Many individuals wonder exactly how far they should go in between haircuts. While it may be easy for men to determine when they need a cut (shorter hair shows unruliness quicker), it’s not as easy for women or those with longer hair. And while men may be able to slip quickly into the barber shop, women often need to know far in advance (before they need the cut) in order to get booked with their stylist. So, how do you determine how often should you cut your hair?
If you ask your stylist, they’ll likely say ‘it depends.’ While this is true information, it doesn’t do much in the way of helping you pre-book an appointment. What ‘it depends’ on is hair goals, length of hair, hair growth rate, and health of hair. Typical time in between cuts ranges from 4-16 weeks. Below we break down some of the factors that influence time between cuts so you can determine the best frequency for you.
Hair goals – if your goal is to grow your hair, you’ll want to go longer in between cuts. This will allow your hair more time to grow in between cuts. But don’t neglect the cuts completely! Your hair needs to be in prime health to grow as it should.
Hair growth – if your hair grows quickly, you’ll need to get it cut more often. If it grows slowly, you can get away with more time in between cuts. Get to know your hair and experiment with different times in between cuts to determine the best for you.
Hair health – if you’re in the process of bringing your damaged hair back to life, you’ll need cuts more often. Its imperative for you to keep those dead and damaged ends to a minimum, as leaving them can spread them up the hair strand. Utilize conditioning treatments in between cuts to help keep your hair in prime health.
Tag Archives: hair treatment
How to keep oily hair in check
If you have naturally oily hair, then you are familiar with the oily hair struggle. Many individuals who suffer from oily hair have fine locks, which allows the oil to move quickly down the shaft from the scalp.
Our scalp produces oil naturally via the secretion glands under our scalp tissue. This oil moisturizes hair and keeps it soft, shiny, and healthy. Unfortunately, for some, the scalp overproduces oil causing unwanted oily hair.
While you can’t change your chemistry or genetics, you can change your habits and the products you use to help eliminate oily hair. Below are a few tips to keep your oil under control.
Don’t wash everyday – while this may seem counterintuitive, (if your hair is oily, you should wash it more, right?) washing your hair everyday could be causing your hair to overproduce oil. When you wash your hair it strips it of its natural nutrients. Doing this often could cause your hair to overproduce oil as a way to counteract the over-washing.
Stop touching your hair – touching or playing with your hair causes an increase in oil production.
Try conditioning your hair first – this technique, known as ‘reverse washing,’ allows your hair to reap the benefits of moisturizing, without the weight of residue left behind. Simply condition hair first, then finish with shampoo and a good rinse.
Make dry shampoo your best friend – using dry shampoo in powder form in between washes soaks up the oil in your hair and leaves behind a fresh smell. It’s a great tool to help you stretch the time between washes.
Turn down the heat – washing your hair with hot water can cause the scalp to overproduce oil. It also opens your hair’s cuticle and causes hair damage. Instead, use luke-warm water throughout the wash, and finish with a cold rinse.
Go au natural – your hair needs a break too. Don’t use hot styling tools every day. This can cause oily hair and hair damage.
Mix it up – try different hair styles in between washes. Maybe wear it down the first day, in curls the second, and in an up-do on the third. Oily hair actually helps make up-do’s look better and last longer.
What is alopecia areata and do you have it?
Alopecia areata is one of many types of hair loss. Alopecia areata involves your immune system attacking your hair follicles. This damage causes hair loss.
Much is still unknown about why the immune system attacks your follicles. What is known is that naturally occurring antibodies are mistaken as foreign antibodies and get programmed for destruction.
In a person with alopecia areata, hair loss usually begins with clumps of hair falling out. This leaves round hairless patches on the scalp. Some cases may present with thinning across the scalp. Other cases present with hair breaking off before growing very long.
It is common for individuals with alopecia areata to notice their symptoms come and go. The hair loss can be permanent and non-permanent. The hair loss is more likely to be permanent if there is a family history of the disease or another auto-immune disease, or if the hair loss is extensive.
While there isn’t a cure for alopecia areata, there has been some success with various treatment methods. The most common treatment method is corticosteroid injections in the scalp.
Minoxidil (Rogaine) has also shown to be effective in some individuals with alopecia areata.
If you think you may have alopecia areata, you should visit an experienced and certified hair restoration surgeon. A simple exam and hair analysis will determine if you have the disease.
Here at Modena Hair Institute, we specialize in the medical management of hair loss. We have years of experience treating individuals with alopecia areata as well as other hair loss causing medical conditions. Give us a call today to schedule a consultation.
The link between age and hair loss
It’s probably not a surprise to hear there’s a link between age and hair loss. Most people know that as we age, we also lose hair. But why is that?
There’s still a lot we don’t know about hair loss. What we do know, is that as we age, the rate at which our hair grows decreases. Additionally, hair naturally thins with age. This is because more hairs enter the resting phase causing hair to grow less as well as less hairs to grow, giving an overall thinner feel and appearance.
Some men experience hair loss as early as their teens and 20s, while women typically experience hair loss around age 40. According to the AHLA, 2/3 of men experience hair loss by age 35 and over 4/5 of men experience hair loss by age 50.
Many other factors contribute to hair loss such as hormones, genes, stress, illness, and medical conditions. Unfortunately, as we age, our risk for these issues increases.
Although we can’t halt the aging process, we can fight back against hair loss. In order to protect and maintain your hair, it’s very important you don’t miss the first signs of hair loss.
According to Dr. Yazdan, the best way to fight hair loss is to prevent it and treat it right away. Utilizing medical management and alternative methods of hair restoration, you can keep the hair you have, protecting its health and maintaining the density, feel, and look. During a consultation with an experienced and certified hair restoration surgeon, you can assess your options in preventing hair loss.
Medical management options range from finasteride, minoxidil, and nizoral shampoo. Alternative methods include PRP treatment, laser therapy, and injections. If you’d like to learn more about what treatment options you’re a candidate for, give us a call today.
Does consuming more protein prevent hair loss?
Our hair is affected by many factors – genetics, age, environment, and medical history. But did you know your diet plays a role as well? If your diet is lacking key nutrients, your hair will show it.
When your diet lacks necessary components, your body begins prioritizing and rationing. Fortunately (or unfortunately) your hair is not as important as proper organ function and efficient large muscle group movement. When individuals engage in unhealthy or unbalanced diets, the body can neglect the hair altogether in favor of keeping us alive. This can cause hair loss over time.
We often see hair damage and hair loss in diets lacking substantial protein. Protein is a necessary macro our body needs to function and fuel itself properly. Further, protein is an essential component of our hair. Each hair strand is composed of a protein known as keratin which is crucial to our hair’s health. When our hair lacks keratin, it becomes brittle, weak, and thin. Overtime, substantial hair loss can develop.
Dr. Yazdan believes the best way to treat hair loss is to prevent it. A healthy balanced diet will not only make you feel and look better, but it’ll promote beautiful, healthy, strong hair and prevent hair loss. The USDA recommends at minimum 46 grams of protein per day. Nutrition and fitness experts typically suggest double or triple that amount. If you need help getting more protein in your diet, consider adding the following protein-packed foods to your diet: chicken, turkey, beef, seafood, eggs, nuts.
If you are experiencing hair loss and think your diet may be playing a role, give us a call for a consultation. Here at Modena, we offer diagnostic testing to address the root of your hair’s problems.
