Best-Tressed Help for Hair


Local Experts Offer Solutions for Thinning and Loss


by Linda Sechrist F


or centuries, women have referred to their hair as crowns of glory and frames for their faces. Both meta- phors focus on exterior appearances and overlook one of the most signifi- cant aspects about a woman’s hair: its inner origins. Metaphorically more like a garden than a crown or frame, beauti- ful hair is largely dependent upon the interior dynamics of a healthy body, just as plants are reliant upon good soil. However, for myriad reasons, many of them beyond a woman’s control, hair can thin or even fall out—a devastating blow to her sense of femininity. A number of area health professionals and hair care experts knowledgeable about the problem offer natural solutions that nurture hair and bolster self-esteem.


What Causes Hair Loss Hair, like any plant, has a normal cy- cle that includes phases of growth, rest and loss. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, 50 to 100 strands of hair per day are normally lost to combing, brushing or showers, and up to 250 hairs may go down the drain when hair is washed. Generally, each time a hair is shed, it is replaced by hair that is equal in size. However, in women with female-pattern hair loss, the new hair emerging from the hair follicle beneath the scalp is a more miniaturized, finer and thinner version. When hair follicles continue to shrink, they eventually quit growing new hairs altogether.


While most Carol Roberts


women report hair loss in their 50s or 60s, local physicians that practice func- tional medicine, such as Carol Roberts, a medical doctor at the


40 Collier/Lee Counties Robert Gilliland


Perlmutter Health Center, in Naples, and Robert Gilliland, a chiropractic doc- tor and founder of Southwest Florida Natural Health Center, in Bonita Springs, advise that it


can happen at any age. They cite a variety of reasons, including hormone imbalances; stress; a low-functioning thyroid; malnutrition; autoimmune disease; hereditary factors; and adro- genetic alopecia, a hereditary condi- tion that affects approximately 30 million American women.


Deborah Post


Hair loss can also be triggered by anti- inflammatory drugs and prescription medications includ- ing cortisone; glucose regulators, such as insulin; thyroid regu- lators; antibiotics; and


blood pressure medicines. “All medi- cations create nutritional deficiencies, which, along with toxins, allergies, diet, stress/aging and infections, are major factors in hair loss,” says Deborah Post, a board-certified advanced nurse practi- tioner and owner of Wellbridges, Inc., in Fort Myers. Post directs her patients to websites such as EveryDayExposures. com and EnvironmentalWorkingGroup. com, so they can educate themselves and get tips on how to reduce their exposure to heavy metals, chlorine, pesticides and the parabens found in many personal care products.


Natural Care and Solutions Hairstylists that specialize in organic hair treatments and hair care products can play an important role in helping women with hair loss. Knowledge-


swfl.naturalawakeningsmag.com


Melanie Nickels, owner of Raw Hair Organic Salon, working on a client.


able about the ingredients in the best organic hair care and color products, as well as the reasons for unhealthy hair and loss, they are skilled at evaluating the health of the hair and scalp. Stylists such as Julie Chandler, owner of Salon Shangri-la, in Bonita Springs, look for the root cause, starting with hair care products that women use. “The major- ity of commercial products contain syn- thetic silicones, which are inexpensive ingredients that coat the hair to give it a smooth, healthy feeling,” she explains. “Unfortunately, the synthetic silicone builds up on the scalp and clogs the hair follicle, causing it to die and the hair to fall out.”


Chandler encourages women to read the labels of their off-the-shelf brands and avoid any that contain a silicone such as dimethicone, propyl- ene glycol or cyclomethicone, sodium polyacrylate or some type of synthetic polymer plastic coating. “None of these are good for the hair or scalp. Natural silicones derived from proteins, sand, cellulose and trees create smooth, shiny hair, but don’t accumulate on the scalp,” she advises. At Alex Day Spa & Salon, in Naples, stylists such as Joanna Pizzo evaluate the health of a woman’s hair and ask questions to determine if the reason for hair loss is related to stress, diet or medications. “We offer a 30-minute hot oil massage and an in- frared light treatment, which stimulates hair growth,” says Pizzo, who advises that hair should be trimmed every four


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