Dandruff

Most people shed a few flakes of dandruff, particularly during the winter(myself included, oh the joys).   In the winter months the scalp and skin are morelikely to be dry.  There are individuals who have a hereditary tendancy to develop skin problems that can be triggered by certain foods.  These foods will vary from person to person but there are a few more common offenders: hot liquids, heavily spiced foods, and alcohol.  To control mild dandruff doctors usually recomend shampooing daily until the dandruff is under control and then go to twice a week for maintenance.  Dandruff shampoos contain zinc and/or selenium which work as an exfoliant to speed up the sheeding of the dead cell layers from the scalp.

Olive Oil - External use

Olive oil is one of the best oil you can use internally, but what about external use? Did you know that you can use olive oil to revive damaged hair? Saturate hair with extra-virgin olive oil, then wrap with a warm towel for 20 minutes.

photo credit:horaceko

Head lice it’s almost a compliment.

Head lice it’s almost a compliment. I remember growing up and having school wide lice checks. There would be a child found with lice causing the rest of us to be lined up in the gymnasium to get our hair prodded and pulled and checked over with a fine comb for lice. (I am not sure if they do this anymore since that was many years ago) The kids found with the “outbreak” would sit in the front office waiting for an embarrassed parent to come and pick them up. Invariably these parents would point fingers and try to find someone to blame for the outbreak. Well a few misconceptions should be cleared about lice. Lice are in general thought to be because of a dirty environment but this is a myth. In fact lice love a clean environment. The cleaner the better, because the more grease or oils in the hair the harder it is for the critters to hold onto. This is one of the reasons why years ago mayonnaise (and other oily fatty substances) was used as a treatment for lice removal (typically they would have their hair coated and wear this mess over night, talk about creating aversions). There are now prescriptions as well as over the counter creams, ointments, and shampoos to get rid of these ever so clingy pests. So if you find yourself taking the “walk of shame” picking up your lice infected child remember your child’s hair is clean making them a good host. So if anyone gives you lip about not wanting to be infected by your child you can set him or her strait. Lice only like clean hair!
photo credit: Robert S. Donovan