http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/health/beauty/cause-of-trichotillomania.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/beauty/cause-of-trichotillomania.html Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0500
People with trichotillomania pull their hair out of the root from places like the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or even the pubic area. Some people even pull handfuls of hair, which can leave bald patches on the scalp or eyebrows. Other people pull out their hair one strand at a time. Some inspect the strands after pulling them out or play with the hair after it's been pulled. About half of people with this condition also have the habit of putting the plucked hair in mouth.

Trichotillomania has been mentioned as a disorder in very early historical records. But clinically the condition trichotillomania was first described in 1889 by the French physician Francois Hallopeau. The condition is rare - statistics show it affects only 1% to 3% of the population, although new research suggests that the rate of hair pulling may be around 10% or higher.

Trichotillomania affects about twice as many girls as boys. Most people who have trichotillomania develop the condition during adolescence. However, it can start when a person is as young as 1 year old.

Trichotillomania is often the cause for embarrassment, frustration, shame, or depression for those people affected with the disorder. Those people also suffer from low self-esteem. They usually try to hide their behavior from others. Because of this fact, social alienation is common in trichotillomania patients. Moreover, the patients also try to cover patches of balding scalp by wearing wigs, hats, scarves or hair clips, or by applying make-up or even by tattooing..

Cause of tricholomania
Doctors don't know much about the cause of trichotillomania. It is believed that genetics plays a major role. The compulsive behavior like trichotillomania can sometimes run in families. Some psychiatrists think it might be related to OCD since OCD and trichotillomania are both anxiety disorders. This is one reason why the impulses that lead to hair pulling can be stronger when a person is stressed out or worried.
Experts think that the actual cause of tricholomania is the imbalance of chemicals in the brain. These chemicals, called neurotransmitters are part of the brain's communication center. When something interferes with how neurotransmitters work it can cause problems like compulsive behaviors.

Since trichotillomania is a medical condition, it's not something most people can just stop doing when they feel like it. People with trichotillomania usually need help from medical experts before they can stop. With the right help, though, most people overcome their hair-pulling urges. This help may involve therapy, medication, or a combination of both.

There are therapies in which special behavior techniques are used to help people recognize the urge to pull hair before the urge becomes too strong to resist. The patient learns ways to resist the urge so that the urge becomes weaker and then goes away.
Many people find it helpful to keep their hands busy with a different activity (like squeezing a stress ball or drawing) during times when the urge of pulling hair is strong. Even activities like knitting while watching TV seems to help.



--
Michel Waugh is a practicing psychiatrist. He has written several articles in many medical journals discussing and pointing out the cause of trichotillomania. For more information please visit: www.hairdiseases.com


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/supplements/importance-of-vitamin-supplements.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/supplements/importance-of-vitamin-supplements.html Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Modern diets have contributed to the bad health of people. It is seen that the food taken by people lacks in nutritional quality. Given the circumstances, intake of nutritional intake is a good idea. Natural vitamin supplements and herbal nutritional supplements are useful for general health as well as health of hair. Many people take natural vitamin supplements to make up for the lack of nutrition in their food.

There are vitamins useful for hair as well as general health. Some vitamins useful for hair are the following:

• Vitamin A – An antioxidant, vitamin A helps to produce healthy sebum in the scalp. People should take 5, 000 IU of intake per day. This vitamin is found in food like fish, meat, cheese, liver oil, eggs, cabbage, milk, carrots, spinach, broccoli, apricots and peaches.

• Vitamin B2 – Intestinal flora is responsible for the production of vitamin B2 in the human body. This vitamin is required by the human body for metabolism of amino acids, fatty acids and carbohydrates. It is most beneficial for the skin, hair and nails. Its deficiency may result in hair loss. Vitamin B2 should be a part of natural vitamin supplements you take.

• Vitamin B6 – The presence of vitamin B6 prevents hair loss and helps in production of melanin, the pigment which gives hair its color. Vitamin B6 is found in food such as liver, grains, cereals, vegetables, meat and egg yolk. It should be taken in the amount of 1.6 mg per day. It plays a key role in red blood cell metabolism and cellular growth. Vitamin B6 is also responsible for the production of hemoglobin, a compound within the red blood cells that carries oxygen to body tissue.

• Vitamin B3 – Vitamin B3 is more effective when it is used in combination with biotin. It has a positive effect on hair growth by reducing cholesterol, which when produced in the scalp sebaceous glands can trigger the formation of DHT.

• Vitamin C – It is a natural anti-oxidant and helps maintain healthy hair and skin. It should be taken in the amount of 60 mg per day. It is richly found in citrus fruit, kiwi, pineapple, tomato, green pepper, potato, green pepper, etc.

• Vitamin E – It is found in soybean, dried bean and green vegetables. This vitamin is helpful in hair growth as it increases scalp blood circulation. It should be taken in the amount of 400 IU daily.

With the proper use of natural vitamin supplements and herbal nutritional supplements you can improve your health that will contribute to the overall improvement in your life.


--
Russell Blank is an expert in natural vitamin supplements. He is a trained dietitian and has written many articles published in various health-related journals all over the world.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/beauty/antioxidant-food-supplements.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/beauty/antioxidant-food-supplements.html Fri, 16 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500
The reaction of free radicals within cells, and subsequent damage has been linked to a range of disorders and chronic diseases including cancer, arthritis, atherosclerosis, alzheimer's and diabetes and inflammatory conditions

Antioxidants are able to slow down or block these dangerous reactions in the body. They do it either by reacting with intermediates and halting the oxidation reaction directly. They react with the free radicals and prevent the oxidation reaction from occurring.

Antioxidants supplements can be taken as dietary supplements or taken as tablets and capsules. Studies suggest those dietary antioxidants supplements provide a range of are benefits for our health. However, excess antioxidant supplementation may be counter-productive.

Diet carrying antioxidant supplements

A healthy and balanced diet containing antioxidant supplements plays a pivotal role in retaining your hair’s health. Some of the herbal nutrition supplements and some fruits which contain antioxidants serve as natural medications for hair loss.Antioxidant food supplements are found in various forms – vegetables, fruits, grain cereals, legumes, nuts, etc. The sources of antioxidants include fruits (berries and peppers, apple skins, cider, wine), vegetables (spinach, tea leaves), fungi (mushrooms), whole grain cereals (hops, barley, millet and maize), nuts (pecans, pistachios, almonds), beans (cacao including chocolate, coffee).

Polyphenol antioxidants

This type of antioxidant is characterized by the presence of several phenol functions. It is found in a wide array of phytonutrient-bearing foods. Examples include - most of the legumes; fruits like apples, blackberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, grapes, pears, plums, raspberries, and strawberries; vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, celery, onion and parsley. All the above are rich sources of polyphenol antioxidants.Alternative sources of polyphenol antioxidant include red wine, chocolate, green tea, olive oil, bee pollen and several grains.

Antioxidant vitamins

Some of the vitamins that are good sources of antioxidants,. the antioxidant vitamins are--vitamins A, C and E.

Vitamin A

The animal form of vitamin A is retinol. It is a yellow, fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin found in animal foods such as eggs, liver, whole milk and fortified foods like fat-reduced milk, cereals and breads. Vitamin A, are the dark-colored pigments found in plant foods like fruits and vegetables (especially dark green leafy ones) and include spinach, cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potatoes and squash.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant helpful in maintaining healthy hair. Sources of this vitamin are foods such as citrus fruits, kiwi, pineapple, tomatoes, green peppers, potatoes with their skins and dark green vegetables. The daily recommended dose for vitamin C is 60 mg.

Vitamin E

It increases scalp circulation which is crucial for hair growth. You get vitamin E from foods like wheat germ oil, soybeans, raw seeds ad nuts, dried beans and leafy green vegetables. The daily recommended dose for vitamin E is up to 400 IU.


--
Russell Blank is freelance writer who is an advocate of natural care remedies for good health. He is a prolific writer antioxidant supplements writing informative articles in various magazines. For more information visit us : www.hairlossinformation.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>