Does longer hair more likely get you sick?


Apparently not, because everybody around me says so.  I am usually immune to any colds/flus; but this year I already got sick TWICE!! Once in January, the second one just recently in March.  The recent one was so bad that I had to take a couple days off work!  Apparently the initial few days following infection, your “breathing” can infect anyone around you because you generate “infectious aerosols” that remain suspended in the air for a very long time.  Can’t expose my clients to that!!  But the truth of the matter is the flu virus is “one of the most changeable viruses we know and it’s subtly different every year” (quote by Dr. Paul Biddinger, director of the center for Disaster Medicine.)  Vaccines need to be changed every year to try and match the strains that the experts are guessing that will be dominant.  It’s kind of like forecasting the next fashion trend, isn’t it?..

Why do we often get colds during the winter?… First of all, the virus thrives in temperatures below 20C and a 20% humidity index. They cannot survive anything over 30C with more than 50% humidity.  Secondly, in colder months, we tend to spend more time indoors and colds are spread through close contact.

What’s the main difference between the flu and the common cold?  The former usually involves extreme fatigue, bad coughing, major muscle aches, headache coupled with a fever.  The latter starts off with a sore throat, then nasal symptoms and congestion and there is rarely a fever.

So how long do the viruses stay alive outside the body? It depends on the surface they’re on.  The Cold viruses can survive on indoor surfaces for up to a week.  The Flu viruses however are active for only 24 hrs.  But in both cases, the viruses live longer on nonporous surfaces like metal, plastic and wood and less (about 15min ) on porous surfaces like tissue, clothing, paper.

So getting back to the title of my blog:  DOES LONGER HAIR more likely get you SICK?…  YES!  Longer hair has much greater surface area to attract more virus and more air pollution, not to mention it absorbs more cigarette smoke.  Research suggests that 30cm of hair growth on an average woman is equal to 5 times increase in surface area relative to the body.   In addition, the scary fact is various kinds of viruses and bacteria will remain on the hair for quite some time.  Research findings suggest that 90% of Staph Aureus bacteria (food poisoning) remained on the hair after an hour and reduced to 10% after 3 hours.  Pseudomonas Aeruginosa found in our environment including soil, water and plants is the main cause of pneumonia in hospitalized patients with weakened immune systems.  These bacteria find our hair to be an optimal breeding ground because they love the 37C body temperature.  It’s like paradise to them!  Would resorting to our good o’l shampoo be the solution?… Not really, because shampoos are not meant to be “anti-bacterial”.  It may only get rid of 60% of Staph Aureus and 40% of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa.  I have found no data regarding the elimination of the actual flu virus; but whether you’ve walked into a room where those infectious droplets remain suspended in the air or you’ve touched your hair with your hands that grabbed onto a railing on the bus subsequently held by an infected person, those germs will get stuck in your hair.

Regardless, it is important to avoid touching your hair all the time.  You’re either transferring bacteria onto the food you’re handling, or the virus clinging onto your hair will somehow get access to your nose, mouth, eyes etc.

The point of this blog is to make you AWARE of these things and not make you entirely paranoid.  Just protect yourself from getting the virus in the first place.  WASH YOUR HANDS, wash your hands, wash your hands — for about 20 seconds with soap — and avoid people who are sneezing and coughing and maintain about 6 feet in distance. Shampoo on a regular basis and make sure you’re using the right one for your scalp to maintain optimal scalp health.  Use the right conditioner for your hair shaft.   Eat healthy and get lots of rest!

Otherwise, there’s not much fretting over these germs because the only way you can completely avoid them is to STOP BREATHING… (You may not live long though…)

#yokoshautecoiffure #headspa #hairspa #beautycomesfromhealth #washyourhandsforbeauty #hairandvirus

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