Q: I am a 24-year-old woman and my hair is falling out in clumps. I had very thick hair but now it is scanty. I do not have bald patches yet but I feel it is only a matter of time!

A:Hair is in a continuous state of flux, it falls and grows again in cycles. Losing 150 hairs a day is normal. If you feel you are losing more than this, you have reason to be worried. You also have to distinguish between losing hair and brittle hair breaking off.

The commonest cause of hair fall is the damage caused by chemicals applied to colour, curl or straighten hair. Dandruff also causes hair fall and treating it will help.

When washing hair, use a coin-sized amount of shampoo and dilute it with water.

The texture of hair is affected by health. Illness causes hair fall. Hormonal imbalances and thyroid diseases also affect the condition of hair. Dietary deficiency — particularly of iron, zinc and calcium — causes the hair to become brittle and break easily. All these factors have to be taken into consideration and tackled to have a healthy head of hair.

Mark that

Q: I am 16 years old. When I was 13, I was very fat so I dieted. I am now a slim 48kg but my thighs and abdomen have stretch marks. It looks very ugly.

A:Stretch marks occur when the elastic fibres under the skin are stretched and broken. You can see much the same effect by pulling on some elastic. Some of the fibres will snap.

There are many commercially available skin creams that claim to fade away stretch marks. They are expensive but effective. They need to be used for at least six months. You can make an effective oil at home by mixing 250ml of coconut oil, 250ml of sesame oil and 100ml of castor oil. Apply this every day for 15 minutes before a bath.

If you jog, walk, cycle or swim for 40 minutes a day, and diet sensibly, weight loss will be gradual and will not result in stretch marks.

Hair raising

Q: I have a lot of hair all over my body. I look like a werewolf. It is very ugly. I can’t wear shorts or swim because of this.

A:Men have male hormones and, after puberty, this makes them develop facial and body hair. The amount of body hair varies by race, genetics and heredity. A hairy bare chest is considered sexy and is shown in movies and advertisements. If you are uncomfortable with the amount of hair you have you could shave it off. If you find this time consuming and cumbersome, you could remove it permanently with laser treatment. Hair removing creams can be used but long-term use may cause allergies. Tablets are not advisable as they may change your hormonal profile.

Tall tale

Q: I am sixteen years old and have been lifting weights in the gym. I am now worried that it will make me shorter.

A:Weight lifting does not actually make you shorter. It can “bulk” you up so that you appear wider and therefore shorter. It does need to be combined with flexibility exercises otherwise you can become stiff. You also need to do at least 40 minutes of aerobic exercise such as running or swimming for all round flexibility and growth.

Close shave

Q: I always apply soap before shaving. But I still get pimples in that area. I tried antibiotic ointments but they did not work.

A:Perhaps you need to apply a shaving foam or gel before shaving. This helps to soften the facial hair. Then you will not scrape so hard with the razor. This may solve the problem.

Dr Gita Mathai is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore. Questions on health issues may be emailed to her at yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in