Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., September 12, 2009 Elul 23, 5769 | | Israel Time: 13:56 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Focus U.S.A. Travel Week's End Anglo File
Share |
Last update - 10:56 10/08/2009
Hair-raising Israeli research proves combing causes baldness
By Ofri Ilani
Tags: Israel news 

Does combing cause balding, or does it strengthen hair? Considering how often this question has been asked, it is perhaps surprising few scientific studies have looked into it. However an Israeli researcher has done just that, and his findings are grim - frequent combing conclusively contributes to hair loss.

Dr. Alexander Kiderman, of the Family Health Department at Hebrew University, recently published a study on the matter in the Journal of Dermatalogical Treatment. The research was conducted over the course of a month, with a group of 14 women.

"We asked them to count the hairs on a comb after every combing session. One week, they combed twice a day, the next week once a day, and so on every month," Dr Kiderman said. "It's a very simple experiment, very primitive, you could say, not high-tech. The question is a bit embarrassing, but we thought we needed to be sure."
Advertisement
Once the lost hairs had been counted and the data had been calculated, a clear connection between the combing frequency and the numbers of hairs lost emerged, said Kiderman.

"When we compared the results of a twice-daily week to those of the once-daily week, we found the twice-daily cause the loss of almost 30 percent more hair," he said.

Kiderman's conclusion is straightforward - stop messing with your hair. "If a woman feels she is shedding hair, she should ask herself whether she combs too much and whether she puts too much strain on her, with a tight ponytail or a thick comb."

An adult person loses on average 100 to 200 hairs every day. According to Kiderman, hair loss is one of the most common reasons for young women to seek dermatologic advice. "But in most cases there's little we can do," he said. "Dermatologists say they can treat about 0.5 percent of hair loss cases. Hair loss is attributed to hormonal changes that are difficult, if not impossible, to change. But what you can do is not to stretch your hair when it's not necessary."
PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Attack on Iran? Nyet
Putin warns against the use of force to stop Iran's nuclear program.
Weaving a tangled web
Lies about Netanyahu's trip to Russia are harming Israel's credibility.
  1.   It Also Has To Do With Oil... 12:21  |  Yosemite 10/08/09
  2.   Ridiculous 12:32  |  Yonason Herschlag 10/08/09
  3.   Plagiarism? 13:15  |  Dr.V.M.Palaniappan 12/09/09
Special Offers
Advertisement
Date Local Jewish Singles
Ready to meet your match? Join Jdate today!
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Holidays are here
Minerals Aromatics Body Lotion for free! Click here.
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
Amazing Jewelry
Visit SoKoBe.com for the best priced fine jewelry in the world
More Headlines
13:36 Report: Israel, Egypt close to understanding on Shalit deal
12:28 Lebanese report Israeli phone threats following Katyusha fire
13:50 Iran FM says nuclear talks with West are 'possibility'
08:14 Jewish gunman wounds two Palestinians in Jerusalem
18:23 Putin: Russia opposes force, sanctions on Iran
17:02 ANALYSIS / Clock is ticking for Iran as Israel appears ready for strike
03:30 Alleged anti-Arab slur lands French minister in hot water
22:16 TV ROUND-UP: IDF strikes Lebanon after Katyushas, Iran nuclear talks
13:20 One smuggler killed in Gaza tunnel collapse
11:11 Tira man shot dead, marking third murder in Israel in 24 hours
21:35 Lebanon to hold consultations for nominating a new prime minister
16:01 Ashkenazi: Mandatory national service for those who don't enlist in IDF
12:13 NGOs: One out of every three Holocaust survivors lives in poverty
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
| Israel 2009 election results | Makom: Engaging on Israel
| Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved