Saturday, May 17, 2008

How to treat Dry Scalp problems?

Dry scalp is one common issue that people face, especially in winter where you are moving in and out of heated areas frequently. The skin of the scalp becomes tight and itchy and tiny flakes of dead skin are showered by combing and brushing. Dry scalp conditions are often misidentified as dandruff, and are treated as such, which can worsen the condition depending on the treatments used. Dry scalp occurs when the hair strand exiting the scalp is not being lubricated by the sebaceous gland.

Good hair days start with a healthy scalp. Its job, after all, is to grow strong shiny strands. But dry indoor air can zap moisture and dissolve protective oils from the skin on your head, leaving it itchy and flaky and your mane dull and unmanageable. Gently massage conditioner into your scalp after every shampoo to hydrate it and lift away some of the flakes.

Tips for getting rid of Dry Scalp Gently massage conditioner into your scalp after every shampoo to hydrate it and lift away some of the flakes. Lather up with clarifying shampoo weekly. These deep-cleaning formulas rid hair of product buildup and help loosen dead skin cells on the scalp. Turn down the heat. Hot water can zap natural oils from your scalp, making it ultra dry and sensitive; also choose the lowest heat setting on your blowdryer. Try a final rinse of one cup warm water mixed with two to three tablespoons of white vinegar. This will also bring out the highlights in your hair and make it shiny. Massage table salt into your dry scalp before shampooing with an acid-based shampoo. Try an oil treatment in which you massage olive oil into your hair and scalp, cover your hair with plastic wrap and with two wet towels. Keep the towels on your head for twenty minutes, then remove oil with two washings. Supplement your diet with foods rich in Vitamins C and B, which promote a healthy scalp, and healthy hair. Using Essential Oils for Dry Scalp Zinc Pyrithione: It is the most widely used active ingredient from a natural source. It's used to treat dandruff, seborrheic dermatitus, psoriasis, eczema and numerous other skin and scalp disorders. Jojoba - Is excellent as a scalp moisturiser and helps to rebalance sebum. Tea Tree Oil - Treatment for dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and underactive sebaceous glands. Basil: Oily hair promotes growth Chamomile Clary sage Lavender - Scalp treatment for itchiness, dandruff, and even lice Lemon - Gives golden highlights; treatment for dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and underactive sebaceous glands Myrrh Dry Scalp Home remedy Home remedy for dry itchy scalp Take ¼ c oatmeal and soak in water for 20 mins. Mix well and then strain the liquid adding it to a cup. Add 5 drops lavender oil (or lavender stalks steeped in ¼ cup hot water. Add 5 drops rosemary (or rosemary stalks steeped in ¼ cup hot water. Allow to cool until tepid. Mix the liquids together and dab on your scalp...leave in for 10 mins to soothe the itch. This a good temporary soother for itching. Chamomile tea is also soothing! Garlic and oil of oregano are also excellent for fighting dandruff. You can take it internally or externally depending on what seems to work best for your situation. Both are sold in health food stores as capsules or tablets.

About the Author

Sander Bel writes articles for Dry Scalp Home Remedies. He also writes for Alternative Medicines and Home Remedy

Thursday, May 8, 2008

8 Ways To Help Prevent Hemorrhoids

Since hemorrhoids is such a common condition for many Americans these days, it is important to know what the steps are to prevent them. While even with the best prevention techniques, there is still a chance that a person may get the condition, but there are a few considerations to keep in mind which will help reduce that chance.

1. Be sure that you are getting enough bulk in your diet in the form of fiber. While some may choose to use fiber supplements to achieve this, getting the fiber from fresh foods like fruits and vegetables, as well as healthy whole grains is going to give the best results.

2. Avoid certain types of drinks that are not beneficial to your overall health, as well as causing hemorrhoid conditions. Those types of drinks include excessive alcohol, too much caffeine containing drinks, and various types of soda pops. Diet colas can be especially harsh to your system.

3. Getting the recommended amount of water every day is key. It is very important to many of the body's functions that there is enough water drunk daily. The usual amount is eight 8 oz. glasses per day. Those who are obese will need to drink more in order to get the most benefits.

4. Keeping up with daily activity can go a long way to help prevent hemorrhoids. Thirty minutes of some type of physical exercise can really help to tone and strengthen the body, including the anus and rectal areas. Regular exercise also helps your digestive system to work better, helping the body to eliminate wastes more efficiently.

5. Do not attempt to lift very heavy objects on your own. Not only do you risk injuring your back or other parts of the body, you can also be inviting hemorrhoids. When the body is under the pressure of trying to lift a heavy object, that pressure can make the veins in the rectal area bulge and become swollen.

6. Keeping the anal area clean is key to preventing hemorrhoids. If proper hygiene by consistent washing of the anal area is not maintained, it can lead to the tissue becoming irritated. This can also occur by wiping to harshly with dry tissue. Another factor to this is to change undergarments frequently, and also wearing clean and loose cotton garments.

7. Maintaining a proper weight can help to stop one from getting hemorrhoids since being obese can be a major factor. Not only will being obese make it difficult for a person to make sure that their anal area is clean, but the extra weight will put pressure on the veins and tissues causing the condition.

8. Let nature take its course when going to the bathroom. If a person is straining to push the movement, then it can cause a great amount of pressure on all of the tissues and veins in the area. This can directly relate to the swelling and pain associated with hemorrhoids.

Related Articles:

Top Rated Hemorrhoids Treatment Products

Home Remedies for Bleeding Hemorrhoids

How to get rid of internal hemorrhoids

About the Author

Visit Hemorrhoids Talk website to learn more

Monday, April 21, 2008

The Hair Loss Culprit: Meet DHT

An estimated 85 million men and women in the United States are suffering from hereditary hair thinning. That's nearly 1 out of every 3 people. Yet the cause is no longer a mystery. Science has at last singled out the culprit.

Meet DHT, or dihydrotestostrone. DHT is a hormonal byproduct. It is produced from testosterone, a male hormone present in both men and women in different amounts, with the help of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. DHT causes hair loss by binding itself to the hair follicles, retarding their growth and cutting them off from the blood supply. DHT literally shrinks the hair follicles, thinning hair more and more until baldness results.

Scientists have determined, presumably through long and laborious hours of counting, that we all have, on average, 100,000 hairs on our heads. Normal hair growth follows a three phase cycle. Ninety percent of the hairs on your head at this moment, or about 90,000, are in the growth phase. This phase lasts from two to six years. During the second phase, which lasts for a few weeks, the hairs that are ready to end their life cycle stop growing and instead starts getting thinner. The follicle shrinks. The final phase, lasting from two to four months, is when the thinned hair falls out to make room for a new hair to begin the growth cycle all over again. You shed about 100 hairs a day in this natural process. But DHT has been found to shorten the natural length of the growth phase, causing untimely hair loss and shrinkage of the hair follicles and ultimately leading to thinning hair.

The key to preventing hair loss then is to block the chemical conversion of testosterone to DHT. Remember that pesky 5-alpha reductase enzyme is responsible for this conversion.

In shopping for a product to prevent and reverse hair loss there are a number of key ingredients that you should look for: * The first is nettle root. Nettle root does just what you want; it blocks 5-alpha reductase which helps transform testosterone into DHT. * Saw Palmetto extract has also been shown to reduce both 5-alpha reductase and DHT. It actually blocks the receptor sites that are required for the absorption of DHT rendering it harmless. * You also want to be sure you are getting a good spectrum of the all important B vitamins. Deficiency in certain B vitamins such as biotin and vitamin B6 has been shown to cause hair loss. * Zinc is another important mineral. Zinc can actually increase hair density and reverse hair loss. * And extracts of pumpkin and Siberian ginseng can cut DHT off at the pass by acting directly against testosterone and other stress hormones that are converted to DHT.

Thanks to advances in science, the cause of hair loss is no longer a mystery. And the cure is now within your grasp.

For more information on remedies for hair loss containing the ingredients discussed in this article, please visit the totalhealthanswers.com website.

Please click here to find out more about preventing and reversing hair loss.

About the Author

Annette Rogers is a writer based out of northern California. She has worked as a researcher and ghost writer on a number of health related books and has authored numerous articles on the topic of health and fitness. She specializes in keeping abreast of the latest trends and breakthroughs in her area of expertise.