesotherapy is about forty minutes.
Acupuncture and scalp massage are often prescribed. In some cases, massage of the cervical-collar zone helps, eliminating spasm of the cervical muscles. Tissue nutrition depends on how well the vessels work. The back of the head is usually not a problem, as the supply of blood (and the nutrients it carries) comes from the neck.
People's advice
Will folk advice help a person to increase hair growth? No recipes to be found:
- Regular trimming makes curls grow faster.
- ForIn order for hair to grow faster, wash your hair with egg yolk (decoction of burdock root, nettle decoction and other herbs).
- To defeat baldness, rub immature walnut kernels, burdock oil and other products into the scalp.
- To keep your hair thick and he althy, you need to comb it often. This provides ventilation and lubrication with sebum.
Trichologists categorically prohibit the use of skin-irritating products as masks. Alcohol tinctures, pepper, garlic can be dangerous - cause a chemical burn, which can lead to scarring of tissues. Allowed hair care with sour-milk masks, honey. But the growth of the strands does not depend on them, it will only add silkiness to the hairstyle.
Does hair growth depend on shampooing? Hardly. The nutrition of the follicle occurs through the blood, and not through the skin. The pepper compress will cause blood to rush to some area of the skin, but this will not last long. In addition, as mentioned, there is a risk of getting burned, and hair is unlikely to grow from it.
Does hair growth depend on trimming the ends? No, it doesn't. Keratin cells do not contain nuclei, they are dead. The root of the hair is responsible for growth, and it is located deep under the skin, and monthly haircuts do not affect it.
Conclusion
To summarize: in order to have good hair, you need to establish proper nutrition, rich in protein and vitamins. The scalp should be protected from exposure to chemical factors that can lead to inhibition of the follicles. Allskin diseases are dangerous for hair follicles, as cicatricial lesions can form.
It is difficult to unequivocally answer the question of what hair growth depends on. This problem is treated by a trichologist. Careful examination can help in reversible cases. If the whole thing is in the genetic disposition, then modern medicine offers bulb transplantation. There is always a way out, you just need to not despair and act.