Our hair, as a derivative of the skin, has a rather complex multilayer structure, each component of which is important for maintaining health, strength and appearance of the entire hair.And each component of the overall structure can be damaged due to certain reasons, which leads to completely different violations.
Our hair, as a derivative of the skin, has a rather complex multilayer structure, each component of which is important for maintaining health, strength and appearance of the entire hair.And each component of the general structure can be damaged by virtue of certain reasons, which leads to completely different violations.Therefore, to fight these disorders and restore the structure of damaged hair should also be different.
What is the hair made of?
To begin with, I must say that all the hair can be divided into two parts: 1. External, long, which is in sight and is called a hair rod.2. The inner, very small, which is located in the dermal layer of the skin and is a hair root.
The most significant difference between these two parts of the hair is that its rod consists completely of dead keratinized (that is, keratinized) cells.And living cells that are able to grow and multiply are located only in the root, in a hair bulb.It is there that they, sharing in the phase of activity, lengthen the hair of the hair, as if “building” it from below.
This fact follows a very important consequence: if the structure of the hair rod is damaged, any cosmetics with a nutrient effect will be useless.After all, there is nothing to nourish in the rod, since it consists of dead cells with which all these “miraculous restoring components” of shampoos, masks and other things simply cannot interact.Another thing is that such cosmetics will undoubtedly have a beneficial effect on the roots of hair, which additional nutrition will not interfere.
On this small example, it becomes obvious that in order to choose the right means that restore the structure of the hair, you must first figure out which part of their component is damaged.
The outer shell of the hair
It is also called a cuticle.It consists of many small flattened cells, which normally slightly overlap each other with one edge, resembling a tile coating of roofs or a fish of scales.The main function of the cuticle is protective.Her keratin scales, tightly adjusting one to the other, prevent the loss of moisture with the inner layers of the hair rod, which allows him to remain flexible and durable along its entire length.
In addition, the cells of the cuticle are covered with fat grease, which falls on them from the sebaceous gland located next to the hair onion.This fat skin secret is needed in order not to give keratin scales to move away from each other, that is, in fact, it plays the role of glue.Its second function is the creation of a thin lipid layer on the surface of the hair rod.This layer provides the hair with some protection against pollution, aggressive chemical impurities in the atmosphere, sharp temperature differences and other adverse environmental factors.Finally, fat lubricant includes a number of compounds with an antiseptic effect, which confront hair damage to pathogenic microorganisms.
Damage to the cuticle is manifested primarily by the fact that these keratinized cells are dissolved and revealed similar to how the ripened pine bump is revealed.This immediately leads to enhanced loss of moisture from the inner layers of the hair rod.In addition, they become open to the negative effects of various chemical and physical agents.The first visible symptoms of such damage are:
- increased brittle hair;
- their study;
- an increase in sensitivity to static electricity;
The middle layer of the hair
Below the external coating of the hair is a cortex.This is the name of keratinized tissue, which is built from dead cells of an oblong shape.Their main function is the formation of the frame, which ensures the strength and elasticity of the hair rod.In addition, it is in the cells of the cortex layer that a melanin is contained - a pigment that gives the hair color.It also gets into the cortex in the hair follicle and the greater its concentration, the darker the shade of your hairstyle will be.
Damage to the middle shell of the hair almost always occurs after its external protection is destroyed - the cuticle.First of all, violations of the structure of the cortex will be associated with the loss of moisture - the hair becomes dry and sharply loses its strength.And the visible manifestation of this will be well -known and fairly hated by all :) Secondary ends.What is customary to call this term is just a cortex, which, having lost the external protective shell, dried up and grew into two or more parts in the longitudinal direction.
In addition, particles of a dye that changes hair color during painting are also built into this layer of the rod.To do this, by chemical interactions, they lift the cells of the protective layer of the cuticle.And here there is a stick about the two -edges:
- On the one hand, the artificial pigment is much washed from the damaged cortex much faster, which makes a woman more and more often resort to the services of a hairdresser in the cabin;
- On the other hand, such cosmetic effects on the hairstyle themselves do not pass without a trace and the question of how to restore the hair structure after dyeing, bleaching, lightening and chemistry at home is devoted to a lot of research, as well as articles on our website.
The inside of the hair
The deepest, central part of the structure of the hair rod is the so -called brain substance.It is built of dead keratin cells, but, unlike cortex and cuticle, these cells are quite soft and have an irregular polygonal shape.There is also a large number of air cavities in the brain substance.
The functional purpose of the central part of the rod still causes discussions in the scientific community.It is believed that the air in these pockets plays the role of the insulator, helping to maintain constant temperature on the scalp.In addition, some trichologists suggest that a number of compounds are able to spread according to the brain substance from the skin to the ends of the hair rods.This explains the rapid deterioration of the appearance of the hair, for example, with certain types of intoxication.
What to do if the cortex has already been damaged?
In the structure of the hair rod, this layer has a maximum thickness, you can even say that the hair consists mainly of cortex.Therefore, if the damage has gone so far, it will not be possible to take especially effective measures.A temporary solution in order to restore hair structure - silicone -based products described above.Unfortunately, their effect will be even more short than in the case of exfolved cuticle scales.Yes, they will be able to glue the split ends, but due to the strength, elasticity and oblong shape of the cells that make up the cortex, such a “gluing” will not last long.
The best option would be a decisive change in the hairstyle to a shorter.So you are guaranteed to get rid of the split hair endings and begin to calmly grow new, healthier and intact.In this case, special attention will need to be paid to high -quality moisture and nutrition of hair roots.
And if the brain substance is damaged?
In this case, most likely, there is simply nothing to restore.If damage to the hair rod reached the central brain canal, its core, then the hair is almost guaranteed to be broken.Therefore, here, the most reasonable approach will get rid of it by cutting.
By the way, for the haircut, it will be most correct to contact the salon to the professional hairdresser.He will be able to shorten your hairstyle with special scissors with blades that heat up and retain stably high temperatures during operation.Such a technique allows you to maintain the structure as well as intact, closer to the root, part of the hair rod as well as possible.The hot metal of the blades, as it were, “seals” the cuticle on the cut, which significantly reduces the loss of moisture with the cortex and the probability of further detachment of external keratinized cells in the cut area.
The inside of the hair structure is hair root
Hair root is surrounded by a capsule, which includes a thin blood vessel, supplying it with oxygen and nutrients.All this education in the complex is called a hair onion, or a hair follicle.In addition, the muscle fiber, as well as the sebaceous gland, the duct of which opens into the bulb in front of its mouth, adjoins it to it.It should always be borne in mind that damage to the structure of the hair is rarely so selective that they affect only the rod, leaving the roots completely unchanged.Therefore, regeneration should be complex - only in this case the most positive results can be achieved.
Moreover, cosmetologists argue that with such procedures it is precisely the effects of hair follicles that should be given the most attention.And choosing, for example, how to restore the structure of dry hair, moisturizing and nutrition of the bulbs must be given more time than attempts to restore the balance of fluid in the rods.The logic of this advice is simple: the outer part of the hair is dead cells and how do not supply them with moisture, with the damaged outer layer for a long time, they will still not keep it.But the roots are a living fabric that is responsible for the formation of a new, completely healthy rod, simultaneously draining it with a sufficient amount of water.
What can damage the structure of the hair follicle?
- Deficiency of vitamins and/or trace elements.First of all, these are vitamins such as, A (retinol), B1 (thiamine), B7 (biotin), C (ascorbic acid) and K (phyllokhinon).And from microelements, the deficiency of calcium, copper, zinc, selenium and silicon is especially dangerous.
- Moisture deficiency.Water falls into our skin later than all other organs.Accordingly, if it suddenly becomes missing, then first of all, just the skin and hair will suffer from this, like its derivative.
- Disorders of the diet.This includes an excess of fried, fatty and spicy foods, sweet and flour.Saars of hair follicles, dairy products, nuts, legumes, vegetables, fruits, dietary meat and fish will help to support the health of hair follicles.
- Crust errors.Here you can list a lot of violations caused by improper coloring and heat laying of hair that damages combing and a number of cosmetic procedures.
- Bad habits, chronic psycho -emotional stresses, violations of sleep and wakefulness.
- Anemia, parasitic infections, diseases of the digestive system, internal secretion glands, reproductive organs and other chronic pathologies.
- Low temperatures in winter, aggressive ultraviolet radiation, heat and dry wind in the summer, chemicals in the atmosphere of industrial megacities and other negative environmental factors.
Professional cosmetics
This includes primarily shampoos, which must be selected in accordance with your type of hair.They should include such specialized care components as aromatic oils, softening substances (lanolin, panthenol), etc. are required to use “professional moisturizers” - sprays, serums, fluids and other oils for nutrition and moisturizing will also be effective, but they are not recommended too often.Even less often (no more than 1 time per week), thick active masks should be applied to the hair roots - their components have such an intense effect that with excessive use they can even worsen the condition of the hairstyle.
Home methods
Such cosmetics are usually not as effective as professional, but it costs much less, and you can cook it yourself at any time.Such tools include primarily various home masks, as well as decoctions of medicinal plants.
Pharmacological drugs
When restoring the structure of hair roots, medicines that improve blood circulation in the follicle will help:
- peripheral blood flow stimulants;
- antispasmodics (nitrites and nitrates, derivatives of isokhinolin, purin and gasimidazole, complex esters of carbon acid, etc.);
- Vasodilators (first of all - minoxidil, as the most positively proven drug in trichological practice).
Physiotherapeutic methods
Of these, the most effective are:
- acupuncture;
- ultraviolet irradiation;
- electrodermatimulation;
- Scalp massage.
Hardware techniques
This is a fairly new direction in the science of beauty, which today is actively used only in professional salons and cosmetic clinics, since it requires expensive high -tech equipment.Such methods include:
- laser influences where hair growth stimulates coherent light radiation;
- plasmotherapy - injections in the scalp of blood of the patient himself, enriched with platelets;
- mesotherapy - subcutaneous administration of “cocktails” from biologically active substances;
- Ozonotherapy - local supply of oxygen in the form of injections;
- Cryomassage is a cold effect that causes reflex reinforcement of blood circulation in the skin.