Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/77926
Tame Your Tresses! Your hair can reveal clues about your overall health. As a bonus, good hair care will help you to feel your best, too. Wash Summer Right out of Your Hair Between fun in the sun, a beach vacation and laps in the pool, your hair may be looking less than lively. Freshen up your hair for shiny, healthy locks: •Chop it off. Summer can leave the ends of your hair dull and frayed. Spring for a haircut to breathe life into your hair. •Don’t take the heat. Avoid heated styling tools—hair dryers, heated straighteners and curling irons—that can damage and dry out hair follicles. If using heat is necessary, use a heat protection spray first. •Revamp your diet. Foods you ingest can affect hair growth and strength. Fill your plate with nutrient-rich foods, such as vitamins A and C-rich dark leafy greens and salmon, which offers your body healthy omega-3 fatty acids.Nuts can contribute zinc and selenium for strong and shiny hair. •Soak it up. For hair that’s damaged from the summer’s wear and tear, a luxurious natural mask can help lock in moisture and revitalize and strengthen strands. Color Me…Healthy? From California blonde to chestnut, rose gold to vivacious red—your hair color, whether natural or otherwise, is part of your appearance and identity. A study by Women’s Health suggests your natural hair color may say more about you—and your health—than you think. •Blondes are at a higher risk for age-related macular degeneration, an eye condition that can result in vision loss and even blindness. •Because blondes typically produce lower amounts of melanin—a skin pigment that also protects against UV rays—they are more susceptible to sun-related skin issues. •Brunettes typically have thicker and coarser hair, which creates a higher risk for noticeable thin patches than blondes or redheads. •People with darker hair colors may be more vulnerable to nicotine because of higher melanin production, which keeps nicotine in the system longer and increases the speed of addiction. •People with red hair have been found to be less impacted by local anesthetics due to their unique DNA and may require higher doses to feel the effects. •Redheads are genetically more at risk for developing Parkinson’s disease—with about a 90 percent greater chance than people with other hair colors.