Human Hair Types

Have you ever wondered what are the different human hair types that exist? If you want to know more about them, read into the coming up article for the same.

The scientific definition of human hair is that, it is a biomaterial, which is filamentous in nature and is made from the protein keratin. It grows from follicles that are present on the human skin and is found in various types. Hair is basically the characteristic of the mammalian class, and functions to be a protective layer above the dermis or skin to protect it from external factors. Like mammals, the other classes of plant and animal kingdom have also developed certain hair like structures, that are filamentous and sensory, for protection of the bare dermis.
There are two structures that make up one hair filament and they are; the hair follicle/bulb, which is present beneath the skin, and the shaft, which is the visible hard filament above the skin (often known as hair). The color of these filaments are a result of two main types of hair pigments viz; eumelanin, that causes black, brown or dark blond hair colors, and pheomelanin causes red, blond and lighter colors. Colors of the hair also change when the levels of these pigments are decreased or innately less. In the paragraphs below, you will read about the human hair types found in various body parts. Keep reading.

Types of Human Hair
As humans, we have hair all over our body such as face, hands, legs, head, reproductive organs, etc., in order to protect these parts. Right from the time that a baby is developing inside the womb till it reaches puberty, there are various hair types that are seen growing on the body. Biologically, there are only three main types of human hair that are naturally formed by the body. These hair types are mentioned below, so read about these interesting classifications of human hair.
Terminal Hair
As mentioned above, people refer to their hair with respect to the pigmented hard filaments that extend out from the skin. This hair is called the terminal hair which grows on the dermis and is visible in various parts such as; head, hands, legs, armpits, face, pubic regions, etc. This hair type is known for the thickness, color and texture that varies depending on ethnicities.
Lanugo Hair
When a baby is born, you will notice that its entire body is covered with hair which is long, thick and sometimes very strong. This is called the lanugo hair that covers the body of the baby when it is inside the womb to keep the skin hydrated and healthy. However, this hair is either replaced by vellus hair after the birth of the child, or it reduces with age.
Vellus Hair
You must have observed very fine and colorless hair shining in the light, sometimes when you pay close attention to your skin. This hair type is known as the vellus hair, which is found all over the body since birth. It is not distinctly visible but could get converted into terminal hair after puberty. The function of this hair is not protection, but regulation of body temperature, which can be related to the sensory function. The vellus hair is also called the “peach fuzz”, and is a few millimeters long. It can be associated mainly to women and children as the vellus hair in men is changed to visible terminal hair.


Regional Hair Types
When we talk about human hair types, there are many variations that we come across. Many people often tend to classify these types depending on regional ethnicities such as Asian, African, Indian, European, etc. But these hair types are only based on stereotypical observations, as the individuals in these regions possess a typical form of hair.
Depending on these variations, African hair is usually found to be tight or softly coiled with a coarse hair or soft hair texture. Asian hair is however, pin straight and consists of dark hair strands, which grows faster than any other type of hair. Caucasian hair on the other hand is a mixture between African and Asian hair, and is denser than any other hair type. Generally, all these hair types respond to weather conditions like moisture, heat, cold, etc., in specific manners.
With these various human hair types depending on both biological and ethnicity factors, hope you have learned many new facts about hair.

How to Tame Thick Hair

The joy of having thick hair is usually shadowed once it gets un-manageable. Get help with some of these handy tips on how to tame thick hair.

Strong, thick and lustrous hair, makes the most gorgeous hairdos worth a crown. Sure all you beauties with dense treasures on the head have lucky days of impressing with volume and strength as you swish those lovely tresses. Now for most of those dealing with hard times like reality, having thick hair may still call for a ride in the salon every week. Most of us having thick and dense hair have a tough time, managing hair and styling it to the best. Styling will be fun as long as you keep those locks in place and tangle free. Thick hair that is straight, curly or wavy, tends to create frenzy whenever you try to tame it. Well, there are solutions that can help you ease out the tangles and make the dense tresses soft, silky and manageable. It is just a set of rules or guidelines that must be followed that sure do not let thick hair spoil the beauty of dense and strong hair. The following is a basket full of tips and tricks on how to tame thick hair, that will help you manage the toughest of waves, locks or straight threads bustling with volume, to strong and healthy waves of admiration.

Choosing Style and Length
The basics of managing hair is to be able to manage the hairstyle that you sport. Thick hair seldom gives you an option to let it loose and flowing. What experts suggest is to keep the length of the hair not too long nor too short. Consult a good stylist and check options that can keep the hair in place and in shape. Opt for fringes that fall near the chin rather than anywhere shorter near the eyebrow or ears, hence the hair will not look puffy. A haircut that runs in layers near the ends is also one option to tame thick hair. To tame thick curly hair, try styles that keep them tangle free, avoid layering of curly hair. Use a side partition when letting them loose. The best treatment for thick hair is to trim the ends, as the hair becomes more manageable once trimmed. Check out options in hairstyles for thick hair that complement dense tresses.
Tips to Tame Thick Hair
To avoid instances of the hair brush screaming for breath, lost in thick hair, a little change and effort in hair care is essential. We all tend to follow the same routine that one follows for normal hair. Hair being thick, will require extra care and concern, if you want to keep it manageable.


Hair Care and Treatment
It is very important to moisturize thick hair. It will help the hair stay frizz-free and de-tangled. When oiling the hair, make sure you oil it at least once to twice a week. Using olive oil with a mild massage for 10 minutes will help the hair get enough oil and moisture. Using other moisture treatments like applying a hair mask, using a warm wrap, etc., can also add moisture to hair. Shampoo the hair only when required, do not excess shampoo, else the hair will tend to be more frizzy. Follow with a good conditioner, apply well to the strands of the hair and specially the tips. Rinse the shampoo and conditioner thoroughly, any residue of chemical can damage and dry the hair. It is advisable to use cold water when washing the hair, as it makes the hair less frizzy and tangled. Choose air-drying over blow-drying. Naturally dried hair will be less frizzy. Avoid using a hair brush when combing, run your fingers to comb the thick hair, if possible.
Styling and Chemical Treatments
To keep thick hair in place and tangle-free, after a wash, use a leave-in conditioner or a hair serum. There are many products including hair sprays, gels and hair mousse, use them when styling the hair. Evenly distribute the styling product across your hair. Avoid excess use of these products. You may also consider getting perms for thick hair, and get dense tresses transformed in shiny curls. Using chemicals and other treatments is not recommended always. Using hot treatments like flat irons and curlers must also be avoided whenever possible. Make sure you treat your hair naturally at least one a week, with moisturizing, oiling and shampooing.
Follow some of these tips on how to tame thick hair, and virtually experience the magic of frizzy, tangled heavy tresses transforming into dense but soft hair. Let these dense tresses and locks fish out some ‘I love my hair’ compliments. Do i see you smile already… ?

Hair Care Tips for Summer

It is very essential to be equipped with hair care tips for summer, if you want to retain the health of your hair throughout the summer season. The scorching heat can sometimes irreversibly damage your hair, and this makes it important for you to know what to do and what not to do in summers.

Summers is a vacation time when we visit the beach and intend of doing so every single day. Summers are when you want to let your hair loose and have some fun. Letting your hair loose might just be one of the things you shouldn’t do in the summers. You don’t have to cover your hair every single minute of the season, but it is advised to do so most of the times. Just like your skin, the sun can be very damaging to your hair as well. It is very important for us to take proper care of our hair in summers, as sometimes, this damage cannot be repaired. Simple hair care tips for summer, like those mentioned below can help you fight the sun in no time.Hair Care during Summers…

  The main problem with summers is that they drain out the moisture from your hair. Exposing your hair to direct sunlight is very bad for your hair as this can even lead to complete burning of the hair. All the hair care tips for summer mentioned below revolve around how we can retain that moisture and how we can avoid more drying of our hair.
Say ‘NO’ to Anything that is Hot
Anything that is hot, is a strict no-no for your hair in summers. Stay away from blow dries at all times. Don’t style your hair all the time in the summers and try to keep it as natural as possible. Straightening irons and curlers should also be avoided as they expose your hair to heat when there is already more of it than required. Do not wash your hair with hot water and instead opt for lukewarm or even better, cold water. Blow drying should be avoided in all cases.

Shelter for Hair
It is very important that you shelter your hair from the scorching sun as a prevention that wasting time and money on the cure later. Wearing scarves is the best option you have. Hats and caps are also good options, specially if you’re at the beach, but then these at times, lead to sweating. If you tie your hair in a bun, you automatically prevent some portions to remain hidden from the sunlight. Any such hairstyles can help from excessive drying due to sunlight. You can use anything you want to cover your hair but make sure it isn’t too tight on your scalp as this reduces blood circulation there.
Necessity of Hydration
One of the best hair care tips for summer that is sure to help you prevent most problems is to consciously stay hydrated. This will help you to fight many problems including the drying of hair due to the sunlight. A good intake of water will help you to retain the moisture in your hair. It is said that a diet that is full of vitamins and proteins is also very good for maintaining healthy hair during summers.
No to Chemicals
Make sure you don’t expose your hair to any chemicals during the summer and opt for only natural therapies. Shampoos, conditioners or any oils that you choose to use should be checked for alcohol and formaldehyde. These cause the hair to dry faster than necessary and sometimes even make the hair frizzy and cause split ends. Chemicals in hair colors and highlights should also be avoided. In the summers, keep your look as natural as possible.
These were some hair care tips for summer that will help you maintain your hair all through the summer season. Do not shampoo your hair everyday, instead rinse and condition it. Another hair problem during summers is oily dandruff which can be fought by keeping your hair clean at all times. Washing your hair with cold water will also make sure that your cuticles are closed. Keep it Natural!

Ways to Get Rid of Sticky Hair After Swimming

Your hair tends to get sticky and unmanageable after a swim. It comes out frizzy, sticky and even leads to a change in color sometimes. Therefore, to maintain its natural fullness and health, you have to cleanse your hair effectively after every swim, without getting rid of the moisture. Find in this article, a few ways to get rid of sticky hair after swimming.

Frizzy hair is a big problem, especially for those with curly hair. And if you happen to be a swimmer or swim regularly, it just adds up to the problem, doesn’t it? Not that girls with straight hair do not face any problem after a swim, of course they do. Your hair comes out sticky, unmanageable and absolutely brittle. This mainly happens due to the chlorine present in the water. Chlorine penetrates your tresses stripping off the moisture in them, leaving them dry and unhealthy. Swimming pool water has the same effect as bleaching. Yes! It tends to bleach the color from your hair, causing them to turn lighter in color than before. Most regular swimmers even complain of developing split ends over a period of time.
Fortunately, there are a few simple ways of keeping dry hair under control and getting rid of the unmanageable sticky locks. Taking proper care before and after your swimming regime should serve the purpose. Numerous anti-frizz products and leave-on conditioners, help in preserving the moisture and the soft texture of your locks. What follows next is a detailed discussion on ways to get rid of sticky hair after swimming.

Ways to Get Rid of Sticky and Frizzy Hair After Swimming
There are a number of things you ought to do before you go swimming; wearing a swimming cap is one of them. Now, this may not necessarily assure dry hair, in that case there are other precautions you ought to take, which will help you keep the chlorine and other pollutants or elements in the water away from causing severe damage to your hair. To keep your hair chlorine proof, you need to hydrate it with clean water before you get into the pool. With your hair well drenched in clean water, there will be no room for chlorine to enter your hair.

Oil your hair before a swim, as this will prevent the chlorinated water in the pool from entering your hair follicles. Choose an oil that works best for your hair type. Now, if you don’t like your hair to be oiled, try using swimmer’s spray. There are many companies that manufacture this particular product that is specially designed to manage untamed sticky hair after swimming. You just have to spray it all over your hair to keep the pool pollutants away. Make sure that before you wear your swimming cap, you tie up your hair, or bun it, or simply braid it, since free flowing hair feels worse as compared to tied up hair.
Now comes post swim care. As soon as you are out of the pool, rinse your hair under clean water. Use a clarifying shampoo that is mild, yet effective in helping you get rid of chlorine. In case you don’t want to use shampoo regularly, you can simply use baking soda. Add a tablespoon of baking soda to a bottle full of warm water and use it in place of shampoo. It not only cleans your hair but conditions it at the same time. Unflavored, unsweetened club soda and apple cider vinegar can also be used to clean out the pool chemicals and help you get rid of sticky hair.
Once you have lathered and rinsed your hair, it is time to untangle it. Be careful and refrain from using a brush. Instead use your fingers or a wide toothed comb to sort your tangled hair. Now, distribute a cream based conditioner generously and evenly all over your hair. Let the conditioner sit in for some extra time in order to do away with the stickiness completely. Now, rinse thoroughly. Leave a little conditioner in the area that comes out dry like the ends of your hair.
Apply a mousse or a leave-in conditioner onto damp hair to settle the frizz and dryness. The problem of split ends can be countered by trimming your hair regularly, that is every two months or so. A cute short hair style will make it easy for you to maintain the health of your hair along with pursuing your swimming career without you having to worry much about your hair. Get a hair spa or deep hair conditioning treatment done once in four weeks, which will ensure that extra dose of moisture and promote great looking, healthy hair.
According to the hair type, length and style, the products and tricks to get rid of sticky hair may vary. All the above methods may not work for everyone, however, you need to start somewhere or at least try some combination of ways that suits your hair type the best. It is important to keep your hair safe while enjoying your swim!

How to Make your Hair Shiny

Do you wish to make your hair look silky and shiny? There are so many ingredients in the kitchen that can help you. Also, few minutes with hair styling products can do the job of making your hair shiny and soft. Read on…

Dull, dry and limp hair are unattractive. Soft and shiny hair look nice and attractive. If you have the former hair type then it is possible to get soft shiny hair easily. Generally, the day you have washed the hair it remains shiny and soft, and the next day or few days later of the hair wash day, they become dull. However, there are many quick fix remedies that can make your hair shiny, soft and lovely. Also, some treatments can make your hair look shinier. So, without further ado here’s how to make your hair shiny…

10 Ways to Make your Hair Shiny
⇒ You can make your hair look shiny and soft and condition them with eggs. So, in a bowl take 2-3 eggs and add some essential oil to it for fragrance. If you want you can also add some milk to this mix. So, apply the egg mix to your hair and then shampoo your hair after an hour. Voila! Hello, soft silky hair…
⇒ Did you know that with henna pack you can make hair shiny, soft, conditioned and colored naturally? Yep! That’s right. So, make a hair mask for shiny hair using henna. Mix henna powder with curd and one egg apply it on the entire hair and let it sit for 2 hours. Shampoo your hair and check.
⇒ One way to get rid of dandruff and condition hair is with lemon juice. Plus, your hair will smell so refreshingly great. So, shampoo your hair and wash them. Then for last rinse use a mug of water with juice of one lemon mixed in it. Wash your hair and scalp with it. But, avoid contact with eyes. Then dry your hair and say bye by to dandruff and dry and limp hair, and welcome fresh soft shiny hair…

⇒ For an instant shiny hair fix use a boar brush; with boar brush simply brush your hair continuously for 5 minutes. Instantly, you will have lustrous hair. To increase volume of your hair do back combing.
⇒ Another way to make the hair instantly shiny is with olive oil. This is especially great for people who have Afro or curly hair. It acts as a great hair serum. So, take few drops of olive oil in your palms and rub it on the palms. Then apply it all over your dry hair. It will render a beautiful shine to your hair…
⇒ Similar to olive oil you can also make your hair shiny and soft with hair serum. There are various hair serum products available in the market. So, just grab one and use it on dry or wet hair and see the hair transform into lustrous beautiful hair…!
⇒ Sometimes with straightening you can control frizz and make the hair shinier. So, grab a flat iron and apply loads of cream on the hair and straighten it out with the iron. This will give you more manageable and shiny hair…
⇒ A long lasting remedy for shiny hair is with hair coloring. So, get your hair dyed into a shiny color like shiny raven black, or platinum blonde or fiery red or shiny honey blonde. These colors shine more as they reflect more light, and so your hair will keep looking shiny, till the color goes away.
⇒ Also, with hair conditioner you can get healthy shiny hair. Garnier conditioners are cheap and work great. So, try one that suits you and make your hair shiny.
⇒ You can also make your hair shiny with vinegar rinse. This is similar to the lemon remedy mentioned above and gives a similar effect. So, mix a mug of water with 3 tablespoon of vinegar and use it as a last rinse.
This was how to make your hair shiny and soft. Also, try sticking to a shiny hair diet like eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies and drinking plenty of water. Eating healthy will reflect on your hair by making it soft and shiny.

Hair Loss - Baldness

Continuous falling, thinning and disappearing of hair indicates hair loss and can gradually lead to bald patches on head. Although treatment of hair loss and even baldness cure can be done in a variety of ways including the new techniques of hair weaving etc. the most reliable one is the natural treatment for hair loss. Such hair loss home remedies make use of common herbs, oil and other nutritious elements that are supposed to be provided by the daily diet of an average person. Before moving on to know such home hair loss remedies, it is desirable to know the reasons for hair loss so that one can practice hair loss prevention in the first place itself.

Reasons for Hair Loss

Hair is formed in tiny pockets in the skull known as follicles. The upgrowth from follicle is called the papilla. Papilla with the help of a specific group of cells that turn amino acids into keratin, produces hair. Keratin is a type of protein that makes hair. Higher the rate of production of keratin, more will be the hair growth. The rate of production, in turn, depends on the vital nutrients supplied through the diet of a person. If vitamins and other nutrients are provided in sufficient amounts, hair grows at normal rate but if there is a deficiency of vitamins and nutrients then no protein is formed which, on the one hand, stops the growth of hair and on the other hand makes the hair weak leading to hair loss and baldness. Therefore, one of the major reasons of hair loss is deficiency of nutrients. There are some other reasons for hair loss too.

• • Lack of vitamin B6, folic acid, calcium etc.
• • Stress
• • Prolonged Illness
• • Improper or irregular cleaning of hair
• • Heredity
• • Pollution; environmental hazards
• • Application of chemicals on hair ( hair straightening, coloring, hair dyes etc.)
• • Poor blood circulation

Home Remedies for Hair Loss

The best hair loss home remedy is to have a balanced diet and to keep the hair clean with proper hair care.Massage with some oils too leads to healthy hair and improved blood circulation. Some hair is lost everyday which is a natural process of hair growth and should not be a cause of any worry. However, if someone notices an abnormal falling of hair and worse even- baldness patches- s/he must immediately start natural treatment for hair loss that includes some herbal remedies for hair loss.

• • After washing hair (as far as possible hair should be washed with cool water, hot water robs hair off its natural oil), rub the scalp with fingers till you feel some warmth in your fingers as well as scalp. This activates the sebaceous glands (that secrets oil for hair growth) and also improves blood circulation preventing any further hair loss.
• • Boil some dry pieces of Indian gooseberry (Emblica Officinalis or ‘Amla’) in coconut oil. Massage your hair with this preparation. It helps in strengthening hair.
• • Take some fresh leaves of Amaranth (Amaranthus or ‘Chaulai-ka-saag’) and take out their juice after grinding them. Apply this juice on your hair. It helps in hair growth and makes them soft. Take Alfalfa (Medicago sativa or ‘Jaw’), carrot and lettuce in equal quantity and make them into juice. This juice is excellent hair loss remedy.
• • Wash hair with the decoction of margosa leaves (Azadirachta Indica or ‘Neem’). It prevents hair loss and make them more black apart from cleaning hair by killing lice and other infesting insects.
• • Take 250 grams of mustard oil and sixty grams of Henna leaves or ‘Mehndi’ and boil them till the leaves get totally burnt. Filter the oil and massage the scalp regularly with this oil. It is a very good home remedy for preventing hair loss.
• • Make a paste of fenugreek seeds and water. Apply on scalp and leave for about half an hour before washing it off. Do it regularly for one month to treat hair loss.
• • Take honey and egg yolk to make a mixture of both. Massage the scalp and hair with this preparation and leave for half an hour before washing.
• • Take 100 grams each of Goose berry (amla), Sapindus Mucorosai (reetha), and Acacia Concinna (shikakai) and boil them in two liters of water till the liquid remains half in quantity. Use this home made shampoo to wash your hair. It is a good herbal remedy for hair loss.
• • Mix Aloe Vera with Triphala. Triphala is a herbal powder consisting of equal parts of three Indian herbs - Amla (Emblica officinalis), Bibhitaki (Terminalia Bellirica), and Haritaki (Terminalia Chebula). Apply this mixture to hair regularly for 3-6 months. It helps in growth of new hair.

Baldness Home Remedies

Hair loss that has been detected very late can show bald patches on scalp. This is an advanced stage of hair loss where mild treatment for hair loss may not work so efficiently. For baldness cure, some special baldness home remedies can be tried that can lead to growth of hair on bald patches.

• •  Make a fine paste by grinding seeds of lime and black pepper. Apply this paste on bald patches on head- twice a day, for a few weeks. It may lead to a sense of mild irritation. However, it is an excellent way of increasing blood circulation stimulating hair growth.
• • Take Liquorice, milk and a pinch of saffron. Make a paste with them and apply on bald patches every night before going to bed.
• • Rub onion on bald patches twice a day (morning and evening) till the area becomes red. Now rub some honey at the same region. Follow it for baldness cure.
• • Make a fine paste prepared with pigeon pea or red gram and apply regularly on bald patches for hair growth.
• • Take coconut oil and mix it with lime water and lime juice. Apply this mixture daily on hair bald patches.

These were some of the home remedies for hair loss and baldness. Anyone can choose one or many hair loss remedies according to the gravity of their hair loss problem and convenience of applying them. They will sure prevent further loss of hair and growth of new hair provided patience is shown and home remedies for hair loss are followed regularly.

5 Tips for Shiny Hair

Shiny hair are the obvious reflection of healthy hair. Every single person, be it male or female love to have shiny healthy hair that naturally help in complementing their overall look and appearance. Mentioned under are 5 simple ways to add shine to your hair without the use of hair shine products. Check them out:

1- Cold Water

Cold water is instrumental in closing the hair cuticle thus, making it reflect light rather than absorbing it. Though, it does not mean that you need to freeze yourself in cold shower. You can indeed enjoy your warm bath but to make your shiny, just pour a mug of cold water on your hair after the bath. This would smooth down the hair cuticles and allow a shiny mane.

2- Shampoo

It is extremely important to opt for the right shampoo. There are a number of factors that end up in hair dryness like chemically treated hair or the use of blow dryer. Thus, you would first need to identify the problem and counteract it with a suitable hair product; specialized shampoo.

3-Hair Brushing

Brushing the hair is an probably the most easiest way to add shine to the hair. It so happens that while brushing, scalp tends to release natural oils that help in adding shine to hair. Thus, frequent brushing can work wonders for hair shine and hair care. Use a boar bristled hair brush as it evenly spreads the oil from root to tip and also removes unwanted dead hair.

4- Balanced Diet

Hair are an essential part of our body hence, we need to watch our eating habits for healthy hair. A simple equation applies to get shiny hair i.e ‘Eat healthy = Get Healthy Hair’. Shiny hair call for essential oils in body, thus, make sure you have a diet that is rich in Vitamin E. Foods like nuts, olives, spinach, asparagus, green leafy vegetables and avocado are Vitamin E enriched and should be a part of the regular diet for healthy black hair. Besides, water intake is also very important for well hydrated and soft hair.

5- Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is the ultimate home remedy to add shine to the hair. Just fill in a spray bottle with vinegar and spray it generously on wet hair. Leave it for few minutes and then rinse it off. Repeat this tip for a couple of weeks after every wash and get shimmering results over a period of time.