A hair shaft that is outside the skin. The root of the hair, which is placed inside the skin, is wider at the end and is called a follicle or hair bulb.
Basically, hair is one of the appendages of the epidermis, but for some reasons, it has penetrated deeply and is placed in the dermis. Hair forming cells are located in the hair bulb or hair follicle.
Hair nutrition: through the delicate veins of the papillary area in the hair bulb area. Poppy is the indentation at the end of the hair bulb.
The main composition of hair is keratin protein, which is one of the hard keratins.
The construction of the hair shaft consists of three layers:
– Cuticle or outer layer
– The middle layer or cortex of the hair (the main part of the hair)
– Inner layer or medulla or brain of the hair
Hair growth cycle
Anagen is the phase of hair growth that lasts about 3 years on average, but it can last from 1 to 8 years in different people. 87-85% of hairs are in this stage.
Catagen is the transition stage between the other two stages. That is, the stage of growth to evolution takes about 3 weeks. 1% of hairs are in this stage.
Telogen is the resting stage of hair. It takes about 3 months. 12% of hairs are in this stage. This cycle is repeated for each strand of hair and the new hair grows out next to or from the same place as the previous one.
Children’s hair is mostly in the anagen phase. For this reason, the number of their hair loss is less than that of adults.
Number of hair loss
Normally, the number of hair loss is 100-150 per day for adults and 50-70 per day for children.
Types of hair
Normal : It looks shiny and shiny and is soft to the touch. The scalp is healthy and acne-free. If we lift a strand of hair, it slowly returns to its place. It has natural fat.
Greasy : in a short distance, a few hours after washing, the hair sticks together and looks shiny at first and then dull. The hair is loose and if we lift a bunch of hair, it quickly returns to its place, there is dandruff and itchiness, the scalp may be red and pimpled. Oiliness of skin and hair largely depends on the genetic characteristics of people.
Dry : It looks dull and without shine. It is rough and inflexible to the touch. It becomes fluffy when brushing. It tends to cause frizz.
Mixed : common in long hair. The scalp of these people is oily and the hair is dry at the end. It has the characteristics of both dry and oily hair.
Effective factors in hair growth
Hormonal factors and genetic background, sex, stress, illness and pregnancy, medication use, nutrition, weather, the amount of hair growth at night is faster than during the day and black hair is more than blonde hair.
The effective factors in abnormal hair conditions are:
Excessive heat
Proximity to sea water (salty)
Pool water (chlorinated)
Hair color and use of chemicals
Stretching the hair
air pollution
disease
Be careful that malnutrition and lack of vitamins leave an impression on the skin and hair and cause hair loss, frizz, breakage, grainy skin, etc.
Causes of hair loss
Malnutrition including lack of zinc, iron, calcium and vitamins
– Vascular defects that cause a decrease in blood supply to the hair.
Disease: The most common cause of hair loss in women is iron deficiency anemia. Hair loss is seen in other diseases such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, autoimmune diseases and radiotherapy.
Some drugs include antimetabolites, allopurinol, OCPs, heparin, gentamicin, chemotherapy drugs, and thallium poisoning.
-Traumatic causes such as excessive hair stretching and pressure
Types of hair loss (ALOPECIA)
Destruction of the hair follicle with scarring that is irreversible.
-Temporary hair loss without destroying the hair follicle. It does not have a scar and is reversible and has two modes: regional and diffuse.
Causes of this hair loss:
– Androgenic effect baldness – Baldness caused by chemical substances – Hair loss due to internal gland disorders – Hair loss in the telogen phase – Regional hair loss – Hair loss due to diseases (congenital hypophysis A and acquired B) – Thyroid hypofunction and hyperthyroidism – Low Parathyroid function – Diabetes – Adrenal gland hyperactivity – Fungal infections, trichotillomania – Hair loss due to external injuries – Hair loss due to the use of drugs (anticoagulants, antihypertensive drugs, vitamin A in large amounts).
Frizz: Two or more branches at the end of the hair are called frizz and it is mostly seen in those who have long hair.
Treatment: cutting the hair from the top of the bangs
– Using conditioner for prevention and other hair care
– Using shampoo with acidic or neutral pH
Dandruff:
Dandruff or Pityriasis Capitis is characterized by scaling of the scalp, which is accompanied by itching and sometimes redness. Dandruff is a mild type of seborrheic dermatitis. Seborrheic dermatitis or dramatic dandruff refers to red and scaly lesions of the skin that are associated with the production of seborrhoea (greasy or dry white scales) and itching. This disease is not contagious. The scalp naturally loses its old horny layers due to stratification of the stratum corneum, and new layers are replaced. This action has a natural and specific rhythm. If the rhythm and speed of shedding of the stratum corneum of the hair is out of the normal state and intensified and accelerated, a condition called dandruff is created. Dandruff is so common that some experts consider it normal.
Causes of dandruff
Dandruff is caused by various reasons such as improper nutrition, excitement and worry and stress, hot and humid or cold and dry weather, oily skin, excessive sweating, imbalance of hormones, especially androgens, excessive use of hair cosmetics, and non-observance of hair care. (not shampooing regularly, not washing the head enough after using shampoo and leaving soap residue in the scalp), it also sometimes appears due to fungal disease.
According to some experts, the main causes of dandruff are improper nutrition, so a proper diet is recommended for its treatment. Avoiding eating animal fats, avoiding excessive consumption of half-chocolate sweets, nuts, fried and spicy foods will restore health to the hair. For those who are facing the problem of dandruff, it is recommended to eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and protein-rich foods. Foods that have enough vitamins B, E, A and protein prevent dandruff.
Fungi are present on the scalp of many people, but not all of these people have dandruff. The degree of dandruff is different in different people. A type of fungus is the underlying cause of seborrhea in the scalp, which causes inflammation of the scalp. Fungi settle first on the scalp and then on the fat in the scalp. They break down these fats into their desired fatty acids and even destroy substances that hinder and interfere with their growth. This inflammation causes scalp cells to divide faster and provide a suitable environment for the growth of fungi. All these factors cause the scalp cells to divide faster, resulting in dandruff. Still no one knows what causes the millions of scalps that fall on different people’s clothes every day. At anti-dandruff shampoo companies, microbiologists carefully grow fungi that grow from tiny scales. Their goal is to find out on what materials these fungi grow best in order to achieve a definitive treatment for dandruff. Two types of fungi that cause dandruff are Malassezia vestricta and Malassezia globosa. The only reason that has made everyone think that Malassezia furfur is the cause of dandruff is that this fungus grows on culture media. But the other two species are too sensitive to grow on animal or plant fats and they definitely need human skin fat to grow.
The cause of dandruff is inflammation of the scalp, and sometimes diseases such as eczema also cause severe peeling of the scalp. Also, sometimes infectious diseases such as impetigo and head lice or pediculosis appear in the form of crusts on the head. Other skin disorders such as seborrheic dermatitis and atopic dermatitis, acne rosacea, psoriasis, obesity, Parkinson’s disease, use of drying lotions containing alcohol and AIDS are also diseases that cause severe dandruff.
Prevention and treatment of dandruff
There is absolutely no prevention. But the following methods can be used to minimize the severity or frequency of disease flare-ups:
Brushing the hair regularly is very important in the treatment of dandruff because it makes the blood flow faster.
Washing your hair daily with the right shampoo. To remove short-term dandruff, you can use medical anti-dandruff shampoos such as selenium sulfide, ketoconazole, prytnium zinc, and various polytar shampoos and antiseptic shampoos, as well as skin softening lotions. In more severe cases, shampoos containing tar or creams containing cortisone may be prescribed. In severe dandruff (with peeling), salicylic acid ointment 5% is useful.
A test to identify hair types
Two days after washing, comb the hair with your hands. In a natural state, it should not have redness, pimples and dandruff. Take a piece of thin paper (wax paper) and place it on the scalp and keep it for two minutes. If there is no fat on the paper in the place of the finger, the scalp is dry. If a little dirt and grease is observed in the contact area of the finger with the paper, the skin is normal, and if the paper is too greasy, the scalp is oily. In the mixed type, the scalp is oily and the hair is dry at the ends.
Familiarity with PH and natural flora of the skin
The pH of the skin in a large part of the body is acidic, ranging from 4.2-6.8. (Skin pH changes depending on age, sex, parts of the body and disease). The skin maintains a constant PH by superficial respiration and the release of carbon dioxide from the surface, particles of the stratum corneum and natural microbes of the skin. The important point in skin care is to keep the pH of the skin always at a low level of acidity, which also prevents the growth of microbes. Due to their alkaline properties, soaps react with the skin and destroy the protective layer of the skin.
Effective factors in skin acidity
Fatty acid found in sebaceous gland secretions, skin surface keratin
Lactic acid in sweat gland secretions
Amino acid found in the layers of the epidermis (fat-water layer)
Acid mantle on the surface of the skin
Skin respiration and release of carbonic acid
Microbial flora and its role in fat digestion and fatty acid formation
In the body in the armpit and groin areas, the pH is neutral or slightly alkaline. Men’s skin is more acidic and babies’ skin is neutral until about 2 years old.
Factors affecting skin pH
Internal factors : such as skin moisture, sebaceous gland secretions, race, age, disease or pathogenic factors, and different parts of the body
External factors : use of soaps, detergents and cosmetics
Skin absorption is done through sweat pores and pores of sebaceous glands.
Factors that can prevent skin absorption include the following:
An indicator layer of the skin that, if not removed, reduces the level of absorption.
Dust and environmental pollution that prevent substances from penetrating the skin.
Skin fat, which prevents absorption by increasing the secretion and closing the pores of the sebaceous glands, and especially prevents the passage of substances that cannot dissolve fat.
The acidic property of the skin that prevents germs and bacteria from entering the body.
A barrier that is caused by the electrical charge of the cells and prevents the penetration of water and external fluids into the body, and on the other hand, prevents the internal fluids from leaving the body.
Materials that can be absorbed:
Water, gases, plant essences, vitamins, oils and fats.
Principles of skin hygiene
Prevention of damage to the skin and observance of health and hygiene of the skin with:
Choosing the right product depending on the skin type
Clean the skin properly
Use sunscreen suitable for the skin, day cream, eye cream, night cream if needed
Use a suitable moisturizer if needed
Sufficient sleep, proper nutrition, drinking plenty of water, consuming vitamin C compounds
Sunlight, ultraviolet rays, smoking, alcohol, frequent trauma, hormonal disorders, extreme cold and heat can be mentioned as factors that damage the skin.
skin types
Normal skin , oily skin, dry skin, combination skin
Natural skin : In the white race, the color of the skin is uniform and light pink, and it is soft to the touch. It is free of pimples, comedones, cupros, and sebaceous cysts. It is neither rough nor dry. Rather, it is clear and bright and has a uniform and uniform surface. It is seen in most people until young age.
Dry skin : It is a thin skin that does not have pores. It is in touch below. It is very sensitive to heat. There is a crust on the surface. It may have cuprous red spots. Fine wrinkles can be seen on the skin. Stretching is felt and easily stimulated by soap.
Oily skin : due to the excessive secretion of oil glands, this skin is moist and looks smoother. Surface wrinkles of the skin are less. It looks thicker and shiny. It has open pores and the problem with this type of skin is the presence of comedones and pimples.
Mixed skin : The most common type of skin in both women and men is mixed skin, where in the TZONE area, the central areas of the face, i.e. the middle of the forehead, the nose and its surroundings, the chin and around the mouth, are more oily, and the peripheral parts, i.e. both sides The forehead, cheeks and around the eyes are dry. It is more difficult to maintain such skins.
A test to identify skin types
In the morning after waking up, wash the face with soap and water and dry it. Do not use any combination on the skin after that.
If the skin of the nose feels flaky in the morning, the skin is dry.
If the skin on the nose is only slightly wrinkled by the evening, the skin is normal.
If the skin on the nose is oily and flaky around it, the skin is mixed.
If the skin on the nose was very oily from morning to noon, the skin is oily.
It should be noted that the skin type is not always the same and with age, change in lifestyle, change in climate and living environment, season, disease and type of job, the skin changes, which should also change the care.
The role of mental health in skin and hair health
The skin is a part of the whole body system and any changes in it can reflect physical or mental disorders. Mental pressure, tension, stress and anxiety, fear and anger show their effects on the skin and cause the skin to turn red or pale. Nervous itching, dermatitis, trichotillomania (the patient has the urge to pull out his hair, excoriation), neuroticism, positophobia (the person constantly scratches his skin and imagines that an insect is moving on his skin), alopecia areata (regional hair loss), allergic diseases and eczema, anal itching and nail biting are all examples of the effects of psychological factors on the skin and its appendages.
