Positive Health Online

Hair problems! Like common cold, hair disorders are frequent visitors in everyone’s life. There is increasing dissatisfaction towards one’s hair appearance and the invariable constant need to live as per the new trends and the refusal of accepting anything mundane. 

Leave aside the impact of pollution, the things we resort to in order to achieve the gorgeous locks like excessive styling and use of cosmetic products, are itself damaging. Therefore it’s essential that one maintains the general health of their hair in order to combat hair disorders.

One of the natural solutions to strengthening your hair from the roots is eggs. Eggs are designed to sustain and nurture life. Therefore we can easily say that it contains all that is needed for growth. This nutrition can also be directed towards beauty and maintenance of hair and skin.

Eggs are a rich source of all the nutrients required for healthy hair. Beauty experts have always recommended the use of eggs for treating hair disorders. Try an online search for eggs and hair care and you will see a list of blogs, articles and experts advising on how one can use eggs for hair treatment. However the process of applying them is tedious and quite discouraging to even try. Their basic nature, which is slimy, sticky and smelly, is the main cause of the inconvenience.

One novel method of using eggs for hair care is in the form of oil. Egg Oil is a wonderful form of capturing egg’s nutritional power. Egg oil finds its reference in the ancient alchemy and the Greek-Unani medicine system. Christened as Roghun baiza murg, egg oil was popularly used in treatment of hair disorders. However earlier, egg oil was produced using heat treatment and was also used for treating burns and wounds.[1]

One of the methods followed was:

• Several Fresh Chicken yolks are kept at 100°C by placing them in boiling water, for 5-10 minutes. The solidified egg yolks are then removed and kept over a dish
• The dish is then kept over an open flame till it gives out oil
• The effluent egg yolk oil is then allowed to cool at room temperature

This method, however, results in loss of bio-actives which get destroyed by the heat treatment.

Modern technology, now, allows us to produce egg oil using a cold process which results in a rich yellow coloured oil, which is solvent free and has all its active components retained in their natural form.

One can find gamut of information on coconut oil, olive oil etc. and their uses and benefits, but the topic of egg oil has yet to be discussed and its power yet to be exploited. Though people know about the benefits of eggs for hair care, the concept of egg oil is still new and quite unheard of.

Egg yolk oil provides all the benefits that an egg yolk has to offer with added convenience and ease. The bioactive in egg oil, namely Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, cholesterol, antioxidants- Lutein and Zeaxanthin, work on a cellular level and help make hair healthier.

Hair Problems and How Egg Oil Helps

Hair Greying

Hair greying, also known as Canities, is a natural age-associated feature. A research study indicated that oxidative stress can lead to greying of hair as it speeds the ageing process. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated by a multitude of endogenous and environmental challenges. These are highly reactive molecules that can directly damage cellular structural membranes, lipids, proteins, and DNA.[2] The body’s defence mechanisms, including antioxidative enzymes and non-enzymatic antioxidative molecules, fight the free radicals by reducing and neutralizing them. However with age, the production of free radicals increases, while the endogenous defence mechanisms decrease.

The colour of hair mainly relies on the presence or absence of melanin pigment. It is possible that this impairment of the antioxidant system leads to damage to the melanocyte itself.[3] Therefore bolstering the antioxidant system is one way to reduce the premature hair greying.

Egg yolk oil contains antioxidants, Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which can combat this ageing process by fighting the ROS. These carotenoids are also known to combat UV induced photo damage.[4]

Hair Loss

Hair loss affects millions of people every year. It’s quite disheartening to see strands of your precious locks on the floor, on the pillow in the morning or entangled in your comb. Hair loss has several underlying causes, some systemic, some genetic and some due to external environment.

The usual and the more reversible ones are the normal life variations including temporary severe stress, nutritional changes and hormonal changes like those in pregnancy, puberty, and menopause etc. Essential fatty acids aid in skin and hair growth. These are called essential because your body needs them but cannot synthesize them. Therefore they need to be supplemented externally.

Egg oil is a rich source of essential fatty acids. These polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from egg oil improve the blood circulation and cell growth, thus stimulating hair growth.[5] They combat inflammation,[6] regenerate hair follicles and help prevent hair loss.

Dandruff and Dry Scalp

Poor scalp conditions such as dandruff, scalp psoriasis, allergic dermatitis etc., are inflammatory conditions which generate free radical species. Therefore antioxidants are needed to neutralize these Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generated which are responsible for certain clinical signs and symptoms such as scalp irritation, itchiness, and hair loss as well.

Antioxidants such as carotenoids are, in fact, preferred in anti-dandruff products to inhibit or reduce the effects of free radical at the scalp. A product for controlling scalp conditions typically contains a moisturizer, an anti-inflammatory agent, an antioxidant along with other typical hair care ingredients.[7]

The antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin in Egg oil help improve the scalp conditions.  Lutein increases skin elasticity and skin hydration. It also increases superficial skin lipids and brings significant reduction in skin lipid peroxidation. The anti-inflammatory properties in essential fatty acids also prevent the deleterious effect of the ROS.

Hair Damage

Hair damage is the alteration of the natural structure of hair. Damaged hair is porous, dry and brittle.

Cholesterol in egg oil helps in taming and moisturizing the dry strands.[8] Cholesterol is a naturally occurring compound found in all tissues of the animal body, having several important biological functions. It is used as an ingredient in many cosmetic formulations, mainly due to its property as an emollient. It is incorporated into products such as eye makeup, skin lotions, face make up, hair care products etc.

Egg yolk oil contains cholesterol naturally, which makes it a wonderful product for skin care and hair care. Cholesterol has deep conditioning effect and heals and strengthens the hair shaft, reducing frizz and lending shine and smoothness to the hair. The lutein and zeaxanthin (Antioxidants) in egg oil also help in repairing hair damage due to their ability to reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS). This enhanced scalp antioxidant system in turn also protects against UV damage.[4]

Egg Oil Availability

Egg oil can be made at home by heating egg yolks till they give out dark coloured oil. Eggs can also be used in the form of a hair mask by mixing it with ingredients like curd or olive oil for easier application.

VAV Life sciences Pvt Ltd, an Indian based company, is one such example. With its brand EYOVA, they are the one of the few to venture in this new segment of Egg Yolk oil for hair care. Eyova, which contains egg oil produced via modern cold process, helps prevent premature hair loss, premature hair greying and repairs hair damage.

If you believe in ‘prevention is better than cure’, then regular use of egg oil is the way for you. Its sustained use delays the onset and prolongs the progression of hair disorders.

References

1. Carol J Burg. Methods for treating burns using an egg yolk oil. Patented US4219544. August 20 1980.

2. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2929555/

3. www.fasebj.org/content/20/9/1567 .

4. Palombo P. Beneficial Long-Term Effects of Combined Oral/Topical Antioxidant Treatment with the Carotenoids Lutein and Zeaxanthin on Human Skin: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Skin Pharmacol Appl Skin Physiol 20:199–210. 2007.

5. Finner AM. Nutrition and hair: deficiencies and supplements. Dermatalogic clinics 31(1): 167-72. Jan 2013.

6. Artemis P. Simopoulos.Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Volume 21, Issue 6, 2002.

7. www.google.com/patents/US6515007

8. Final report on safety assessment of cholesterol. Journal of the American College of Toxicology. Volume 5 Number 5. 1986.