As we age, our skin, the body’s largest organ, loses elasticity, some of its natural oils and becomes thinner. You might see small lines developing, while your skin no longer looks as moist and dewy. So, you compensate for that by treating the skin with what it needs: creams, lotions, and a better nutritional intake for feeding from within through the blood stream.
The little blood vessels under the scalp, just below the skin’s surface, are responsible for feeding your hair follicles (The Papilla). When we’re young, there’s not much problem, the follicles have a rich, fast flowing blood supply, bringing oxygen, nutrients and natural oils to the hair – and carrying away carbon dioxide and other wastes. The result: A healthy, shiny, thick head of hair.

In addition to thinning skin, aging also causes thinning hair. There are several reasons for hair loss in women. Sometimes it is due to hormonal imbalances, but also a tightening of the passageways that feed the hair follicles, preventing a full, rich, fast flowing blood stream and depriving them of their full complement of oxygen and nutrients. Let this continue and you have a death sentence for the thick, shiny, healthy hair of your youth.

“So, what do I do?” you ask.

One of the hormonal problems has to do with Testosterone Yes, that male hormone, which women have some of too, that produces a by-product, called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that causes hair loss. But, women also have the female hormones, Estrogen and Progestin, both of which act to block the effect of DHT on hair – unless there’s a deficiency in them, which can happen often after pregnancy and during menopause. The answer to this could be hormone replacement therapy under the proper guidance of a competent doctor. The following is a brief excerpt from my Newsletter of last August in which I talk about hormone replacement:

"There’s been an enormous amount of publicity lately about hormone replacement therapy. A major five-year study was abruptly halted by federal researchers because they said they detected an increased risk of health problems.I believe this is another case of reporting dangers disproportionate to reality and, while I do not condone prescription hormone replacement therapy unless under the direction and care of a physician well versed on the subject . . . . .I believe the combination in proper doses and forms of estrogen and progestin . . . . . has been a tremendous help for me.”

But female hormone reduction isn’t the only problem that causes hair loss. Frequently, it can be lack of stimulation of the scalp and hair roots, and insufficiently feeding the hair follicles a rich source of nutrients There are two major actions we can take to improve hair loss and hair thinning:

1) Massage. . .Massage. . .Massage

The goal is to bring a greater flow of blood to your hair follicles, faster, and to make your scalp more flexible. You can do this by becoming serious about massage treatments that you can do yourself at home. Massage will also help carry away carbon dioxide and waste and speed the removal of oil and dead cells that combine to form debris on your scalp’s surface. Such debris hardens and sticks to the scalp, reducing circulation and eventually destroying hair roots. Often, this debris can’t be seen by the naked eye because it can form in the skin’s pores and be invisible.

With the fingertips of both hands placed firmly on your head, push the skin under your hair in a circular motion for about ten seconds, moving from place to place on your head until the entire scalp is covered. Do this until your head tingles and feels warm (from increased circulation). Pay special attention to any thinning areas or bald spots. You can’t massage too much and don’t be afraid to rub vigorously.

Next, after the blood is coursing through your scalp, take a clump of hair in each hand and pull on it gently with a smooth, firm motion and hold it for a count of three, then release and repeat until you have “pulled” the hair all over your scalp.

You won’t lose any more hair than has already been programmed to come out. In fact, in the first week or two of this treatment, you may notice a bit more hair loss, but those will be hairs that were coming out anyway.

In eight weeks, or less (maybe even three or four weeks), you should notice many new hairs growing. Separate your hair flat at the part and look at it when you begin this treatment and again two months into the program to see the difference. You should notice what will appear to be little singed hair beginning to grow that will eventually become strong, full single strands.

Keep massaging your scalp every day, twice a day at least, more, if possible. Fingertips work OK, but, when you need a new comb or brush, look at the ones in www.oleda.com designed especially to stimulate circulation.

2) You Must Feed Your Hair The Nutrients It Needs From The Inside

Your hair is a mirror of your general health. If you are not feeding your body the proper nutrients, your hair will suffer along with the rest of you. But a program of general nutrition may not be good enough to meet the special requirements of your hair and scalp. If you are interested in having the most beautiful hair possible, you need to give it its own special dietary attention.

• Eat as much unprocessed, “natural” food as possible. I don’t necessarily mean “health food” per se, but meals simply prepared, without preservatives, additives or artificial coloring. Avoid most junk food, snacks and prepared frozen dishes.
  
• Do not over cook your food. Over-cooking removes many of the vitamins and minerals from otherwise nutritious foods. Some food, such as pork and poultry, must be well-cooked, but there’s a difference between fully-cooked and over-cooked.
  
• Take a vitamin/mineral supplement to provide the vital nutrients you may not be getting from the food you eat.
  
• Definitely do not smoke cigarettes.
  

If you are not getting the proper nutrients elsewhere, there are two supplements I can highly recommend from our range of products. They are Oleda® Hair Helpers Vitamin specifically formulated to give hair the nutrients it needs, which you will find in our Web site under “Hair Care,” and VEGGIES & FRUIT Concentrate, under “Vitamins and Supplements” that will help more than just your hair. I also suggest you read about the Age-Enhancer Pills if you are in need of a super vitamin/mineral/trace mineral sujpplement.

Did you know? Hair is a “miracle fiber.” It is composed of nitrogen, sulfur, water, amino acids and iron traces. A person has ±100,000 hairs on their scalp. Women’s hair lasts about 25% longer than men’s before falling out and being replaced (2-6 years). Hair grows faster in summer and, strangely, faster at night.

Did you know? Your blood stream carries nutrients (food and oxygen) to each of your hair follicles. A hair follicle is a single depression in your scalp that houses one hair. When this one hair falls out, there is already a new hair shaft ready to appear in a healthy scalp.

Did you know? New hair growth is called Papilla. It grows under an existing hair shaft and eventually “pushes” it out, meanwhile feeding it through a network of tiny blood vessels and bringing it needed oxygen. The Papilla in turn is fed through a larger network of blood vessels coming from elsewhere in the body. So, you can see why the health and beauty of your hair is dependent on the food you feed it, the oxygen you give it and the circulation of the blood to the Papilla.

Beautiful, healthy hair doesn’t have to have anything to do with age. I promise you that I’m not going to have dull, lifeless, thin hair just because I’ve had another birthday -- and neither should you. This photo was taken by my husband just before leaving for a New Year’s Eve celebration. My hair was 68 years, 4 months, 19 days old! (smile)

Wishing for you all the things you wish for yourself and your family. I also wish for you the most beautiful, healthy hair you have ever had.

HAIR HELPERS VITAMINS - For Men, Women - For: Light hair, black hair, Sun and Wind Damaged hair.

Beautiful hair starts with FEEDING your hair from the INSIDE through the blood stream. Lifeless, brittle, thinning hair is very often caused by poor nutrition. Hair follicles (the roots) must have special nutrition in order to have the best thickness, shine and strength you want. 30 Tablets $9.95

HAIR BRUSH - It's more than a Brush

Special brush has smooth-rounded plastic coated bristles that are not too close together and set in a flexible rubber base so that the bristles give when necessary and without "tearing" the hair. See instructions for faster growth and stronger hair. $12.50

LARGE COMB - Not Just A Comb

You need wide spaced teeth with rounded ends in a COMB to help prevent "tearing" of your hair and to prevent split ends. These special wide teeth also stimulate blood flow to the hair roots that is needed for healthier, stronger hair. Scalp will tingle. $4.95