Where has my hair gone?!

Not only do we have to deal with the uncontrollable fluctuations in weight, but what's happening to our hair?! For a long time I didn't know any better, I thought I had ruined my hair from dyes, blow drying, straightening or my nutrition. I stopped using hair dyes, blow dryers, and flat irons with hopes to reverse what I thought was my own doing. It wasn't until I was FINALLY diagnosed with PCOS that my thinning hair was explained (and not by my doctor, yet again). PCOS has tons of secondary symptoms, one of which is alopecia androgenetica, the female version of male pattern baldness. Like all the other symptoms associated with PCOS, alopecia can be reversed by balancing our hormones. What do I do in the mean time!? Well, for starters, I stopped buying regular shampoos and conditioners. I stopped dying my own hair, and became very particular with the hair products I began to use. I'm sure a lot of you are thinking "that's expensive", but I'm about to share the little tricks I use to save some money on hair care. If you are used to dying your own hair because let's face it, it's cheaper, stop. Not only are store bought hair dyes bad for women like us, but they're extremely damaging to hair period. The products used in those store brand hair dyes are stronger than they need to be to get the job done. When you go to a hairdresser to get your hair dyed, they evaluate your hair, it's what they're trained to do. Hair dressers have to learn about human biology, because they are using chemicals to alter their natural appearance. Hair salons have different grades of peroxide, which is a key ingredient in hair dye. 20,30,40 even 50 volume peroxide. Most store brands bring 40 volume peroxide, which is more than you need to reach your desired results, especially if you're just touching up roots. My hairdresser uses 20 volume peroxide on my hair for touch up, because virgin hair (un-dyed, new growth) will take color quickly. Using a lower volume peroxide in combination with a shorter processing time on my hair, minimizes the amount of damage dying actually causes. Now, as far as pricing...don't go to a hairdresser every month, you don't need it. Hair grows at an estimated 1/4 inch per month, and 1/4 inch of growth is not noticeable. So spread out your salon appointments to every 2-3 months. Most salons will also give you a better price if you get more than one service from them, and since it's recommended that you get your hair trimmed that often as well, going in every 2-3 months for a trim, root touch-up and maybe a deep conditioning treatment, will get you a better bang for your buck.

#pcos #life #health