According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, body hair is one of the secondary sex characteristics and its growth is partially regulated by hormones. Working out regularly, getting enough rest, hydrating and eating correctly all foster proper hormone balance.

The best blow dryers today have many features that are beneficial for maintaining healthy hair of all types and textures, including African American hair.

Bald patches on your head can be embarrassing and make you feel self-conscious. Millions of Americans suffer from hair loss, which happens when your hair follicles shut down and stop producing keratin.

It's normal to find a few strands of hair in your brush, sink or shower drain. Losing clumps of hair, however, may indicate that something in your body is amiss. Elderly women aren't the only ones who struggle with thinning hair; stress, hormones and even your diet play a part in hair loss.

Dry, frizzy hair occurs any time of the year and is caused by a lack of humidity in winter and the sun’s rays in the summer. When hair cries out for help, many people head to the salon or the store for the latest and greatest deep-moisturizing product.

African-American hair differs from other hair in many ways. The most prominent differences are that black hair is thicker, it's made up of more cuticle layers and it's much curlier. It is also more prone to dryness and breakage. Because of this, special treatments such as hot oil can help you care for your black hair.

Ensuring that your hair grows properly is important. A lack of the proper vitamins, minerals and supplements can cause your hair to become brittle, thin, dry and even contributes to hair loss.

Brittle hair results from heat damage caused by stresses such as sun exposure, blow dryers, and curling and straightening irons. This dryness makes your hair look frizzy, dull and lifeless.

While gray hair may be considered a fairly common part of aging, many women and men find the graying process disheartening and somewhat embarrassing. Traditionally, hair dyes have been used to hide naturally gray hair, but these contain chemicals that are often not good for your hair’s general health.

When faced with gray hair, the biggest change can be learning to style it. While the tone is often brightening and complementary, the texture tends to be coarse and wiry. Gray hair requires a healthy dose of nourishment to stay soft and manageable.

Just like adults, children can have hair problems. Many kids have very coarse or dry hair, especially if the hair is curly. Heat styling and chemical treatments such as perms also dry out hair.

Hair relaxing is a popular way to get the straightest hair without the use of extensions or track weaves. L'Oreal's HairScience.com notes that African American hair grows the slowest of any hair type and twists around itself as it grows, resulting in a kinky appearance.