Dr. Apoorva Shah answers some frequently asked questions and shatters some myths on hair care.

Q. Is hair dead or alive?
A. Hair is one of the most important parts of the human anatomy and no other part of the human anatomy grows at the rate of half an inch a month not even your nails.

Q. What is its main purpose?
A. The main purpose of hair is protection.

Q. Does it also help us in any other way?
A. Hair is also a measure of ones self image, prestige and confidence. Hair problems often lead to body dysmorphic disorders highlighted by low self esteem. It can also lead to emotional hair disorders like Trichotillomania (Pulling ones own hair) and Trichophagia (Pulling and eating ones own hair).

Q. Is there any relation between hair & Health?
A. Hair is your body’s barometer indicating good health or lack of it. Very often hair problems are the first signs if something is going wrong with you internally. Hair problems could be an early indicator of:
                                                         

The role of hair in forensic medicine is also well documented which includes its role in murder and poisoning.

In children, hair analysis can lead to early detection of many genetic disorders for example, Menkes’ Kinky Hair Syndrome. This problem is caused by a defect in the intestinal copper absorption. The resulting copper deficiency weakens the hair structure, leading to hair breakage. The more serious abnormalities include severe physical and mental disablement, hypothermia and twisted depigmented hair. Death usually results by the age of 3.

Q. Can a Trichologist grow new hair?
A. A man or a woman is blessed with hair follicles by the third – fourth month in the mother’s womb and remain the same from birth till death hence nobody in the world can grow new hair. Hair regrowth is not possible in Male or Female Pattern thinning and in Scarring Alopecias. A Trichologist can only re grow new hair in Non Scarring Baldness like Alopecia Areata.

Q. Do external applications stop hair loss?
A. No external applications ever grow hair or stop hair loss. However, they may act as hair vitalisers and fortify the hair roots.

Q. What is the role of Hair oil?
A. Hair oil is the only hair and scalp conditioner in the world. As such, it helps in hair and scalp conditioning. Hair oiling is a unique phenomenon to the Indian Psyche.

Q. What is the role of Diet?
A. Hair is made up of a protein called keratin and is fed by an efficient blood supply through the papilla which is a tail like structure connecting the hair root with the body. Oxygen and nutrition from the blood can supply to the hair through the papilla hence, hair is what you eat.

Q. What are the ideal hair foods?
A. Ideal hair foods are Palak, paneer, milk, almonds, chole, bajra, Soya and pumpkin seeds.

Q. Does lifestyle affect hair?
A. Fashion and stress are the modern day disorders and their effect on hair id multiple and various hair problems like hair loss, Alopecia, Psoriasis of the scalp are triggered by stress. Hair and scalp allergic manifestations and hair breakage are the common off shoots of fashion.

Q. Is 50 or 100 Hair loss in a day normal?
A. Each hair has a life cycle of 3 years and 4 months. Three years in the groth phase called the Anagen. 3 Weeks in the resting phase and . Unlike mammals, hair doesnot grow and fall off together in human beings otyherwise every three years and four months we would go bald. These phases are structured by god in such a way that 80% of the hair are inb the growth phase and 20% in the falling phase which is called as the AT ration which is normally 80:20.

A Trichologist classifies you as having hair loss iff:
1. AT Ratio is not 80:20
2. The scalp analysis shows poor scalp condition
3. Hair Analysis shows poor structure of the hair.
4. You have a poor health history.

Hence, a person losing 100 hair in a day may be classified as normal or vice versa even if you loses 20 hair you may be classified as having hairloss depending on your hair and scalp analysis.

Q. Does Genetic Balding come from Father or Mother?
A. It can be inherited from either parent. For a male, if his father exhibits MPT, there is at least a 50% chance he will also exhibit it. On the other hand if both parents have full heads of hair, we know the father will not carry the genes but there is still a chance the son could inherit the MPT genes from his mother (who could have inherited the genes from her mother or father). The bottom line is that you wont know whether or not you will exhibit MPT until you start exhibiting it. Just because the father is bald does not mean the son will exhibit the problem and just because both parents have wonderful hair doesn’t mean the son cant exhibit MPT.

Dr. Apoorva  Shah is the pioneer of Trichology in India and one of the leading Trichologists in the world. He is also the founder of Richfeel Trichology Centre. For further enquiries call 66778877 or log on to www.richfeel.com