Dr. Deb

3 shots of liquid protein a day was my most infamous crash diet in high school.  I starved myself drinking only 3 shots of foul smelling liquid protein a day. Sure the weight came off quickly, but so did loads of hair in my starvation mode. When I went off the diet, the pounds quickly returned, but the hair took much longer to grow back.

Hair Loss affects 10% of all women and can start as early as age 12. Unfortunately, after age 65, up to 75% of women will have hair loss.

Some hair loss every day is normal. In fact up to 100 hairs a day is normal. We have about 100,000 hairs on our head that grow about a half-inch per month. An individual hair usually grows for 2-6 years in the growth phase then enters a rest phase for a few months. At any given time 85% of our hair is growing while 15 % is in the rest phase. Finally it will fall out and a new hair grows in its place.  Learn more about the phases of hair growth here.

What are the main causes of hair loss in women?

There are many reasons for hair loss and I will highlight the most common ones.

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We just returned from a weekend trip at The Wilds in the middle of nowhere Ohio. (It’s actually not far from Columbus) It is an outdoor safari-conservation center and it was awesome! We all loved seeing the animals up close in our open-air vehicle and it certainly rivaled the African safari that my husband and I went on years ago (except this time the animals were actually closer!) The 100 plus heat was not so awesome and we soon realized that not having access to water in high heat came with it’s own price. We were weak and dehydrated very quickly. This vacation hazard was easily remedied but many are not.

Vacations are riddled with hazards, many of them hidden so here are

Dr Deb’s Vacation Hazard Helper

Keep Cool & Wet (more…)

My friend, Mike, is a great guy. Knows everyone, goes out of his way to do nice things, but Mike HATES doctors. I mean he really hates doctors. He hates waiting in the office, wearing that silly gown, talking to the doctor and certainly doesn’ t want to hear any recommendations that the doctor may have.

When Mike started having balance problems while running, the last thing that he wanted to do was go see a doctor. He HATES them. I am sure that he was also afraid that it might be something serious. And it was. Mike was diagnosed with MS in his 20s. This was not supposed to happen. But because Mike saw the doctor and received the proper medication, he has had little symptoms of MS and has continued to lead a productive and healthy life for almost 15 years.

Many men feel the same way Mike does about doctors. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, 55 percent of men hadn’t had a checkup in the last year and 29 percent said they wait “as long as possible” to get help when they were sick.

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Once a year my husband takes an annual “male bonding trip” with our twins and their octogenarian grandfather to a small cottage by the lake. Grilling out over hot coals is part of this summer tradition as it is for many families, especially this holiday weekend.  Unfortunately, accidental fires are also too common as they discovered the next day. My son went to play ball outside and noticed some smoke beside the cottage. Suddenly, the coals from the cookout the night before burst into flames. Luckily Louie’s sports obsession put him in the exact location so that he could alert grandpa and put out the fire. Many are not so lucky when it comes to accidental fires, especially around a holiday.

More fires are reported on 4^th of July than any other single day with half of these caused from fireworks. In fact 7,000 people each year get treated for 4th of July related accidents.

Dr. Deb 4^th of July Safety Tips

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My first and only car accident as a teen happened within weeks of getting my license. I was seriously backing out of a church parking lot going so slowly for fear of a passing car that I drove right into the car next to me (now they were over the line..but still)  While I doubt many teens hit a car at 1 mph, most teen accidents will happen within 6 months of receiving their license. Many teen accidents are very serious, even deadly.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds with over 2 million accidents-both fatal and non-fatal-a year.

Teens are involved in 3-4 times the number of accidents ,with more teens dying during summer months than any other time of year.

Here is Dr. Deb’s  5 step Safe Teen Driving Plan

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