That's Fit

Life Fit Chat with That's Fit Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis brings conversation provoking tidbits to your table, served up with a touch of spice! Byte-sized information that pack some punch, brought to you every Wednesday and Thursday!

You may not realize it, but your hair is actually communicating with you. Read on to learn what your hair is trying to tell you.

Snow White. What causes hair to turn white? White hair is the result of a decline in melanin production at the root; and, while your hair cannot go white overnight, a physical or emotional trauma can impact your hair. The illness or stress of a traumatic event will cause actively growing hair to go dormant. After several months, this dormant hair will begin to fall out. If you lose dark hair but retain the white hair, you will appear to have gone "white overnight." Typically, the age at which a person goes white or gray is genetic. So, barring and traumatic events, you should expect to gray at about the same age your parents did.

Shedding. While finding wads of hair in the sink drain cause be rather disgusting, it is not a red flag that you are suffering from a terminal illness--or any illness for that matter, Believe it or not, it is perfectly normal to lose about 100 strands of hair everyday. We actually have at least 100,000 hair follicles, so we all have plenty we can safely shed without worry of losing your luxurious locks. Unless your are experiencing visible thinning of your hair or bald spots on your scalp, chances are the loss is just everyday shedding.

Mr. (or Mrs.) Clean. Baldness can either be a genetic gift from your parents or it could signify a health problem. While androgenetic alopecia (the medical term for genetic baldness) is permanent, Alopecia areata is caused by an autoimmune disease that is treatable. Once treated, the hair will typically grow back.

Flaking Out. While some people may suffer from a dry scalp that causes flaking skin, real dandruff has nothing to do with moisture control. The medical term for dandruff is seborrheic dermatitis. This is an inflammatory condition of the scalp that can cause redness and flaking in areas of the skin that contain a lot of oil glands. Psoriasis and eczema can also cause dandruff when they occur on the scalp. There are numerous shampoos on the market that are medicated and will provide relief both in comfort and by reducing flaking.

Handle With Care. People who suffer from dry, brittle or dull hair may think they need to stamp a handle with care sticker on their hair brush. Your frazzled, frizzy and dry hair may simply be a symptom of too much hair drying, flat ironing and coloring. All of this abuse destroys the hair cuticles and leave hair vulnerable to damage. Pony tails can also cause stress and breakage. Unhealthy hair may also indicate a poor diet. Hair requires a diet with adequate protein in order to grow strong and be resilient to everyday abuse. Essential fatty acids (found in fish oil supplements, wild salmon, and flax seeds) are equally important in maintaining strong and shiny hair. If your hair needs some nutrients, make the necessary changes in your diet, but this will only impact new hair that is growing in. So, you won't see changes overnight.