Four Major Hair Killers by Karen M. Shelton

One of my best friends once described me as "Karen goes everywhere, does everything and pays attention". I thought this was very funny at the time but over the years, I have realized that the pay attention part has been a great trait for working on HairBoutique.com.

Yes, paying attention has helped me find all kinds of hair gems in subject areas that are not specifically designated as hair topics.

I admit it, I am a self-help book addict. I have been reading self-help books since I was 15 years old.

Karen M. Shelton
The Hair Boutique

I am also a self-professed pack rat. I save everything. I recently unearthed an old favorite self-help book when I was cleaning out a jam packed closet. There it was at the bottom of the stack, Dr. Daniel Amen's Don't Shoot Yourself In The Foot. This gem of a book is written around the premise that many people destined for success don't quite make it because they are too busy getting in their own way.

I have always loved the book and as I was reading it again for about the 100th time I realized that many people who write to me at HairBoutique.com who want to have success with their hair, are their own worst enemies. Hmmmm. So what do they do that specifically trips them up?

After some thought I realized that major hair killers fall into four major categories.

Not only is poor physical conditioning and heath a major reason behind heart disease and major medical bills, it causes chronic fatigue, low energy and other problems. How does this relate to hair? It has been proven that hair benefits greatly from exercise and good circulation. Hair is a barometer of overall physical health. Think about it, if your body is not being well taken care of, what does your hair and skin look like?

Developing good physical conditioning doesn't mean that you have to join a health club and work out hours ever day. It just means to pay attention to your body and get some exercise for at least 20-30 minutes at least 3 times a week. More is better of course.

I am the original couch potato. My daily exercise used to consist of moving from my PC to the coffee machine and back. Did my hair suffer? Yes, definitely.

I discovered some years ago that when I don't exercise my hair starts to look drab and it seems to "act up". When I walk at least 30 minutes on my treadmill (next to my PC of course) at least 3 times a week, my hair improves significantly. The added physical circulation is definitely a big bonus for healthy hair and skin.

If you are on a tight budget forget the treadmill and go to the nearest mall and walk briskly for several minutes. Or park your car as far from your destination as possible. I have a ding phobia and always park my car in the biggest and most remote corner I can find. Not only does this save my car from door dings, it forces me to walk and get that circulation going.

Yes, it is important to use the best hair care products that your budget can afford. It is also important to visit your stylist for scheduled trims, do regular deep conditioning and avoid the heated styling tools.

However, the best hair care products and best stylists in the world can not help your hair if you don't exercise and take care of your physical health. So go lace up those walking shoes. pop in a great CD or tape and let that energy flow.

I am world famous for running on about 2-3 hours of sleep a night and sending out massive emails at 3 am. Yes, I have lots of excuses. Besides HairBoutique.com I am in charge of a fast growing software company. Yikes. There is always 100 things on my "to do" list. So I always try to "catch up" in the wee hours of the night. Is this a great idea? Not really.

Our bodies are still human and not bionic. We can't just plug into a wall somewhere and zap 8 hours of rest into our body parts. It would be cool if that were possible, but its not.

Last year I started to have lots of problems with my hair starting to fall out. It turned out that besides not exercising, I was also not sleeping much and my thyroid was on strike.

While my fabulous doctor got my thyroid balanced he told me that not sleeping was making everything worse. So I started sleeping more and sure enough, my body and hair improved.

Although we don't all need the same amount of sleep, most of us need between six and eight hours of sleep each day. The more regular your sleep schedule, the better.

While I have not worked up to a regular six hours every night, I have learned to take regular 1-2 hour naps when I get tired. It helps a lot and my hair loves naps.

Some people benefit from naps, some don't. The key is to get in touch with your own personal sleep requirements and then work at meeting them.

If you have problems sleeping for whatever reason, take the time to address the causes. Luckily my problem is that I just don't want to take the time to sleep.

If you have trouble sleeping and if it lasts more than a week or so, it's a good idea to have it checked by your doctor. It has been proven that depression can be a major cause of insomnia.

Besides helping your body to refuel and regenerate, sleep reduces stress levels, helps you relax and is a great hair tonic.

Karen M. Shelton is the founder of HairBoutique.com which has been featured in numerous magazines including 101 Celebrity Hairstyles, Today's Dallas Woman Magazine, WE-Women's Enterprise, The National Enquirer, American Salon Magazine and Self magazine, as well as international publications.

Karen M. Shelton was featured in DFW Tech Biz as winner of the Emerging CEO - Tech Titan award. In 2001 Ms. Shelton joined 101 Celebrity Styles & Short Cuts magazine as consumer hair editor.