| Hair: The Pollen Magnet |
| Karen Marie Shelton/Dedicated to Jade21 |
| Date: 11/23/2004 |
Introduction If you have allergies to pollen, ragweed or other airborne particles this article will provide you with some new information about how pollen has a big impact on your hair and your allergies.
Pollen Sticks To Your Hair For a variety of reasons, it has been discovered by the medicatl profession that hair acts as a magnet for pollen. To make matters worse, the pollen is rarely visible. If your hair picks up the pollen and you go to bed with it, you will inhale pollen all night long. The pollen will also migrate from your hair and coat your pillow, pillowcases and sheets. You will find yourself continuing to inhale pollen that your hair dragged in even after you have shampooed your hair. If you are an allergy sufferer, and spend the night breathing pollen from your hair and bedclothes, you will wake up with a reaction to the ongoing expose to the allergens.
How It All Starts Tree and grass pollens are at their peak in the early morning. If you spend any amount of time outside during that period there is a chance that the pollen will attach to your hair. The longer your hair, the more pollen that can attach to it.
What is a good way to avoid having hair that is a pollen magnet? Stay indoor in the early hours of the day with pollen is more prevalent. Use a leave in conditioner (e.g. Aveda Elixer, Phyto #7) that coats your hair cuticle and makes it harder for pollen to attach to your hair. Wear your hair pulled back in a bun or braid which also minimizes the amount of pollen that may attach to your hair. If you must spend time outdoors and have sensitive allergies, wash your hair before you get in bed to make sure you don't transport hidden pollen to your pillow and sheets. Avoid wearing the same t-shirts or tops two days in a row without first washing them since pollen hiding in your hair may have migrated to your shirt. If your allergies persist see an allergist for a plan to manage them. While it seems a little odd that pollen can use your hair as a carrier, internists have discovered that hair is a common way that allergens cause increased allergy suffering. Finding Out Pollen & Allergen Counts The best policy to avoid picking up allergens is to avoid them. You can check the pollen and various allergen counts through a variety of sources. Many daily newspapers will publish pollen, ragweed and other allergen counts. You can also get reliable allergen predictions on a daily basis from the Net. Summary While it seems a little odd that pollen can use your hair as a carrier, internists have discovered that hair is a common way that allergens cause increased allergy suffering.
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