People often ask, what to do if the hair becomes rough? [http://www.toufa5.com] It is said that white hair should not be pulled out because [pulling one will grow ten]. This statement is unscientific.
The hair follicles surrounding the hair are actually formed during embryogenesis. Although a hair follicle does not necessarily correspond to one strand of hair, the number of hairs follows certain rules. Statistics show that an average person has about 100,000 strands of hair. As age increases, the number of hair follicles decreases, which is why elderly people have thinner hair. Since the number of hairs is fixed, the claim that [pulling one will grow ten] is invalid. People also say that shaving a newborn's head will make the hair thicker and more abundant. Scientifically speaking, this claim lacks evidence.
The causes of white hair can be divided into congenital and acquired factors.
Acquired reasons include several aspects: nutritional deficiencies, long-term mental stress, and insufficient sunlight exposure. Weakened kidney function. In addition, some skin diseases such as vitiligo can also cause white hair. Normally, people start getting gray hair around the age of 35. If it appears earlier, treatment is recommended. According to Professor Hou, congenital hereditary white hair is difficult to treat, but acquired white hair can be improved with treatment.
White hair refers to the complete or partial whitening of hair, which can be divided into congenital and acquired types. Congenital white hair often has a family history, with localized white hair being more common, mostly seen at the front hairline. Acquired white hair includes senile white hair and juvenile white hair. Some elderly people with weak bodies may have very little white hair. Juvenile white hair occurs in children and adolescents, often with a family history. Besides increased white hair, it does not affect overall health. Sudden white hair in youth may be related to nutritional disorders. Psychological factors can influence the graying of hair. White hair can be a symptom of certain diseases, such as progeria and vitiligo. Currently, there is no effective therapy for this condition. Patients should be helped to correctly face the disease, avoid mental tension and depression. Hair dyes are commonly used cosmetics by people with white hair, but they can cause dye dermatitis and should be used cautiously.
1. Psychological Factors
If a person is chronically depressed, has a poor mood, or is highly stressed and overworked, their hair can turn from black to white. For example, during the Spring and Autumn Warring States period in China, Wu Zixu, a doctor of the Wu State, turned his full head of black hair white overnight to pass through the Zhao Pass; In Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables," the mayor of Utrecht, after intense and painful deliberation, decided to admit himself as a prisoner in court, "[his streaked hair turned completely white within an hour]." Whether historical legends or literary descriptions, although exaggerated, they indeed indicate that people have long believed that hair turning from black to white is related to psychological factors.
2. Poor Nutrition Status
Hair is an appendage of the skin, just like other organs and tissues in the body, requiring sufficient nutrition. Different races have different hair colors. The hair color of Caucasians is golden, while that of Mongoloids is reddish-black. Our Mongoloid race, because the pigment granules in the hair contain copper, cobalt, and iron, is therefore brown-black. If the diet is chronically deficient in copper, cobalt, and iron, it naturally affects melanin synthesis, causing the hair to turn from black to white. Additionally, according to medical clinical observations, if the body is chronically deficient in protein, plant oil, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin B6, it can also lead to the hair turning from black to white.
3. Diseases, Medications, and Genetics
Diseases, medications, and genetics are also factors that cause hair to turn from black to white. Disorders such as decreased pituitary function, hyperthyroidism, endocrine imbalances, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, pernicious anemia, and autonomic nervous system dysfunction are all diseases found to be related to hair turning from black to white.
Treatment Methods for White Hair
1. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Treatment
TCM has good therapeutic effects on white hair. The ancient prescription [Zegu Tang] from Zhulin Temple is a pure TCM preparation made from multiple valuable Chinese herbs, effectively promoting scalp blood circulation, accelerating hair growth, penetrating nutrients into the hair follicles to form melanin, making the hair glossy and black. The herbal components in [Zegu Tang] strongly penetrate the outer layer of the hair, activating the functionally declining melanocyte cells, continuously generating melanin, benefiting qi and nourishing blood, replenishing kidney essence, regulating the overall qi and organ functions, thereby improving the hair growth environment, growing black hair, and eliminating the troubles of white hair.
2. Folk Remedies
Pull out the white hair and apply honey to the pores, new black hair will grow; if it doesn't work, crush the sycamore seeds and apply the juice, it will surely turn black; if there is too much white hair to pull, use dried persimmon cakes (cooked with sweet grass), wolfberry (soaked in wine and dried), each 90g, grind into powder and make pills the size of sycamore seeds, take 50 pills each time (from the expanded and newly compiled experience prescriptions). However, it takes effect slowly and requires a long time!
3. Pollen Treatment
Pollen contains a large amount of antioxidant components, such as vitamin E, carotene, and trace elements like selenium, which can inhibit the speed of lipid and protein oxidation reactions in the body, thus having an anti-aging effect.
4. Folk Remedies
1. Mulberry Hair Growth Paste: 200g mulberries, 150g polygonum multiflorum, 300g rehmannia glutinosa, and an appropriate amount of honey. Boil the mulberries, polygonum multiflorum, and rehmannia glutinosa three times, concentrate the decoction, add honey, and boil into a paste.
2. Wolfberry Braised Sea Cucumber: 300g sea cucumber, 15g wolfberry, 10g mulberries. Cut the sea cucumber into strips, stir-fry with hot oil and seasonings, simmer on low heat until boiling, then add steamed wolfberry and mulberries, thicken with starch.
3. Jujube Wolfberry Stewed Eggs: 10 jujubes, 30g wolfberry, 2 eggs. Add water and boil together, cook the eggs, remove the shells, and continue cooking for a few minutes, eat the eggs and drink the soup.
4. Pig Kidney Walnut Soup: 1 pair of pig kidneys, 30g eucommia bark, 15g desert hedgehog, 30g walnut meat. Cook the above ingredients and pig kidneys with an appropriate amount of water on high heat for 30 minutes, then switch to low heat until the pig kidneys are tender. Eat the pig kidneys and walnut meat, drink the soup. One dose per day, take for 7~10 days. Treats white hair caused by kidney yin deficiency, characterized by dizziness, forgetfulness, soreness and weakness in the waist and knees, tinnitus, five-heart irritability, insomnia, frequent dreams, thin tongue coating, and fine rapid pulse.
5. Black Bean Snow Pear Soup: 30g black beans, 1~2 snow pears. Slice the pear, add an appropriate amount of water and cook with black beans on high heat, then switch to low heat until cooked thoroughly. Eat the pear and drink the soup. Twice daily, use continuously for 15~30 days. Treats weak lung yin causing delicate hair, white color, fatigue, and susceptibility to colds.
Physiological Characteristics and Functions
Hair can be divided from bottom to top into four parts: the hair papilla, hair follicle, hair root, and hair shaft. The physiological characteristics and functions of hair mainly depend on the hair papilla, hair follicle, and sebaceous glands below the scalp epidermis.
The hair follicle is the part of the hair root located within the dermis, composed of the inner hair root sheath, outer hair root sheath, and hair bulb. The inner hair root sheath is the sheath layer adjacent to the hair during the late anagen phase. The inner hair root sheath is a rigid, thick-walled keratinized tube that determines the cross-sectional shape of the growing hair. The lower part of the inner hair sheath consists of three layers: HUXLEY sheath, HENLE sheath, and the outer layer of the inner hair root sheath. Before hair keratinization, the inner hair root sheath grows together with the hair, both originating from proliferating cells at the base of the hair follicle. Near the epidermis, the inner hair root sheath separates from the epidermis and hair follicle.
The hair papilla is the lowest part of the hair follicle, connected to capillaries and nerve endings. At the bottom of the hair follicle, epidermal cells continuously divide and differentiate. These epidermal cells follow different differentiation pathways, forming different components of the hair (such as the cortex, cuticle, and medulla), with the outermost cells forming the inner hair root sheath. At this stage, the cells are soft and non-keratinized.
The function of the sebaceous gland is to secrete sebum, which is squeezed out through the sebaceous duct when the hair passes through it, carrying away the sebum. Sebum provides natural protection for the hair, giving it luster and waterproof properties.
The arrector pili muscle is a small muscular organ connected to the epidermis, its function depending on external physiological conditions. The arrector pili muscle can stretch or contract. A drop in temperature or the action of adrenaline can pull the hair follicle to a higher position, making the hair stand up.
Overview
The nature of hair can be divided into physical and chemical properties.
The hair cortex is the main component of hair, consisting of elongated cells parallel to the hair axis. These cells contain 10？ millimeter tension filaments and inter-filament matrix, which determine the main physicochemical properties of the hair. Filaments are composed of fibrous proteins, with 50% of the proteins exhibiting a helical structure, and the matrix composed of non-helical proteins rich in cystine. These proteins are synthesized at the lower end of the hair follicle, and the final stage involves the conversion of cysteine to cystine.
The physical properties of hair are related to its chemical composition. When immersed in water, hair quickly swells, increasing its weight by about 40% compared to its dry weight before immersion. This swelling phenomenon indicates that hair is almost purely protein, with very little lipid content. Hair has strong resilience due to the alignment of filaments parallel to the hair axis.
Physical Properties
Hair roots are thicker and become finer towards the tips, so the diameter differs, classifying them as normal, coarse, or fine hair.
1. Shape of Hair
It can be categorized into straight, wavy curly, and naturally curly hair. Straight hair has a circular cross-section, wavy curly hair an elliptical cross-section, and naturally curly hair a flat cross-section. The thickness of hair is unrelated to whether it is straight or curly.
2. Water Absorption of Hair
Normal hair typically contains about 10% water.
3. Elasticity and Tension of Hair
Elasticity refers to the ability of hair to stretch to its maximum length and still return to its original state. A single hair can stretch 40-60%, determined by the cortex layer. Tension refers to the force required to stretch the hair to its limit without breaking. A healthy strand of hair can support approximately 100-150 grams of weight.
4. Porosity of Hair
Porosity refers to the hair's ability to absorb moisture, which is relevant to processes like dyeing and perming.
5. Heat Resistance of Hair
Hair's thermal properties are closely related to its nature. Heating to around 100 degrees Celsius causes significant changes, eventually leading to carbonization and dissolution.
Chemical Properties
1. The main component of hair is keratin, accounting for about 97%. Keratin is composed of amino acids.
2. The characteristics of East Asian hair are coarse, black, hard, and heavy, containing larger amounts of carbon and hydrogen particles, resulting in deeper coloration. Western hair is characterized as light, soft, fine, and less dense, containing fewer carbon and hydrogen particles, hence lighter in color.
3. The keratin proteins forming the hair cuticle consist of 20+ amino acids arranged longitudinally.
4. Relationship between Hair and pH Value:
(1) Hair itself does not have a pH value; the pH we refer to pertains to the acidity or alkalinity of secretions around the hair.
(2) pH represents the degree of acidity or alkalinity, indicated numerically from 0~14, with 7 being neutral, above 7 being alkaline, and below 7 being acidic. The optimal healthy pH range for hair is 4.5~5.5.
(3) Alkaline exposure causes the cuticle to open and split, making the hair rough and porous, hindering permanent wave, straightening, or dyeing results. Acidic exposure closes the cuticle, maintaining the natural pH of 4.5~5.5, improving hair texture, shine, and ease of achieving permanent wave, straightening, or dyeing effects.
Structure
Hair is composed of keratinized epithelial cells. The portion outside the skin is called the hair shaft, the portion inside the skin is called the hair root, the expanded terminal part of the hair root is called the hair bulb, and the concave lower end of the hair bulb is called the hair papilla, containing connective tissue, nerve endings, and capillaries that supply nutrients to the hair bulb. The area near the papilla at the bottom of the hair bulb is called the hair matrix, which is the growth zone for hair and hair follicles, equivalent to the spinous and basal layers of the epidermis, and contains melanocytes. Taking hair as an example, the hair is composed of concentrically arranged cells (as shown in the figure) and can be divided into three layers:
1. Medulla located in the center of the hair, consisting of 2-3 layers of shrunk cuboidal keratinized cells. Terminal hair and vellus hair lack medulla;
2. Cortex forms the main body of the hair, composed of several layers of spindle-shaped keratinized cells, containing a large number of pigment granules;
3. Cuticle is a thin, transparent layer of keratinized cells on the surface of the hair, overlapping like roof tiles.
Normal Hair Physiology
The normal human body has about 90,000-140,000 hairs. The hair growth cycle is divided into the anagen phase (about 3 years), catagen phase (about 3 weeks), and telogen phase (about 3 months). About 80-90% of mature hair is in the anagen phase, growing at a rate of about 0.27-0.4mm per day for approximately 1000 days, reaching 50-60cm in length. About 10-20% of hair is in the resting phase, lasting about 3 months. This cycle is dynamically balanced. That is, 10 hairs in the anagen phase are always adjacent to 1 hair in the telogen phase. Normally, a person can lose 70-100 hairs per day, with an equal number regenerating. The length of hair in different areas is related to the duration of the growth cycle. Eyebrows and eyelashes have a growth cycle of only 2 months, hence their short length. Hair growth is influenced by genetic, health, nutritional, and hormonal factors.
Changing Evening Hair Washing Habits
Modern life is fast-paced, with busy work, activities, and social engagements leaving little time during the day to wash your hair comfortably in the evening.
If you have enough time to let your hair dry completely before sleeping after washing it in the evening, that’s ideal. But sometimes, it gets too busy, and you don’t wash your hair until after 10 PM. After washing, you might feel too tired to keep your eyes open, leading to going to sleep with wet hair.
Older generations would say this could cause headaches, and modern scientific research suggests there’s some truth to this.
We must understand that during metabolism, the human body constantly generates heat to maintain body temperature. This heat is also conducted to the body surface through blood circulation, radiating, conducting, convecting, and evaporating to dissipate heat to the environment.
For individuals with strong resistance, the body’s temperature regulation mechanism works normally, balancing heat production and dissipation. When the body temperature tends to drop, heat production increases, and heat dissipation decreases, maintaining the body temperature around 37°C.
However, for those with weaker resistance, their ability to regulate body temperature and maintain normal body temperature is poorer. Thus, when the whole body or a part of it gets chilled, they are more prone to catching a cold.
After washing your hair with hot water, due to the warmth, the capillaries in the scalp expand, increasing the radiation of heat. Also, since the hair is wet after washing, a large amount of water evaporates, taking away a lot of heat. Generally, 1 gram of water evaporation removes 500 calories of heat.
Due to increased heat dissipation, the body becomes chilled, causing reflexively the contraction of capillaries in the upper respiratory tract, reducing local blood flow, and lowering the resistance of the upper respiratory tract, allowing viruses or bacteria already present locally to multiply and cause upper respiratory infections, resulting in symptoms of a cold such as runny nose, nasal congestion, headache, or even fever.
If you fall asleep with damp hair, the regulation function of the body's temperature regulation center is low, making it even easier to catch a cold.
Therefore, generally speaking, it's best not to wash your hair right before bedtime. If you must, dry it thoroughly with a towel first, then blow-dry it before sleeping. This way, you won't catch a cold.
Sleeping with wet hair makes you more susceptible to catching a cold.
Premature Graying
Can premature graying turn back to black? Practice shows that graying is not irreversible as long as the hair matrix cells in the hair papilla remain normal. Removing certain obstacles or pathogenic factors allows the hair to turn black again. Therefore, there’s no need to overly worry about having some gray hair, as excessive worry may create a vicious cycle, leading to even more gray hair.
Gray hair isn’t scary, and it's crucial not to have a侥幸attitude. Don't delay treating gray hair, thinking it’s a minor issue, as delaying treatment may worsen the condition, creating a vicious cycle and producing more gray hair. It's well-known that China has used Polygonum multiflorum (He Shou Wu) to treat gray hair for over a thousand years. Ancient emperors and officials often used carefully prepared He Shou Wu products to maintain youthful states by keeping their hair black, strengthening muscles and bones, and nourishing blood and kidneys.
Pharmacotherapy, dietary therapy, and massage are all practical, convenient, and long-lasting treatments for young people with gray hair. Polygonum multiflorum, angelica sinensis, black sesame seeds, walnuts, etc.,