Dandruff- what is it really caused by?
Suffer from scalp flakiness...aka dandruff?? Yea, you're not alone. This embarrassing, persistent condition affects 50 percent of people in the U.S. every year. To explain why it occurs and how to get rid of it here is an article I found about what causes dandruff:
""The basic facts
Dandruff is caused by a microscopic yeast called Malassezia that lives on everyone's scalp and feeds off the oil, or sebum, that keeps skin hydrated. Normally, as dead skin cells are shed, this yeast gets washed off in the shower or brushed away. Under certain conditions, however, it grows out of control, irritating your scalp and making it red and itchy. In response, your skin cells begin to reproduce at an accelerated rate; as they build up, they turn into flakes.
What to look for:
* Genetics--If your mom or dad has dandruff, there's a strong chance you will too.
* An oily scalp--This causes the yeast to multiply.
* High indoor temperatures--When you're in a warm environment, your scalp secretes more oil.
* Stress, illness, or a hormonal imbalance--All three of these factors may make you less resistant to fighting off the accumulation of flake-producing yeast.
Simple solutions
* Use a medicated shampoo These cleansers typically contain the anti-yeast ingredient zinc pyrithione. Find it in Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Shampoo and Conditioner ($5 each; at drugstores); both products deposit tiny yeast-destroying particles of the active ingredient on the scalp, where they remain until you're able to shampoo again. *** CECE NOTE: You can purchase zinc pyrithione cream and mix that with your conditioner wash or your shampoo- just to get the good effects of the medication and skip the bad parts of the head & shoulders***
* Use stylers sparingly Gels, mousses, and pomades can trap sebum and exacerbate flaking.
* Minimize scalp oil If your hair still looks greasy despite daily cleansing, spritz on Biolage Scalptherapie Cooling Mint Oil Control Treatment ($16; biolage.com for salons), a spray with sebum-absorbing glycerin. ***CECE NOTE: rosemary essential oil, a nettle leaf tea rinse, lemongrass essential oil, elder berry cream-powder treatment or even a tea tree oil infused cream application will also help with these... all of these can be made at home.***
EXPERT STRATEGY "It's a myth that dandruff is caused by a dry scalp," says Zoe Draelos, M.D. "It's the result of a buildup of yeast, and it needs to be treated with a medicated shampoo at least twice a week."
* The bottom line The scalp sheds skin cells daily, so a bit of flaking is inevitable. But if you notice lots of flakes on your clothing or find yourself constantly itching, take action. All that scratching will aggravate your condition and could cause split ends.""
Happy de-flaking!!
Labels:
Healthy Hair Tip #3: pH Balance Your Hair
Morning Divas!!!
I was in the Naturalmemedia chat last night and we began discussing conditioners and the harshness of products- which transitioned into a discussion on the pH balance of hair. I'm just going to write a bit about pH levels- which will not require you to go searching around and looking at pH levels with litmus paper. It just requires using a rinse after your wash sessions!!
Basic Info to know first:
The pH scale runs on a range of 0-14. The lower the pH- the more acidic the solution. The breaking point for the scale is 7, which is neutral (this is the pH level of pure water). Any pH over 7 is a basic solution. pH is the measure of the "potential of hydrogen." Dry hair does not have a pH!!!! Hair's ph ranges between 4.5 and 5.5 when in water. The sebum, which is the oil that our scalp naturally produces has about the same pH. Some products on the market are created to have a pH within a range similar to hair. Some conditioners are also designed to have lower pH then the hair- its generally acidic in state.
Working with the Basics:
As previously discusses pH between 7.1-14 is basic or alkaline. These Basic solutions open the cuticle layer of hair which allows moisture, protein, almost anything to get into your hair cuticles and touch your hair's core keratin strand. Think of your hair as your spin with the vertebrae around it- when the cuticle opens we are stretching the vertebrae apart and can access your spinal cord. This is the perfect time to add protein which will strengthen your strand (though some peoples hair HATES protein). IT is also the key time to add moisture so that your hair has a nice cool drink of water with a dose of lubricants to keep things working smoothly on the inside :)! Be careful because this is also the time that your hair can lose water or retain too much, or even worse the water can dissolve leaving behind residue such as salts or other mineral present in hard water which do NOT help your strands!!!!!
This is what the baking soda washes are used for by some people- as well as to clean your hair. On average, baking soda has a pH in the range of 8.3-9.0 and when mixed with water the pH is more around 8.2-8.8 depending on the proportions. This is because water is neutral (7). Hair would be left at that pH as well (8.2-8.8) which is why an acidic rinse would be necessary to leave the hair in its own pH range or in a slightly more acidic pH range which can help the hair.
I would NOT recommend the use of baking soda on your hair, unless you are looking to relax your curl pattern temporarily. It opens your cuticles and allows your hair to retain too much water, which can also be bad- imagine overfilling a balloon with air...(yeah not a great idea). Baking soda will also steal hydrogens from your hair which is bad- like carbon monoxide stealing oxygen from the air and your body- (which is also known as a silent killer). I think you get the idea- just try not to use it.
What pH should you aim for in the end?
The best pH level to leave your hair at is around 4.0-4.5 Though hair naturally has a pH of 4.5-5.5. The reason that the slightly lowered pH level is better is because it compacts the hair strand so that the cuticles are closed securely- leaving all the moisture and conditioning you did inside the hair strand. Acidifying hair can be one of the best things you do for your hair!!
1) It will add natural shine to your hair
2) It helps detangle and prevent knotting, because closed cuticles cannot grab on to other open cuticles!
3) Elasticity: the ability of your hair to move freely- in our case without snapping and being brittle. This treatment elevates the positive charge on your hair. ( negative charged ions cause frizz and static electricity). The positive charge brings the hydrogen bonds from a weak state (beta) to a strong state (alpha) and this improves elasticity because hydrogen bonds account for all of your hairs elasticity!!!!
4) Retains moisture!! Since the cuticle is snapped shut and compacted, all the conditioning and moisturizing you did will now remain inside the cuticle and not evaporate away.
Q: How can you achieve this pH level?
A: By Doing Acid the Healthy Way!
Acidic solutions do the opposite of Basics, closing the cuticle layer and allowing moisture to be retained. So Apple Cider Vinegar is the best way to get your pH at a level which keeps hair shafts closed. The way this works is ACV has a pH of 3.0 and an ACV rinse has a pH of about 4.0 ( I will test the proportions an pH later today so I can give you an exact pH to proportion measurement). The hair would likely be left at a pH of about 4.0 or so. This should be used as a final rinse for your hair to compact your cuticles some and seal in moisture.
{Sources}
http://www.smartskincare.com/skinbiology/sebum.html
http://www.salonweb.com/gold/pc.htm
http://www.hairfinder.com/hair/hair-ph-level.htm
http://www.salonweb.com/gold/hbonds.htm
Happy rinsing!!!
![www [dot] ceceUNedited [dot] com](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IgQvEFKlW2Y/S8u_r1RFJsI/AAAAAAAAAK8/KG92BKUQw-Q/s320/chelsea+signature+REAL.png)
Henna for your Hair
Homemade Hair Recipe #1: Clarify with Apple Cider Vinegar!
Hello my Radiant Naturales!
It's time to talk about hair clarification. Though many people use shampoos as their clarifying substance, there are other methods that a person can use to clarify their hair.
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is one way to clarify your hair and clean it with out having to use a shampoo. Most clarifying shampoos are too drying, apple cider vinegar is less drying and also cheaper. You only need to rinse with it once, so it is also less time consuming. It can also reduce frizziness in your lovely curls. The way it should be done is with 1 part ACV and 3 parts water. So you can use 1cup ACV with 3cups of water. You should mix this beforehand in a container so its ready to go in the shower or whenever you wash your hair. PLEASE do not use just ACV straight on your hair, because it is very strong in terms of scent and if even the diluted version gets in your eyes it stings. The ACV scent will subside as you wash your hair further.
When I do the rinse I pour half of it in my hair after saturating my hair with water and rub it around my scalp some. I scratch my scalp lightly. Do not scratch it too roughly because it will start to irritate your skin. I leave it in for roughly 3 minutes and rinse out, then i pour in the rest and rub it around like a normal shampoo and rinse. I do mine in two parts just because I want to get secondary buildup I may have. You are free to do what ever method you choose.
You should also rinse with cool water after the ACV rinse. Some people also like to shampoo first then do an ACV rinse. I have been on a kick where I'm trying all naturale products and trying to stay away from the commercial hair products.
Curlychronicles has a youtube video showing how she used the ACV rinse.
IsisCold also has a video where she reviews the ACV rinse.
Please go visit these lovely ladies channels and Subscribe!!! :)
xoxo
Naturale Radiance
