Hair & Nail Care
HAIR CARE
All hairs on the body progress through three major stages of growth - Anagen, catagen and telogen. Anagen phase is the active growing phase, catagen is a short transition phase and telogen is the resting phase. The length of hair is determined by the length of the anagen phase. Different regions of the body have different anagen lengths, causing scalp hair to be longer than eyelash hair, etc. Different regions also have a greater percentage of hairs in the anagen phase at any given point in time. Hair loss can result from external trauma, chemical processing or an alteration in the normal progression of the hair growth stages and cycle. Most people shed 100-150 hairs a day. Hairs are shed as a new growing hair pushes the old hair out of the hair follicle. Normal scalp hair grows 1 cm per month.
There are a few things that may help to encourage hair growth which are safe and relatively inexpensive. A daily multivitamin is important. During times of illness and medical treatment, nutrition may also be poor. A multivitamin and good nutrition encourage hair growth. In addition to a daily multivitamin, Biotin is another vitamin that encourages healthy hair and nail growth. Most multivitamins do not have even the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Biotin, so an additional Biotin supplement is required. Minoxidil or Rogaine helps encourage hair growth by keeping hairs in the anagen phase longer. However, this is a long term commitment requiring twice daily use applied to the scalp. Also, don't forget sunscreen or a hat for the scalp with thin hair. This area has been protected most of one's life and is very susceptible to sunburn and damage.
Use of Medicated Shampoos: Remember that Medicated Shampoos for Dandruff, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Psoriasis and other skin diseases are designed to be used on the scalp. There often is not a need to coat and wash all of the hair, especially those with extremely long hair. If the medicated shampoo leaves the hair feeling undesirable, follow the medicated shampoo with regular shampoo and conditioner.
NAIL CARE
Tips for Better Nail Care
- Clip your nails relatively short and no biting the nails. Imperfections show up less in short nails.
- Don't cut, trim, bite or push back your cuticles. Cuticles are our natural barrier that prevents damage to the nail matrix. The nail matrix is located beneath the cuticle. Damage to the nail matrix can cause ridging of the nails and even permanent nail damage. Interfering with the cuticles is also a prime site for infection. Many worry that the cuticle will grow -half way up the nail- if they do not push them back. Don't worry, the cuticle will naturally be shed once it has fulfilled its barrier function. Many of the changes arise from dehydration of the nails and cuticles. Massage a moisturizer into the nail and cuticle area once or twice a day to prevent dryness, splitting, and hangnails. My very favorite is Elon nail moisturizer. I have asked some local pharmacies to stock this in the future. However, any thick ointment such as Vaseline or Aquaphor will help prevent the nail changes associated with dehydration of the nails.
- Wear gloves while doing chores, such as washing dishes. Excessive exposure to water can lead to further dehydration and fungal infections of the nail bed. One simple thing that can help is to wear cotton gloves inside of the rubber gloves used to wash dishes.
- Although nail polish may help to keep nails strong and protected from the environment (and looking nice, too). If your nails are very dry or falling off, you might want to consider a nail moisturizer instead of polish. Nail polish is further accentuates dehydration of the nails and should be avoided in severely damaged nails. Don't use acrylics or other nail wraps. Fake nails can trap bacteria and fungus that may cause infection.
- If you have a professional manicure, bring your own implements, regardless of how the salon cleans their instruments. Do not let the manicurist traumatize your cuticles in any way.
- Avoid the mechanical foot baths at salons. A number of outbreaks of skin infections have been reported from the foot baths used in salon pedicures. Often the cleaner used does not protect against the culprit mycobacterium. In addition, with mechanical baths, bacteria, fungi and mycobacterium often grow in a reservoir that is not completely emptied between customers.
Finally I cannot overstress how important it is to avoid all unnecessary trauma to the nail and the nail bed. It is especially important to avoid traumatizing the cuticles and the distal nail fold (the end furthest from the wrist underneath the nail). It is very tempting to try to stick things under the separated nail to try to clean out debris, etc. This should always be avoided and debris should be removed with a soft brush and soapy water under the nails. A multivitamin and good nutrition encourage nail growth. In addition to a daily multivitamin, Biotin is another vitamin that encourages healthy hair and nail growth. Most multivitamins do not have even the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Biotin, so an additional Biotin supplement is required.
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