Many women suffer from dry, lifeless hair, but some women have much more troubling hair issues such as hair growing in coarse and wiry, thinning, and itchy, smelly scalp. After suffering from some of these issues myself, I began the arduous journey of finding out what was at the root of my hair problems and surprisingly, my damaged hair was due to more than just overprocessing and required more than a hair conditioner.
Damaged Hair Issue # 1: Hair growing in coarse and wiry
If your hair has always been relatively soft and healthy, but suddenly it begins growing in coarse and wiry, several conditions could be attributed to this potentially serious hair issue. The first thing you must rule out if you are suffering from coarse, wiry hair, is a thyroid problem. Hair suddenly growing in coarse and wiry is oftentimes a symptom of underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), which if left untreated, can cause numerous health and wellness issues. Self-assess whether you are having hypothyroidism symptoms such as gaining weight, extreme fatigue, irritability, dry, itchy skin, and depression. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms in addition to newly coarse/wiry hair, schedule an appointment with your doctor for bloodwork- an underactive thyroid could be to blame.
If an underactive thyroid is not the cause of your coarse hair, you could have done damage to the hair follicle by dyes and permanents. When you overprocess your hair, not only does it split the hair shaft and cause temporary dryness, it can permanently damage your hair follicle. It scorches the hair follicle, in a sense and restoration takes some time. The first, and most obvious, step in correcting this issue is abandoning every damaging act to your hair. No dye. No perms. No straightener. No highlights. Nothing. You have to let your hair heal from the inside out. In addition to babying your hair, you have to take vitamins to try and rejuvenate the hair follicle. Vitamin C is excellent, as is biotin, and omega 3 (fish oil). Massage the scalp to encourage blood flow to the hair follicles, which will help repair damaged hair.
Damaged Hair Issue #2: Thinning Hair
If you are suffering from thinning hair, you are not alone. Thousands of women suffer from mild to severe hair loss, which are almost always attributed to DHT and the male hormone, androgen. However, after some research, I learned that this is not the only cause of thinning hair in women. Certain health problems like anemia (which was the case with me) and infections can cause hair loss in women. A dermatologist told me that when your body is ill somewhere, all of your body’s energy will go to fight that problem, so the hair cell will essentially shut down and allow the energy to focus on what is ailing you. Again, this issue requires you to go to a doctor and have blood work done. It is worth finding out if an illness is the cause of your hair loss, and if not, you will have peace of mind knowing you are healthy and that hormones probably are the cause of your thinning hair. Thinning hair can also be symptomatic of the next damaged hair issue.
Damaged Hair Issue # 3: Itchy, Smelly Scalp
Some people, despite frequently washing their hair, suffer from this embarrassing, mystyfying issue- smelly scalp syndrome. Experts have identified the cause of this problem- fungus. Most people who have this condition attribute it to dandruff and treat their scalp with dandruff shampoo, only to find that they still suffer from a smelly scalp. If this is the case with you, rest assured- there is a cure! When you have a fungus overgrowth in your body and on your scalp, it will feed off of your normal oils or gunky oils in hair conditions, which exacerbate the problem. Scalp fungus causes an itchy, smelly scalp, which resembles a yeasty, beer-like smell.
Scalp fungus will eventually cause hair thinning because it will engulf and destroy the hair follicle and the cronic itching causes hair loss, as well. To cure this damaged hair issue, you must tackle the fungus. Put baking soda on the scalp and rub it in before washing. Also, fight fungus from the inside out by eating foods, or supplements that have an anti-fungal property to them. The best over-the-counter antifungal supplement is garlic capsules. If you do not want to take garlic in capsule form, eat loads of it. It will definitely help your itchy, smelly scalp. If the problem persists, however, you may have to have a doctor prescribe antifungal medication, which should cure the problem. Note however, that you must wash your bedding, hair brushes and combs to prevent reinfecting your scalp with the fungus. It is contagious.
If you are suffering from extremely damaged hair, explore alternate explanations beyond needing a deep conditioner. Are you healthy from the inside out? If you are experiencing one of these damaged hair issues, pinpoint what is causing your damaged hair and the cure is sure to follow the diagnosis. Once you discover the cause of your damaged hair issues, you will be on the road to healthy, shiny, soft hair. You do not have to settle with severely damaged hair.
