What is Healthy Hair
What is healthy hair? Is it hair that does not break off? Is it hair that is long? Is it hair that is thick? Well, healthy hair could have all of these characteristics. Hair that is healthy could be long and it could be thick in density (hairs per inch) or strand thickness. For sure healthy hair is full to the ends and at the scalp, not thin or sparse. If you can see through the ends of your hair when you wear it loose it is likely damaged. If you see your scalp when your hair is not parted that is indicative of thinning. Healthy hair does not come out of the scalp excessively or break off easily when combed, brushed or styled. Here are 4 steps to determine the health of your hair:
1. If your hair is dark colored, place a light- colored piece of fabric on your bed or over the sink. If your hair is a light color use a dark colored piece of fabric.
2. Tilt your head forward so that your hair is hanging over the fabric so as to catch all falling hair. Now comb your hair as you would normally. It is important that your hair is not extremely tangled when this test is conducted. The test should be conducted to determine how many strands are being lost under normal conditions not under excessive pulling or tension.
3. Once you have combed all of your hair remove the hair from the comb and set it aside. Use your hands to pull any loose hairs that may not have been removed with the comb. Count the number of full strands taken from the comb and those that are on the fabric. Full strands should be same length as the hair on your head and have the white tip attached to the root. If you have lost more than 40 full length strands of hair you may be experiencing hair loss. The expected number of strands lost per day is 100. In order to verify whether your hair loss is excessive or exceeding the daily average you will need to repeat this test each time you comb your hair over a 24- hour period. If you find that the hair loss is excessive you can apply a hot oil treatment to reduce the loss unless the cause is related to an underlying medical condition or prescribed medicine.
Feel free to inbox me if you have any questions about your specific situation.