That's Fit

If you're looking around the family table at your balding father your long-ago bald grandfather and wondering if you're going to follow suit, scientists have a quick and easy way for you to predict the future of your hairline -- the 60-second hair count.

During a recent study, 60 men without current evidence of balding. The men washed their hair for three consecutive days using Neutrogena T/Sal shampoo. On the fourth day they were instructed to comb their hair over a towel. Participants then counted the hairs that were lost. They repeated the comb-and-count procedure for two more days. The whole routine was repeated six months later.

So if you want to gauge your hair loss, try your own 60-second hair count study once a month. Record the data and discuss it with your dermatologist if you're seeing an increase in hair loss.

The relationship we all have with our own hair is the ultimate in love/hate for most of us, and although you may be blaming those bad hair days on harsh winter weather, humidity, or styling products gone wrong, have you considered that it may be your health that's really the problem? You can't have healthy hair if you don't have a healthy body, so if you're dealing with hair that's dull, dry, frizzy, flaky, or falling out, it's worth a closer look to make sure it's not due to something bigger than just using the wrong shampoo. From genetics to your current nutritional state, learning to read your hair can tell you a lot about your overall health.

Here are some common hair issues and what they could possibly mean:

Going gray
Going gray is a genetic issue, so you're pretty much stuck with whatever you get in that department. Some people start noticing stray grays as early as their 20s while other lucky ducks keep all their color until retirement.

You've heard of hair-replacement surgery to cure baldness, but what about a scalp transplant? In your wildest dreams? Maybe ... if you're a hair restoration specialist.

Because transplants require a lifetime of anti-rejection drugs, the idea of a transplant to cure something as cosmetic as baldness was never even considered. Transplant experts say, however, that they've created an anti-rejection regimen that lasts only a week in lab animals. The science is exciting for burn and trauma victims, but hair restoration specialists admit that they're watching the development with interest.

Consumers spend $1.2 billion a year on surgeries to replace their missing hair, and specialists say that for some, balding is truly a traumatic experience. I doubt we'll see scalp transplants in the near future, but you never know. What do you think?

The HairMax LaserComb is a means of at-home hair loss treatment, and it's designed to help restore hair growth by delivering a very specific wavelength of light to the scalp that will stimulate the hair follicles. That's all well and good but what makes me laugh is the fact that it's marketed to people who "don't want to pay for hair restoration surgery but who also don't have high expectations."

Ha! Who is that going to be? The HairMax LaserComb costs $545 -- who is going to spend that kind of money and not have high expectations?

On the bright side, though, it is nice to see some work being done as far as home treatment options for hair thinning and hair loss. The technology has to start somewhere!

If there's one thing that the bloggers here at That's Fit have discovered, it's that few things get our readers' backs up as much as a blog about smoking. Whether we're commenting on a report about the cons, or very rarely the pros, of smoking, the responses that we get both from readers who smoke and those who don't can get pretty passionate.

As a result, I'm pretty curious to see what people have to say about this report that claims smoking wrecks your hair. Apparently, the doctor who created the study did so after he noticed that his cigarette-smoking patients tended to look older, have more grey hair or less hair in general than non-smoking patients. This observation led to the study and the results supported the observation. Both female and male participants of all ages who smoke had a higher instance of premature grey hair, while male participants who smoke also had a greater incidence of premature balding.

Sure, declining hair quality isn't exactly as big a motivator to quit as something deadly like cancer or emphysema, but it may not be welcome news for smokers out there who take pride in their mane. So what do all of you cigarette-lovers and-haters out there think about the report? Do you believe it makes sense or do you feel it's all a bunch of hooey?

Balding is pretty much exclusively thought of as a man's problem, so much so that the phrase "pattern baldness" doesn't seem to sound right without the word "male" in front of it. But women can suffer from it also due to age-related issues, genetics, or even hormonal changes. Many of the treatments often used for men can also be adapted to work for women very well, such as prescriptions to restore hair growth (like minoxidil), hair transplants and/or hair plugs, hair pieces and weaves, or simply a new hairstyle (no comb-overs, please).

Although it's not as common for women, it's not a completely uncommon issue either. Talk to your doctor and pursue treatment options if you notice excessive hair thinning and loss, there are things you can do!

As fabulous as we at That's Fit think this blog is, the truth is there are hundreds of wonderful blogs on healthy living to be seen all over the blogosphere. So in this feature, Fit Links, we'll introduce you to some that have caught our eye.

Your hair is one of the first things people notice about your appearance. When it's healthy, your hair can be a reflection of your personal style and help you look your best. But what about things like hair loss, split ends, and frizziness? Here's some of my favorite blogs to help keep you in-the-know about having healthy hair.

Baldiness.com calls itself "the truthiness about baldiness." What's that mean? They're a slightly fun-loving site with information about hair loss, and tips for keeping the hair you have as long as possible.

Hairstyle.com has suggestions for diet solutions to fight graying, thinning, or greasy hair.

Hairparlor.com is an all-around haircare website with news and tips from experts about getting and styling healthy hair.