We all have them – bad hair days.
A recent Crown Clinic survey looked at the 20 most popular root causes of bad hair days. The most popular was just plain ‘bad luck’- or, in more everyday terms, ‘getting out of bed on the wrong side.’
Other popular causes were bad weather and having a lie-in because many people don’t have time to sort their hair out properly before going to work.
However, there are more scientific causes about why your hair looks so drab.
Crown Clinic’s surgeon Asim Shahmalak lists the top 5 contributors to a bad hair day:
1. Diet
Food such as eggs, fish, bananas and spinach provide your hair with rich nutrients that stimulate hair growth, strengthen hair cuticles and give your hair that lustre we all crave. A poor diet that lacks nutrients which result in dry, brittle, lifeless hair. Your hair grows at a rate of half an inch every four to six weeks. If you change your diet now, you can expect to see better results in 3-6 months.
2. Avoid stress
Stress affects your hormones, which results in poor-looking hair. An abundance of estrogen may help the growth and retention of hair, while too much testosterone can have the opposite effect.
3. Menstruation
Certain times of the month for women can be a problem – usually, the third week of a woman’s cycle will trigger estrogen production which will in turn trigger increased oil production causing the hair to look limp and lifeless and making it difficult to get it into its normal style. A simple remedy is to shampoo twice rather than once.
4. Build-up of hair products
The ingredients in conditioners and styling products cling to our hair and do not get washed out during regular shampooing. It can make hair look straggly and limp. Find a shampoo that is specifically made for ridding their hair of this build-up.
5. Keratin
This is the protein that gives hair its structure. Humidity in the air makes the bonds inside that protein break apart causing hairs to swell up – making your hair frizzy. Even in winters months when the air turns drier, your hair may still not co-operate. The cold air, combined with dry heat in your home, can remove moisture from your hair, and leave it full of static. The key is to keep your locks trimmed and well-conditioned with high-quality products.