The Key to Beautiful Locks Starts With the Basics


Dermatologist Offers Top 10 Tips for Maintaining Great Hair for Life

NEW YORK, July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- While there are many causes of hair loss -- including disease and genetic predisposition -- the most common reason men and women lose their hair is due to poor cosmetic grooming practices. Coloring, styling, brushing and even scratching can all add up to damaged hair.  Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to get your hair back on track.

Speaking at ACADEMY '04, the American Academy of Dermatology's summer scientific session in New York, dermatologist Zoe D. Draelos, M.D., a clinical associate professor in the department of dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., addressed the most common hair care do's and don'ts.

"Hair damage is a result of trauma to the physical structure of the hair that occurs every day," explained Dr. Draelos.  "The first step is to recognize the factors responsible for lack luster hair in order to learn how you can change your hair care regimen to improve it."

To enhance the health and appearance of your hair, Dr. Draelos offered the following recommendations:

1.  Don't give into the itch.

Seborrheic dermatitis is a condition marked by itchy, red, scaly skin that can occur on the scalp.  While it does not cause hair loss, the itching associated with seborrheic dermatitis can weaken and permanently damage hair over time.  Dr. Draelos advised that treatment from a dermatologist should be sought for this condition.

2.  Don't come up short with long hair.

Long hair is much more likely to be cosmetically damaged than short hair.  People with extensive hair damage should consider a shorter hair style to improve the overall appearance of the hair.  "In this case, it is extremely important to identify the cause of the hair damage so that the newly grown hair remains healthy and attractive," said Dr. Draelos.

3.  Grow old gracefully.

Since hair growth slows down with age, this also means that cosmetically damaged hair will be present longer on older individuals.  The hair's diameter decreases with age, predisposing thinner hair to damage from chemical processing.  Dr. Draelos recommended that for this reason, all chemicals used on mature hair should be weaker than those used on younger hair.

4.  Choose styling tools wisely.

Knowing when to comb or brush hair is important to proper grooming.If possible, hair should only be combed when dry.  The reason is that wet hair is more elastic than dry hair, which means that vigorous combing of the moist fibers can stretch hair to the point of fracture.  When choosing a comb, look for one made of a flexible plastic with smooth, rounded, coarse teeth that easily slips through the hair.

Extensive hair brushing also should be avoided while hair is wet.  In general, brushing the hair should be kept to a minimum in order limit breakage.  "The myth that the hair should be brushed 100 strokes a day and the scalp vigorously massaged with the brush is simply untrue," said Dr. Draelos.  When selecting a brush, look for bristles that are smooth, ball-tipped, coarse and bendable.  Brushes used while blow drying should have widely spaced bristles to prevent increased heat along the brush, which could damage the hair.

5.  Get a grip on using too many accessories.

While hair pins and clips are popular fashion accessories, the fact is that they all break some hair since they must hold the hair tightly to stay in place.  Look for hair pins with a smooth, ball-tipped surface and hair clips with spongy rubber padding where they make contact with the hair.  Looser-fitting clips also minimize breakage and should be worn in different parts of the scalp so that hair breakage is not localized in one specific area.  "This problem is particularly apparent in women who wear a ponytail, and that is why I recommend that rubber bands should never used," said Dr. Draelos. "My patients who wear ponytails report that their hair is no longer growing, when in fact it is repeatedly broken at the same distance from the scalp due to the trauma caused by the tight rubber band."  Rather than using rubber bands for ponytails, Dr. Draelos recommends that fabric scrunchies, which loosely hold the hair together, be used.

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