Test your hair to know your body Trichologist Dr Apoorva Shah tells you more

Nishita was a worried, young lady. She had been blessed with lovely hair but lately, her hair was falling drastically, giving her sleepless nights. After trying home remedies to no avail, she decided to take an expert opinion and fixed up an appointment with a trichologist.  "My trichologist took a detailed health history, examined my scalp, advised me to go in for complete hair analysis and suggested I also undergo a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA). This is a test, which can c o m p re h e n - sively give a patient unique insight into one's nutritional health status," says Nishita.     "My trichologist then obtained my hair samples by cutting the first inch and a half of growth closest to the scalp at the nape of my neck. A few days later, I got my HTMA report. I always thought with all the nutritional supplements I take, a nutritional imbalance would never be a problem. However, the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis report was an eye opener. It showed a calcium deficiency in spite of me taking calcium supplements since a long time. On further checking, my trichologist pointed out that the calcium- magnesium ratio,  which should be more or less equal, was showing a high magnesium ratio compared to the calcium levels. It was then explained to me that this high magnesium was causing the poor absorption of calcium. The report suggested a reduce in my intake of corn, cashew nuts, sitafal and mangoes, to help me bring my calcium-magnesium levels at par."      "Here was my hair telling the complete story of my body. On correcting the nutritional imbalance with the help of specific food intake and regular monitoring with my trichologist, my hair problem has now become a thing of the  past" adds a relieved Nishita.      Dr Apoorva Shah, among the world's leading trichologists and the pioneer of tricology in India, says, "Hair, apart from being your crowning glory, is also your body's barometer, indicating good health or lack of it. Hair problems could be the first sign that something is going wrong with you internally. It is a valuable screening tool in hair care and also of great help in detecting nutritional imbalances inside the body. Hair analysis is also an excellent tool for drug detection and can be used as an effective tool to measure toxicity and drug abuse."  He goes on to give an example of the Australian Cricket Board, who have made it mandatory for Australian cricketers to give their hair samples to find out if any of them use banned drugs. "The same should be done by the BCCI in India with our cricketers to ensure a fit, young and drug free cricket team," ends Dr Shah.  Dr Apoorva Shah, Founder, Richfeel Trichology Centres. Call: 66778877 www.richfeel.com  Dr Apoorva Shah Your hair can reveal imbalances, if any, in your body