Hair and sebaceous glands are collectively called that one fundamental unit which is responsible for hair production and these are penetrating up to the dermis of skin.
Hair follicles form before the ninth week of foetal life. The hair matrix is the germinative part of hair follicle. Your hair begins growing from a root in the bottom of the follicle. The root is made up of cells of protein.
Blood from the blood vessels in your scalp feeds the root, which creates more cells and makes the hair grow. The hair gets pushed up through the skin as it grows, passing an oil gland along the way.
For a better hair growth, there are certain Do's and Don'ts to be noticed.
- Don’t press your hairdryer tight to make it dry faster or straighter which makes the hair shaft to expand and the outer layers to curl up, leading to hair shrinkage/breakage and reducing the growth.
- Don’t rub your hair the wrong way. Drying hair gently from root to tip {the right way} will make your hair look shinier and smoother and facilitates the right hair growth.
- Don’t over-brush your hair if you want it to stay looking cleaner for longer – brushing spreads sebum down the length of the hair, making it appear greasy, also weakening the hair follicles causing scalp irritation conditions like dandruff.
- Don’t chew or twirl your hair – it will split the ends causing it to break more easily.
- Don’t use metal brushes and comb. They have very little “give”, which leads to damaged hair cuticles.
- Don’t do treatment overkill. Colouring, straightening and bleaching processes all weaken the hair.
- Don’t use silicon-based products such as two-in-one shampoos and conditioners as they leave residue on the hair shaft that will leave your hair looking dull and causing hair damage.
Do regularly treat dry locks. Cover your hair with a tablespoon of almond oil, mixed with a tablespoon of jojoba oil, leave on overnight, and shampoo and condition as normal the next morning.
Do give your hair a break. Try going an extra day or two without washing or blow-drying.
Do shampoo only once. If your hair doesn’t feel sticky there’s no need to rinse and repeat.
Do wrap hair in a towel to absorb moisture after washing it. Less heat will be needed to dry it.
Do massage your scalp to stimulate hair growth.
Do avoid fatty foods. If you suffer from greasy hair it could be a side effect of a diet rich in fat and spicy dishes. And cross strong tea and coffee off your list too – both contain stimulants that increase activity of the sebaceous glands.
Do leave your conditioner in as long as possible. If your hair is crying out for moisture, smooth it all over your hair and put on a shower cap while you do all your other beauty treatments in the shower, then rinse out.
Do have regular trims. Even if it’s a micro-trim, it going to help prevent spilt ends and breakage.
Use of chemical-free products which will naturally pamper its normal growth. Blow dryers, flat irons, curling devices and hair straighteners apply heat to the hair making them brittle. Excessive hair cleansing can also promote hair loss as it may strip of natural oils from the hair.
