Hair and Scalp Problems

Although the visible part of each hair on your body is, technically speaking, dead your hair is still one of the best barometers of your general health and one of the quickest indicators that something is wrong. This is because hair-forming cells in the dermal papilla are some of the fastest dividing cells in the human body. Baldness and thinning hair affect millions of people and can be hereditary, or caused by a variety of factors.

A loss in the condition of your hair can be an early warning sign of an underlying problem. See a doctor if you notice flaking, itching or crusting of the scalp, a sudden increased hair loss - particularly if accompanied by other symptoms and irritated skin patches on the scalp. Unfortunately, not all remedies on the market are based on scientific principles, so make sure you get an authoritative medical view before trying a new treatment.

Also, not all hair problems make sense - sometimes even the most experienced specialist will not be able to pinpoint the reason for hair loss, for example.

Scalp Disorders and Hair Diseases

The scalp differs from the skin on your body in that it has an abundant supply of oil from the sebaceous glands and has hair follicles that produce long terminal hair. Most scalp problems are easy to solve, others are chronic and more problematic.