English in a pill – Angielski w pigułce, Lesson 10

Baldness

Baldness or hair loss is usually something only adults need to worry about. But in a few cases, teens lose their hair too - and it may be a sign that something's going on.

Our hair is made of a type of protein called keratin. A single hair consists of a hair shaft (the part that shows), a root below the skin, and a follicle, from which the hair root grows. At the lower end of the follicle is the hair bulb, where the hair's color pigment, or melanin, is produced.

Most people lose about 50 to 100 head hairs a day. This amount of hair loss is totally normal and no cause for worry.

If you're losing more than that, though, something might be wrong.

Here are some of the things that can cause hair loss. Illnesses or medical conditions. Endocrine (hormonal) conditions, such as uncontrolled diabetes or thyroid disease, can interfere with hair production and cause hair loss. People with lupus can also lose hair.

Medications

Some medications that have hair loss as a side effect may be prescribed. These include acne medicines like isotretinoin, and lithium, which is used to treat bipolar disorder. Diet pills that contain amphetamines also can cause hair loss. Chemotherapy drugs for cancer are probably the most well-known medications that cause hair loss.

Hair treatments and styling

Having your hair chemically treated, such as getting your hair colored, bleached, straightened, or permed, can cause damage that may make the hair break off or fall out temporarily. Another type of baldness that results from hair styling actually can be permanent: wearing hair pulled so tightly that it places tension on the scalp can result in alopecia.

Poor nutrition

Poor eating can contribute to hair loss. This is why some people with eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia lose their hair: the body isn't getting enough protein, vitamins, and minerals to sustain hair growth.

Disruption of the hair growth cycle

Some major events can change the hair's growth cycle temporarily. For example, delivering a baby, having surgery, or going through a traumatic event can temporarily cause shedding of large amounts of hair.

If you see a doctor about hair loss, he or she will ask questions about your health and family health (called a medical history) and check your scalp. In some cases, the doctor might take hair samples and test for certain medical conditions that can cause hair loss.

If nutritional deficiencies are found to be causing your hair loss, the doctor might refer you to a dietitian or other nutrition expert.

If you're losing hair, some doctors recommend using baby shampoo, shampooing no more than once a day, and lathering gently. Don't rub your hair too vigorously with a towel, either. Many hair experts suggest you consider putting away the blow dryer and air drying your hair instead.

Style your hair when it's dry or damp. Styling your hair while it's wet can cause it to stretch and break. Finally, be careful when using chemicals - such as straighteners or color - on your hair, and avoid frequent use of chemical treatments.

WORDS

• First-aid kit / Apteczka
• Baldness - łysienie
• a shaft - łodyga
• a root - korzeń
• a follicle - mieszek
• a bulb - cebulka
• diabetes - cukrzyca
• thyroid - tarczycowy
• to interfere with - utrudniać
• lupus - toczeń
• a side effect - skutek uboczny
• acne - trądzik
• lithium - lit
• bipolar - dwubiegunowy
• to bleach - rozjaśniać
• to straighten - prostować
• to perm - robić trwałą
• to pull - spinać włosy
• alopecia - łysienie
• to sustain - wspomóc
• disruption - zakłóceni
• to shed - przerzedzić się
• samples - próbki
• to lather - pienić
• to rub - wycierać
• a blow dryer - suszarka
• damp - wilgotny

A joke

Little Johnny was eating breakfast one morning and got to thinking about things. "Mommy, mommy, why has daddy got so few hairs on his head?" - he asked his mother. "He thinks a lot" - replied his mother, pleased with herself for coming up with a good answer to her husband's baldness.

Or she was until Johnny thought for a second and asked: "So why do you have so much hair?".

„Farmacja i Ja”, lipiec - sierpień 2008