1 – DOES WASHING THE HAIRS EVERYDAY DAMAGE THE ROOTS?

NO. Water does not have the ability to penetrate the root of the hair, which is located 0.5cm deep, in the third skin layer, the subcutaneous cell tissue (fat). The great challenge the cosmetic industry faces is to make the products penetrate, because the skin possesses an important barrier against penetration by micro-organisms and to prevent loss of water. Non-adequate cleansing of hairs and scalp causes that the Pityriosporum ovale, a fungus part of the local saprophyte flora, proliferates generating an inflammation known as Seborrheic Dermatitis or “Dandruff.” Sebaceous glands are very abundant in the scalp. Thus, those who have tendency to oiliness and do not wash their hair every day cause the excess tallow to affect the oxygenation of the pores and the health of the hair. It is very advisable to wash the hair every day.

2 – DOES WASHING THE HAIR EVERY DAY CAUSE HAIR LOSS?

NO. Washing does not cause hair loss. They constantly go through a growth, repose and fall cycles. These hairs that fall with the act of washing, the act of combing, or when they suffer a slight traction, were literally loose. If you pull hairs in growth phase, which are the majority of them, they will not come out on your hand.

3 – IS THE ROOT THAT WHITE PART AT THE END OF HAIR THAT FALL?

NO. It is a protein called mucin which adheres to the hair. The root is always located in the deep part of the skin, and will generate a new hair to replace the one which fell.

4 – DO BLONDES, BRUNETTES, AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND REDHEADS HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF HAIR?

NO. Blondes have 140,000 follicles (roots), brunettes have 110,000 follicles, African-American women have 108,000 follicles, and redheads have 90,000 follicles.

5 – HOW MANY HAIRS DO WE HAVE IN OUR BODIES?

5 MILLION. In the scalp there are between 90,000 and 140,000 hairs.

6 – IF WE PERFORM TREATMENT WITH LOTIONS, SHAMPOOS, LASER AND VITAMINS, WILL THE HAIR GROW FASTER?

NO. Hair grows about 0.33mm each day, or 1cm a month. The hair cells divide each twelve hours. There is a genetic programming for multiplication time of these cells, so treatments fortify the hair, and they grow healthier, but at the same rate. For this reason, a hair treatment does not produce results in one or two months. The patient should wait for at least six months in order to evaluate and assess whether the treatment is being effective.

7 – DOES HAIR GROW FASTER DURING THE SUMMER?

YES.A little faster than in the winter. And it falls a little more in the autumn.

9 – IF MY FATHER IS NOT BALD, CAN I BE ASSURED THAT I’M NOT GOING TO BE BALD EITHER?

NO. If your grandfather on your mother’s part is bald, you have a 50% chance of being bald. In other words, genetically, we are 50% our fathers and 50% our mothers. If family history of baldness is only on one side, the probability is of 50%, if it is on both sides, the probability that baldness develops grows to 75%.

9 – DOES “DANDRUFF” PASS FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER VIA A HAIRBRUSH?

NO. “Dandruff” is scientifically known as Seborrheic Dermatitis, or seborrhea. You do not “catch” it from somebody else, it is not transmissible. Seborrhea occurs in people who are genetically predisposed to develop it. It is an oiliness excess on the scalp caused by an increased production of tallow by the sebaceous glands, and there is also an inflammation caused by the multiplication of the Pityriosporum ovale fungus which inhabits the scalp. However, it is not considered a mycosis! Since it is a chronic condition, that is, there is no definitive cure; the patient who has got “dandruff” must always use specific shampoos on a weekly or daily basis, according to the graveness. If there is complete interruption in the use of shampoo, it tends to return. In very severe cases, the use of lotions and specific medication prescribed by a doctor is indicated.

11 – DOES DYING THE HAIR INCREASE HAIR LOSS?

NO. Dye acts over the hairs and not the roots. What might occur is the weakening of the stem resulting in hair that is weaker, dried up, with split ends and tendency to break.

11 – DO BATHS WITH VERY HOT WATER LEAVE HAIRS MORE OILY?
YES. All situations that dry the scalp up, such as the use of hot hair blowers, exposition to the sun for long periods of time, and very hot baths generate a “rebound effect,” that is, our body senses that the skin is too dry and produces even more oil.

12 – IS IT TRUE THAT THERE IS SUNSCREEN FOR THE HAIR?

YES. The sun acts on the hairs, fading them, drying them up, for this reason, whenever there is exposition to the sun for long periods of time, the use of sunscreen for hair is recommended. Sunscreen for skin is not recommended for hairs. They are different products.

13 – IS IT IMPORTAN TO USE HAIR CONDITIONER AFTER SHAMPOO?
YES. The conditioner must be used both by women and men. The hairs are electrically charged. Shampoos are negatively charged, so they open the cuticle (the outer layer of the skin), allowing the cleaning. Conditioners are positively charged, closing the cuticle. The integrity of this cuticle is what generates a healthy aspect of the hair, its brightness and softness.

14 – HOW IS HAIR STRUCTURED?

Into cuticle, cortex, and marrow.

Cuticle: It has between five and tem layers of cells 0.5-1um thick and 45um long. The cuticle forms a barrier against the penetration of chemical agents inside the hair. When they are damaged, they affect the combing, tact, brightness, and silken appearance of the hair.
Cortex: The main component of hair stem, cortex is formed by fiber proteins that strengthen, shape and color the hair.
Marrow: It distributes proteins throughout the hair. The marrow is not always present or in a segmented manner, they are almost empty cells with protein content characterized by the absence of cistin and a high concentration of glutamic acid and citrulin.