Category Archives: Health and Hair

Is Your Hair Getting All The Nutrients It Needs?

Is Your Hair Getting All The Nutrients It Needs

Sam Macdonald hair | Hairdresser Trigg | Is You Hair Getting All The Nutrients It Needs

How can we tell if our hair is getting all the nutrients it needs to be the very best head of hair the you can have?

Well there are a few symptoms that could be showing up just by taking notice of you hair and scalp.

Stressful lifestyle:

I know, I know, we’re all stressed out at least a little. It is in fact possible to reduce stress just by being aware of it. You can tune into your body and when you feel it start to grow just stop what you’re doing for 60 seconds, concentrate on breathing slowly, do some stretching or just stare gently at something beautiful.

Did you know that your body uses up more vitamin B when your stressed out? An extra supplement of Vitamin B could really help you and if its an activated one, your body will absorb it nice and quickly.

Thinning hair or even bald patches:

Thinning hair can simply be a sign of age and embedded in your DNA, however it doesn’t mean that you can’t slow the process down. There is strong evidence that lifestyle can impact on this process which can indicate your body isn’t getting everything it needs.

Thinking you can get every single thing your body needs from food may not be correct as our soils don’t contain what they used to. Did you know that in Australia there is no selenium in the soil and extremely low zinc? Zinc is super important for hair and scalp.

As for small patches of hair not being there anymore, this could be alopecia areata, also known as spot baldness. This could be linked to stress and again you may need extra supplements to help get through this quicker.

Slow hair growth:

If you have noticed your hair growth has slowed down, this could be an indication of unrest in your body. Hair growth does vary from person to person but if you notice a change a supplement could help and failing that going to your health professional for more advice.

If this could be you then please don’t hesitate to contact me so we can have a look together and see what we can do to hlep.

In salon I have an amazing range of supplements for hair and scalp called Apotecari to help you get the best hair and scalp you can possibly have. I also do Trichology services in the salon so we can get to the root of the problem once and for all.

You can rest assured I can help you. Hooray!

If you’d like to book an appointment to give your hair or scalp some love. I’d be happy to talk through it’s current condition as part of your initial consultation. All the details to make a booking can be found here.

Scalp Analysis

Sam Macdonald Hair | Scalp Analysis | Hairdresser Scarborough Trigg North Beach Sorrento Trigg Karinyup Carine Duncraig

You may or may not know that I not only do hair in the salon. I can also help you with any scalp conditions you may have.

I do this a few ways.

Firstly, I can look up close with my trichoscope, (microscope for the hair and scalp). With the use of the Trichoscope, can see what’s really go on at scalp level. A lot of the detail is lost when only looking with the naked eye. We often assume we simply have dandruff when it could be a number of things.

Secondly, I can talk to you about what’s happening in your life that is contributing so you have the power to do something yourself. Things like stress, diet and exercise all play a part here.

Thirdly, I can show you products that are not medical but rather using natural ingredients to try and allow your body to heal itself. I’m not personally a great believer in medications for scalp conditions, at least not at the beginning of the journey of healing your scalp. Sure, if we can’t fix it naturally then that’s the next step but often it’s something we can handle without the medications.

Things I can show you are alternatives to use on your hair to help alleviate the problems. I also have a range of supplements especially for scalp conditions if we think your diet may be lacking.

In a nut shell I’m your first port of call.

9 times out of 10 we can fix these issues or at least get them under control as not all scalp issues can be fixed for good sadly.

A scalp consultation is presently only $30 so what do you have to lose?

Which Vitamins Are Important For Hair Health?

Which Vitamins Are Important For Hair Health?

What are the important vitamins and supplements for hair and scalp heath particularly?

This is something that comes up in the salon regularly because I always advise that I can help the hair on your head however you have to do most of the work by eating the right thing for great hair health.

I personally look at it like another of the 80-20 rules. I can’t help you if you don’t first help yourself.

So what do we need and here do we get it from?

Zinc – Zinc is important for strength and also helps the body absorb vitamin B.

Potassium – An electrolyte which helps the cells absorb and retain liquid.

Magnesium – Very important with the proteins in our bodies and as hair is a protein called Keratin, you can see the importance.

Magnesium and potassium together are very important as they allow the cells to hold and retain fluid. Imagine the difference between a grape and a sultana for a good visual.

Vitamin C – I have covered this in a previous blog, here’s the link for more info.

Vitamin C And Your Hair

Now I have some fabulous news for you here, well that’s if your not into the Keto or Paleo diet…

All these beautiful hair heath ingredients are contained in legumes. Lentils, chickpeas and beans etc.

Even if you think you don’t like legumes you can add them into things like bolognase and you won’t even know they’re there…

I personally love them but not too many days in a row!

Vitamin C And Your Hair

Vitamin C And Your Hair

We all know that vitamin C is good for us but did you ever consider its impact on your hair?

I think most of has heard at some point of the role vitamin C can play in skin health and guess what there’s skin on your head under all that hair!

We’ve all heard me say this a million times by now, healthy scalp leads to healthy hair…

Did I hear someone say something about a broken record?

As well as helping your skin/scalp vitamin C does also helps the hair itself. This is due to the fabulous antioxidants that the vitamin C contains.

In a super simplified version, (there is so much more to antioxidants than this but that’s for another time and perhaps a Naturopath to explain), antioxidants help to counteract free radicals which are the ones we don’t want because they can dehydrate the hair.

Taking a supplement is one option but also vitamin C is in so many foods and drinks that you probably already love and enjoy. For example Gin & tonic, (don’t forget the lemon), mojitos or strawberry daiquiris, just to name a few!

I guess like with most things in life the fresher and more varied your diet, the more vitamins and minerals you’ll get.

Vitamin C is in so many foods, citrus of course but did you know that cauliflower and brussel sprouts have plenty too?

I personally put a whole lemon from my local framers markets in my green smoothie every day, pips and all. I have heard that pips from fruit can help with menopause hot flushes and even though I’m not quite there yet, there’s no harm dosing up for a possible future right?

Pips are full of polyphenols which are fabulous for gut health anyway so get munching people!

Whats Your Hair Made From?

Sam Macdonald Hair | Trigg North Beach Sprrento Scarborough Wembley Downs Karinyup CArine Duncraig | Whats You Hair Made Of | Hairdresser

Whats your hair made from?

A protein called Keratin.

Keratin is the same protein that we find in our outer layer of skin, AKA the epidermis, and our fingernails.

The difference is that your hair and nails is a hard version and you skin a soft one.

Keratin in your body is there to help protect you. In your skin it protects you from UV, infection and keeps you water proof.

The hard version of Keratin is your hair, its for added protection on the top of your body which cops a lot more direct sun and UV.

Keratin is extremely insoluble in water and organic solvents which makes sense. You don’t want to melt when you have a shower!

Maybe surprisingly to you that its also what constitutes animal’s hooves, claws, scales and feathers.

Just some examples of this are tortoise and turtle shells, bird beaks and horse hooves.

Who knew that we have so much in common with our animal friends?

My Year Off Part Three Taking Up Meditation

My Year Off Part Three – Taking Up Meditation

Sam Macdonald Hair | Hairdresser Trigg Scarborough North Beach Sorrento Karinyup Carine Duncraig Meditation

So not really giving something up is it?

However in a year of giving something up every month, if I’m honest I don’t have 12 bad habits.

I had to come up with something else that would be a positive change. Maybe I should call it my year of a positive change every month. Nah, doesn’t have the same ring to it…

I did put this one out to you guys, as a choice between meditating and giving up those tasty morsels of goodness that we call chips, that I serve in the salon along side the wine.

You made it easy for me, because those chips would have been waaaaay harder to stop.

I did question if there was a hidden message from you all telling me I needed to relax a bit. Hey if that was it, you were right!

So how did I go?

Loved it, every day I loved it.

There were 2 nights I got home late and realised I hadn’t done it yet. I tried to do it in bed before I went to sleep, but you guessed it, I feel asleep.

When this happened, I made it up by doing 20mins the next day. Actually by the end I was doing 20minutes by choice, as I find it takes me 10mins to slow down enough to really get the good bit out of it.

My physio has taught me how to breath into my stomach, so I did all my meditation with this technique.

I would start by concentrating on each part of my body until I felt heat in it and then move on till the whole body was done.

After this with the remaining time, I just concentrated on my breathing.

I have shared this with a few of my guests throughout the month and a lot of you have said they just can’t mediate. The common issue is not being able to stop thinking and then getting a bit frustrated with it.

For me, I was not this hard in myself. Some days were easier than others, to actually slow down my brain. I figure just the fact of stopping and breathing slowly for this long, is a vast improvement in what I usually be doing!

Am I going to continue with this?

Absolutely!

It literally makes everything better and I really do feel less stressed.

Oh and by the way, I thought I’d surprise you and give up the chips as well.

I didn’t succeed…

I seriously think that will be the hardest month of the year when it comes.

What to give up next month?

Well I’m on holidays so the first thought I had was giving up moderation. Can you imagine what a mess I’d be at the end of that!

I’m giving up complaining. Both internally and externally. I’m not expecting a 100% result here. What I do expect is a new awareness of how much I actually whinge and complain.

At least my husband will have a better holiday!

Wish me good luck.