We’re all inspired by the long, glossy, abundant hair that we see in advertising campaigns for shampoos, conditioners, hair oil and hair colors. We have a secret desire to sport hair that exudes that luxurious yumminess and turns heads. Few of us in reality have hair anywhere close to what we really want, and the fact is that most of us have some or the other women hair problems that we gripe about and struggle with on a daily basis.
Here are some of the common hair issues that plague women across the world. The kind that you most likely suffer from will depend on your hair type, hair care routine, environmental factors and general health.
Each of the women hair problems below will be deemed the worst of the lot by the women who suffer from them. You may suffer from one of the following women hair problems yourself and are probably nodding your head in agreement. There’s no better or worse here – the truth is that they’re all a pain in the neck!
Dry Hair Care
Hair that lacks in moisture and natural oils tends to get very dry. This makes the hair frizzy, dull, and prone to breakage. It can also make the texture rough, a fact that is apparent just by looking at it. There may be several causes for dry hair – brushing too much, shampooing way too often, and even genetics. Since dry hair is more prone to damage, it is important that you take steps to manage the problem before it escalates into other women hair problems.
Oily / Greasy Hair Care
On the other hand, a scalp that produces way too much oil will end up making the hair very greasy. Oily hair is not just a by-product of oily skin, although it is indeed true that those who have oily skin will suffer more from this problem than those who don’t. Anything that causes the scalp to produce excess oil can cause oily hair like over-brushing, improper hygiene and changing hormonal levels.
Dull Hair Care
Your hair may be neither oily nor dry, but you gripe anyway because it lacks shine and bounce. Dull hair is characterized by limp, lifeless locks that refuse to be your crowning glory. The reasons for dull hair can be varied from pollution to a drastic change in diet to long-term illness.
Split Ends Hair Care
As the name suggests, split ends occur when the ends of your hair get really dry which, as we have seen, makes them very brittle further causing them to literally split in two. This causes a frizzy look and feel. Split ends can result from treating the hair too much, i.e., if you color or perm your hair too often, use a blow dryer more than allowing your tresses to air dry or frequently use a curling iron. Hair is not meant to be handled so much. The only way to deal with split ends is to get rid of them. That is why it is recommended that you trim your hair every 4 to 6 weeks as this controls the development of split ends, thus making the problem manageable.
Thinning Hair or Hair Loss
This is the nightmare of all women hair problems. Dry hair or dandruff are hard enough to deal with but at least you still have your hair in both those scenarios. Thinning hair or hair fall leads to hair loss which can be very discomfiting. There are many causes for the problem – stress, anorexia, crash dieting, pregnancy, thyroid issues, chemotherapy. As you can see, the list is long and varied. It is crucial to correctly diagnose hair fall as well as the reason behind it as it can lead to the prevention or cure of several other health problems too. There are home remedies as well as medical treatments in place for those suffering from hair loss.
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Dandruff Care
This hair problem is second in embarrassment only to baldness. This is also the most common hair problem that most women and men suffer from, a fact proven from simply taking a walk down the shampoo aisle in your department store with racks stacked with dandruff shampoos from top to bottom.
There are two ways in which this hair problem can irritate. One is the obvious itching, which makes you scratch. The constant scratching can be an embarrassing act in itself, like picking at a pimple. Your reasons for scratching your head in public may be only for relief, but it is viewed as unsightly and even icky. Not to mention how scratching dislodges the dandruff from your scalp and makes it fall on your clothes, the table, or even fly across to the person standing next to you! Which brings us to the second way dandruff manifests – flaky skin falling onto your shoulders and dotting your scalp like a snowy landscape. Even if you can control your urge to scratch, the flaky skin on your scalp is a dead giveaway.
Thankfully, dandruff can be brought under control. However, the process takes time so your patience and self-esteem will both be tested.
Graying Hair
While it is a natural part of the aging process, greying hair can sometimes occur prematurely in cases of illness or stress. In a youth-obsessed world, grey hair is seen as a sign of getting older and plays a huge role in the shaping of how other people see you. One of the main ways to overcome greying hair is to color your hair. If you know that the greying hair is premature, then it is important to ascertain the exact cause of it.
Ingrown Hair
This is more of an annoyance than a problem. As the name suggests, ingrown hair is when a shaft of hair grown in on itself instead of pushing through the skin and growing outward. The ingrown hair can be quite unsightly, appearing as a raised red and black bump which can be painful and sometimes itchy.
Hair Lice
Anyone can get affected by hair lice. The lice are tiny little insects which live in your hair and feast on the blood so abundantly available through your scalp. Rest assured that your personal hygiene has nothing to do with getting hair lice. These insects usually get into your hair when it comes in contact with something that they are living on like a blanket, pillow cover, towel or even someone else’s head.
Scalp Acne
This is basically nothing more than getting one or more pimples on your scalp. The severity is as varied as any pimple you get on your face.
Factors that Damage Hair
Believe it or not, most of these women hair problems result from the very things we do in our efforts to make our hair look good.
Blow drying is an almost essential part of getting dressed everyday. After all, not a lot of us have time to air-dry nowadays. However, blow drying on a daily basis on a very high setting can cause great damage to the very structure of your hair.
Then there are those gels, mousses and hair sprays we use to style our Rapunzel-like tresses. They contain loads of chemicals which may make your hair look just like Angelina Jolie’s for the night, but which will weaken your follicles and cause many of the women hair problems listed above.
Hair coloring never goes out of style, whether it’s changing the hue of every strand on your head or just going for some classy highlights. However, even coloring your hair comes with its own set of disadvantages in the form of the above problems.
Several salon hair treatments like permanent straightening or curling severely damage the hair too.
How to Deal with Women Hair Problems
You’ll need to put in some time and effort to deal with these hair issues. The best way is to prevent them from cropping up altogether. Learn what your hair type is and figure out what you need to do to take care of it on a regular basis rather than only when the problems occur. What works for your mom or best friend may not work for you as there are different hair care options for different hair types. You also need to change your hair care routine as the seasons change. Seasonal hair care is crucial as weather has a profound effect on your hair and what works in the summer will be useless in the winter.
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Note that not even those girls on TV have perfect hair – it is in fact all lighting and special effects that makes their hair seem so incredibly glorious. It’s not real so don’t aspire to it. Instead, aim for making your women hair problems disappear so that you can get your hair to be its best on its own merit. Determining your exact hair problem is the first step. Once you know that, you can take active measures to stem the damage and help your locks regain their lustre.