8 Things Your Hair Reveals About Your Health

Oct 10, 2018

We think about how beautiful our hair looks and how to style it right. Sometimes, we forget that things like our hair or our fingernails can actually reflect on our overall health. If your hair is not looking its best, it might be a sign that something is wrong with your body.

When your hair looks dull and lifeless, you might start by switching shampoos. You might believe that the dryness is caused by using hair dyes or a curling iron. In some cases, dull, lifeless hair is caused by bodily changes.

During the winter, hair becomes dull and starts to fall out. This is because your body is lacking in certain vitamins and nutrients. Your body may need more sulfur, selenium and phosphorus. To see if this is the cause, look at your teeth and gums. If your teeth and gums have changed as well, you could be suffering from a vitamin deficiency.

Some people are just prone to getting dandruff. While the itchiness might be normal for some people, it could also be a sign that you use an excessive amount of hair products. It may also indicate that you have limited your carbohydrate and fat intake too much.

Dandruff can also increase if you have digestive issues or excess stress. It is more common in people with an immunodeficiency. If you have yellow dandruff, it could be an indication of seborrheic dermatitis. If this is the case, you need to go to the doctor because anti-dandruff shampoo will not help.

When your hair is thin and brittle, it could be due to a lack of protein. A lack of protein can also hurt your nails and skin. Try eating more protein, fruits and omega-3 fatty acids. In some cases, brittle is a sign of illnesses like Cushing's disease. If Cushing's disease is the cause, you may also have symptoms like high blood pressure, chronic insomnia and back pain.

The average person loses about 100 strands per day. When you grow older or become pregnant, the amount of hair loss changes. To see if you are losing a normal amount of hair, run your fingers from your roots to the ends of your hair. You should only lose two strands or less. If you lose more than five strands, then you should go to the doctor.

Hair loss is a sign that something is wrong with your immune system or endocrine system. It may also be an early indication of diabetes. Stress or a vitamin deficiency could also cause this problem. Go to the doctor and get checked out if you lose a lot of strands each day.

Greasy hair is normally a reflection of your diet. If you are eating too many animal fats and fried foods, your hair will become greasy. Skip out on smoked foods, meat, fried foods, sweets, coffee and alcohol. Tea tree oil can also help your sebaceous glands work better. If a dietary change does not help, it could be a sign of a hormonal problem, liver issue or metabolic problem.

We all accept the inevitable fact that our hair will turn gray, but we do not want this to happen too early. In most cases, premature graying is connected to your genetics. Women generally start seeing gray hair between the ages of 30 and 40.

Take a look at your family. If no one else has premature graying, it could be a sign of a problem. Premature graying could be caused by a poor diet, chronic fatigue and severe stress. All of these factors can affect your melanin production and cause gray hair.

When this symptom occurs with skin peeling on your head, pimples and sores, it means that you should go to the dermatologist. It could be eczema or psoriasis. If you do not have any other symptoms, an itchy scalp may be due to a tic disorder or a nervous disorder brought on by stress.

A perm, curling irons and hair dryers can cause your hair to dry out. If you do not use any of these styling options, then it might be caused by a lack of protein, copper or iron. These issues are common in people who have an endocrine problem or who eat a strict diet. Try to fill your diet with healthy foods like fish, vegetables and fruits. Also, drink orange juice to help your body absorb iron better. Split ends are generally caused by a chemical of some sort. There are actually several types of split ends that each have a different type of treatment.

Known as the candle or a taper split, this type of problem causes the outer cuticle to be lost. The split has not actually happened yet, but it could occur at any time. You can try treating your hair with essential oils and get a hair cut to remove the candle splits. Also, put a mineral shower filter in your shower to keep chlorine off of your hair.

This is the type that most people think of when someone mentions split hands. You can heal your hair by using moisturizing masks, essential oils and vitamin-rich shampoo.

This type of split end happens when your hair has been severely damaged. Your strands end up looking like straw because there are multiple splits on the ends of the strand. This is common if you dye or bleach your hair. Skip the dye and avoid using heat to style your hair. You can also protect your strands by using hair products that include OPFMA.

How do you keep your hair looking great? Spread the word about this article so that your friends can find out if their hair problems are a sign of a hidden illness.

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!