Showing posts with label oil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oil. Show all posts

Make Your Hair Grow Faster

There's no scientifically proven way to make your hair grow faster. But, there is a lot of research on what causes hair loss. And the less hair you lose, the more hair you have growing to your length of choice, right? While some of the causes of hair loss can't be helped, there are several things you can do to encourage your hair to grow to its full potential.courtesy:wikihow.com



Keep your hair in excellent condition. Seeing a hairdresser regularly to have your hair cut and styled will keep it in top condition. Hair in good condition gives the impression it's longer even if it's not because it looks good and has no split ends, etc.

> Use a quality brush to keep your hair brushed, such as a boar brush. Tilt your head forward and brush with your head upside down to bring the oils to the ends of your hair and stimulate the scalp.

> Keep your hair well moisturized. You don't need to use commercial product but you do need to know what you can use to condition your hair properly if you resort to natural items.

> Don't wash your hair every day; allow the hair oils to condition your hair rather than constantly washing the oils out.

> Massage your scalp while washing your hair. Massaging your scalp can help your hair grow faster and longer as it increases the blood flow in your scalp.

Be kind to your hair. Your hair falls out on its own (approximately 70 to 150 hairs daily),[1] but you may be pulling it out faster as a result of the things you do to it. The gentler you are with your hair, the less chances it has to fall out excessively. Some things to keep in mind include:

> Don't put your hair into tight ponytails or cornrows. Use butterfly clips and loose braids instead.

> Brush your hair carefully. If you have wavy or curly hair, there are probably times when you encounter resistance as you're brushing. Right before brushing, use your fingers to gently comb through your hair. And when you brush, start at the ends, and hold the strand you're brushing with your other hand so that if you pull on the hair with a brush, you're not pulling on the root (pull from the grip of your hand instead).

> Brush your hair before you shower in the morning. Throughout the night your hair can knot up a lot. Brushing your hair before you shower reduces tangling when washing it in the shower. When using conditioner, try sifting your fingers through your hair. This reduces extensive combing after your shower and helps to distribute the conditioner evenly.1 day a week put on a good conditioner,hair mascara or a home made conditioner for your hair that could be made of avocado,oils for 20 mints or 15 and try to not use hair sprays.

> Minimize tangles in other situations, such as on windy days, by containing your hair with buns, braids, hats, etc.

> Minimize how much you style your hair. Any kind of styling that involves pulling your hair at the root (blow drying, using a straight iron or acurling iron, or using rollers) can contribute to hair loss. Heat styling also can encourage hair to break. If you really need to dry your hair fast, use a blow dryer for 5 minutes only.

> Avoid overly long or elaborate extensions or tight hairstyles that tug your natural hair. Pull on it or pull it out too many times and it won't come back.

> Avoid or minimize harsh treatments like dyes, tints, bleaches, straighteners, and permanent waves. These weaken your hair and increase the likelihood of breakage and loss.

> Minimize or stop using heating items on your hair.

Maintain good nutrition. Your body needs several building blocks in order to produce a healthy head of hair. In particular, you'll need enough protein and vitamins, and you can easily meet your body's requirement by eating a balanced, nutritious diet, or by taking a multivitamin and protein or other appropriate macronutrient supplements consistently if you can't eat well due to illness or otherwise. Keep in mind, however, that it can take several months to notice the results, so don't get discouraged.

> Research suggests that iron deficiency makes hair loss worse. Women with heavy periods are at a higher risk of iron deficiency. However, unless you have an iron deficiency diagnosed by a doctor, you shouldn't take iron supplements. They can upset your stomach and cause severe constipation, and iron overload can be dangerous. Taking a multivitamin and eating iron-rich foods (tofu, lentils, beans, oysters, spinach, prunes, raisins, lean beef) is more than enough.

> If you're a vegetarian, eat foods rich in Vitamin C whenever you eat iron-rich veggies. Vitamin C will help your body absorb the kind of iron that is found in vegetables.

> Avoid purchasing unnecessary supplements such as biotin. Despite the many claims that biotin promotes hair growth, no studies have shown this to be the case. However, hair loss is a sign of severe biotin deficiency; in these cases, the hair loss will be accompanied by a scaly rash around the nose, mouth and genitals.

Avoid dramatic weight loss. As you shed pounds, you may also shed hair. The dramatic changes that your body undergoes when it loses weight quickly (the change in nutrients, the stress involved) can cause your hair to thin. Diets low in protein and iron (for example, very low-fat diets) and also those high in protein but low in fruits and vegetables (for example, Atkins) that result in dramatic weight loss can also trigger significant hair loss.

> Each hair on your head grows for 2-5 years, slows down for about six weeks, and rests for 3-5 months before falling out so a new hair can grow in its place. Normally, 15 percent of your hair is at the resting phase, but a sudden change in nutrition can cause some hair follicles in the growing phase to switch into the resting phase prematurely, possibly raising the percentage to more than 30 percent.

Relax. Stress is a common cause of reversible hair loss. When you experience physical or emotional turmoil, it can take anywhere from three weeks to four months for the results to show up in your hair. It is important to relieve your stress.

Address any pressing health issues. Hair is a strong indicator of overall health. Many nutritional deficiencies can cause hair growth to slow, and can cause hair to thin. Hormonal problems such as hypothyroidism and PCOS can also cause thinning. If your hair has gotten seriously thinner, or stops growing for more than a few months, discuss it with your doctor as soon as possible.

Avoid Junk Food at Work

We all fall victim to eating junk food at work; virtually no one is immune. In my clinical practice as a nurse practitioner, my office is constantly being bombarded with cookies, cakes and candy every day of the week. I imagine yours is too. So if you want to get off the junk food merry-go-round and improve your health--I have a few suggestions that may be helpful.courtesy:ehow.com



Instructions

Manage your junk food intake or let it ruin your health. The choice is really yours! Totally avoiding eating any junk food is only for those of us with Superman-like strength and willpower. Sadly, if we totally abstain we may end up overeating and consuming way more junk food then we would have had in the first place. So at the beginning of the day, allocate a predetermined amount of junk food you will allow yourself. (Some days you may not feel like having any and cheer yourself on!).

Do not make a big deal or announce your plan to avoid/limit junk food. You will be setting yourself up for peer pressure, office jokes and endless monitoring by your coworkers of what you eat. You are doing this for YOU.

Look at your body in the mirror totally naked (I know this is hard for some of us, but is really essential). First list what you LIKE about your body and then what you feel needs improvement. Don't be shy--this list is for your eyes only. Write down the truth.

There are plenty of articles on nutrition, building muscle and working out. Read them if you need to refresh your knowledge base. Determine what your goals and nutrition needs are and fit in a "junk food allowance." Remember, just because you give yourself permission to have some junk food, there are simply going to be days you will not want or crave any. Rejoice privately!

Keep a stash of healthy snacks in your office. Before you go get that cup of coffee or take a bathroom break, eat some raisins or other healthy snacks before finding the junk food glaring up at you.

Write down your junk food intake each day and the reason why you felt compelled to eat it. Sometimes it is as simple as the person who brought the cake is an excellent baker and you knew it would be wonderful! Other times, and most often, it will be stress, boredom or peer pressure. Now you have to figure out how to handle these differently.

Most importantly, don't beat yourself up if you had a bad day and ate a lot more junk food then you anticipated. It is "progress, not perfection" that should be your goal.

Keep Your Home Pollution Free

When it comes to your home, you want things clean, healthy and safe for your family. Who doesn’t, right?

But you might be surprised to learn that according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American home is hundreds of times more polluted inside than the air is outside.



Why is this the case? Well, one common reason is because most people don’t open their windows enough. They don’t want to let in the “dirty air” from outside. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Homes need to breathe and have fresh, circulating air. Otherwise, dust and pollutants build up and stay trapped inside.

Women and children are especially vulnerable to harmful indoor air pollution, since they’re the ones who spend the most time inside the home.

So, what causes all this pollution in our homes? Well, there are several things.

•Cleaning products
•Carpeting
•Pressed wood furniture and cabinets
•Mold
•Tobacco products
•Burning coal, kerosene, wood, or oil
•Insulation containing asbestos
•Harsh products used for hobbies
•Many personal care products (like hair spray and deodorants)
•Air fresheners
•Pesticides
•Paint and other solvents

Harmful Effects of Indoor Air Pollution

The EPA has linked harmful indoor air pollution to several health issues.

Immediate Effects can include symptoms like fatigue, dry eyes, asthma, headaches, dizziness, eye, nose, and throat irritation.

Long-term Effects can include permanent respiratory damage, heart disease, reproductive problems, neurological disorders, or even cancer.

How To Keep Your Home Pollution Free

Open Your Windows: One of the best ways to keep your home healthy is to open your windows. The more outside air you can get into your home, the better. In the summertime, ditch your air conditioning and keep the windows open. In the winter, make a point to open the windows for at least a few minutes every day. And if you’re doing something like painting, sanding, paint stripping, or soldering it’s vital you have fresh, circulating air in your home.

Buy Plants: Plants naturally cleanse the air, so the more plants you have in your home the more “filtration” systems you have! NASA recently finished a 2-year study which proved that many common houseplants help remove dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air. Pick up some Bamboo Palm, Chinese Evergreen, English Ivy, Sansevieria (Mother In Law Tongue), Gerbera Daisies, Pop Mums, or Peace Lily if you’d like cleaner air.

Use Natural Cleansers: Did you know the FDA doesn’t regulate what companies put in common household cleansers? And did you know that women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate than women who work outside the home, according to the Toronto Air Conference? The statistics regarding the hazardous nature of most commercial cleaning products are truly alarming, and these cleaners are a major contributor to indoor air pollution. One of the best things you can do for you and your family’s health is to start using natural cleaning products. Baking soda, vinegar, and lemons can work wonders. And, companies like Seventh Generation make all-natural cleaning solutions that don’t contribute to indoor air pollution.

Stop Using Pesticides: The EPA estimates that over 75% of American homes use at least one pesticide. But, pesticides have been linked to everything from dizziness and shortness of breath to damage to the liver and central nervous system. There are plenty of natural, safe ways to get rid of household pests without using these dangerous chemicals! And it’s important not to use pesticides in your yard either; children and pets easily track the pesticide residue indoors.

Use Low/ No VOC Paint: Every time you paint a room, you get that “paint smell”, right? Well, the paint smell is actually the off gassing of several harmful chemicals. Next time you have to paint a room in your home, spend extra for the low or no VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paint that eliminates this off gassing.

Stop Smoking: If you or another family member smokes inside the home, stop. Tobacco is full of harmful chemicals, and even the second-hand smoke causes cancer. Plus, the tar from smoke will linger for years on walls and furniture.

Get A Radon Detector: WebMD says that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States (after smoking). Radon naturally occurs in the soil, but it can leak into your home through cracks in your foundation. Getting a radon detector will help you identify if you have a leak so that you can immediately get it fixed.

Carpeting: Carpeting is full of dangerous chemicals like styrene, formaldehyde, and benzene. These are known carcinogens. And, your family will be breathing these fumes in for months after new carpeting is installed. Plus, carpeting naturally traps dirt and pollutants, which are hard to get out. Instead, go with cork or bamboo flooring, which is much healthier (and more sustainable) for your family. If you really want carpeting in your home, there are some eco-friendly brands that don’t use hazardous chemicals or glues, so there is is no off gassing.

Don’t Dry Clean: Dry cleaned clothes have several dangerous chemicals on the fabric. And when you bring these clothes home, those chemicals come too. Besides, do you really want to wear chemically-treated clothing next to your skin? Probably not. You can gently hand wash dry-clean only clothes with Woolite and hang dry. This is not only safer, but cheaper.

Clean Out the Garage: You know that “garage smell”, which is usually a combination of lawn mower gas, old paint, oil, paint stripper, and who know what else? Well, that smell is really, really dangerous for your health. All these chemical fumes can cause major damage to your body, and having them sitting around your garage is not good. Responsibly dispose of these chemicals at your county’s next Hazardous Waste Drop off. Until then, keep the garage door and any windows open as much as possible to keep the space ventilated.

So, Most of us spend 90% of our time indoors. Which is why it’s so important that the air we breathe is healthy. It’s easy to create a green and healthy home, and all it takes is a little awareness and a change of habit. And most of us would agree that our health, and our family’s health, is more than worth the effort.