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Hair salon founder believes hair Botox is the ‘most damaging treatment' you can get done — we fact check

Hair salon founder believes hair Botox is the ‘most damaging treatment' you can get done — we fact check

Indian Express3 days ago
From celebrities to influencers, the recent trend on Instagram seems to be flaunting poker straight hair — not just a symbol of chic elegance, but an easy solution to tame frizzy hair when you are on the go. And the path to help you achieve this is through a treatment known as hair Botox. In a recent social media reel, Vaishakhi Haria, founder of Splash Salon, Mumbai, went on a podcast and shared her two cents on this recent trend, and its damaging effects on hair health.
'A lot of people are going to hate me for saying this, and it's going to cause a lot of controversy, but I think the most damaging treatment right now is hair Botox, also known by the term 'nanoplastia.' Anything that will straighten your hair internally, and leaves it like that once is fine, twice done, still fine, but that's about it. This should not be done,' she said.
According to Haria, it became very famous because of the word Botox. 'People do Botox for their skin as it give you firmness and a youthful look. But because it is so cost-effective, people started doing this for their hair,' she shared, adding that without understanding its deeper technicalities, it is not possible to realise that it is not suitable for all types of hair.'
Dr Khushboo Jha, Chief Dermatologist- Consultant Metro Hospital and Founder of One Skin Clinic, Faridabad shared that hair Botox is indeed not an actual Botox, rather a deep conditioning hair treatment that uses keratin, collagen, vitamins such as Vitamin B5 and E, hyaluronic acid etc.
'The aim behind this is to fill the gaps in the hair shaft, smoothen your hair cuticles, decrease frizziness and enhance skin shine. Though it displays temporary effects that typically last somewhere between 2-4 months, it resembles a salon grade deep conditioning mask,' she explained.
'It is generally considered gentler than chemical straighteners, since it does not use formaldehyde like some keratin or Brazilian blowouts,' Dr Jha told indianexpress.com. However, she also listed out its risks and side-effects: Frequent use (more than 3–4 times/year) can lead to hair thinning, brittleness, dullness, or breakage. Some users report hairfall, weight‑loss of volume, or a 'poker straight' effect that flattens hair. Overloading fine or protein-sensitive hair can make it dry and brittle.
'Is it really damaging? Not in a universal sense—it's less harsh chemically than treatments like Brazilian blowouts or formaldehyde-based keratin, but can still damage or weaken hair if overused or improperly applied,' revealed the expert, adding that the rhetoric going around on Instagram claim is sensationalized. 'Properly used and spaced out, it can be nourishing—but misuse can lead to real issues,' she mentioned.
Dr Jha shared a couple alternatives for those looking to get similar effects to hair Botox without causing long term or permanent damage:
(1) Deep conditioning and protein treatments – bond-repair as well as hydrating masks can strengthen hair without flattening it. Example: weekly hair masks. They show gradual improvements but are comparatively safe.
(2) Keratin or taninoplasty treatments – Semi‑permanent smoothing of hair (3–6 months) is ok, but it may sometimes contain formaldehyde. Choose formaldehyde-free formulas, done by certified professionals.
(3) Hair spas – Salon-based deep treatments with massages, heat, and masks. These are less invasive.
(4) Clinical treatments for thinning of hair – PRP (platelet‑rich plasma): uses your own blood to stimulate growth. Even topical application of Minoxidil is approved by FDA for hair loss.
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Blaming 'slow metabolism' for weight gain? Top doctor reveals muscle mass secret to reignite your body's fat-burning engine
Blaming 'slow metabolism' for weight gain? Top doctor reveals muscle mass secret to reignite your body's fat-burning engine

Time of India

time27 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Blaming 'slow metabolism' for weight gain? Top doctor reveals muscle mass secret to reignite your body's fat-burning engine

The Real Culprit: Muscle, Not Metabolism What Does Science Say? Body size and muscle mass – Larger bodies and more muscle mean higher calorie burn. Sex – Men usually have more muscle and less fat than women, resulting in faster metabolism. Age – Aging is linked to muscle loss, which slows down metabolism. Muscle Loss: The Hidden Weight Gain Trigger You Might Also Like: Man credits ChatGPT for his 27 kg weight loss in 6 months but learnt a bigger lesson for life So, What Can You Do? Strength training at least twice a week for all major muscle groups. Aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Staying active throughout the day—move often, not just during your workouts. For decades, 'slow metabolism' has been the go-to scapegoat for weight gain and failed diet attempts. From late-night infomercials to trendy wellness podcasts, fixing metabolism has been sold as the ultimate solution to slimming down. But is your metabolism truly the villain here?Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj, a US-based interventional cardiologist and certified functional medicine practitioner, is calling for a reality check. In a recent Instagram post that's gaining attention, he challenges the widely held belief that sluggish metabolism is the root cause of weight gain—and suggests we may be overlooking a much more fundamental issue: muscle loss 'Muscle is your most metabolically active tissue,' Dr. Bhojraj wrote in the post. 'No muscle = no metabolic engine.'His claim is backed by compelling science. After the age of 30, we naturally lose 3–8% of muscle mass each decade, and that drop has serious consequences for how many calories we burn—even at rest. This muscle decline, combined with sedentary lifestyles and poor protein timing , can be a more significant factor in stubborn weight gain than metabolism doctor's blunt conclusion: 'We've blamed a slow metabolism for decades. But it's time we talked about muscle.'Supporting Dr. Bhojraj's assertion is a report by the Mayo Clinic , which confirms that basal metabolic rate (the energy your body uses at rest) is heavily influenced by body composition—particularly muscle mass. In other words, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn even when you're not determinants of metabolic rate include:Additionally, the Mayo Clinic states that weight gain usually stems from an imbalance between calories consumed and burned—not from inherently slow metabolism. Only rare medical conditions like hypothyroidism or Cushing syndrome significantly affect metabolic Bhojraj isn't alone in linking muscle loss with sluggish calorie burn. The Mayo Clinic explains that a drop in muscle mass naturally reduces your basal metabolic rate, meaning your body needs fewer calories than it once did. Yet, many people continue eating as though their bodies haven't changed—leading to gradual weight it's not just about building muscle at the gym. Everyday movement plays a huge role, too. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)—which includes walking around the house, fidgeting, or doing chores—can account for up to 800 calories burned per Bhojraj's prescription is simple yet powerful: Prioritize muscle. That means engaging in regular strength training and ensuring your diet includes enough protein, especially after age Mayo Clinic echoes this advice, recommending:Forget fad diets or unregulated supplements that promise a metabolic miracle. According to both experts, there's no substitute for building muscle and staying active if you want to maintain a healthy metabolism.

Indian teen develops Paraspeak, an AI-powered translator for paralysis patients
Indian teen develops Paraspeak, an AI-powered translator for paralysis patients

Indian Express

time3 hours ago

  • Indian Express

Indian teen develops Paraspeak, an AI-powered translator for paralysis patients

'My school had taken me for a field trip to a paralysis care centre, and I saw the difficulties the patients had in communicating with their caretakers and their surroundings. That's where the idea came to me. What if there was a machine learning system which could understand what they're saying?' said 11th-grade student Pranet Khetan. The young innovator has developed a small device that can translate slurred speech. The device, according to Khetan, is India's first open-source Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) framework specially designed for Hindi dysarthric speech. Talking about the device, Khetan said that what struck him most profoundly was dysarthria – a motor speech disorder affecting patients with paralysis, Parkinson's disease, COPD, and other neurological conditions. 'The advantage with dysarthria is that the speech processing in their brain is completely fine. They know what they want to say, and they understand everything everyone else is saying. 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Later, with the help of sophisticated data augmentation techniques, he expanded it to 20 hours of synthetic training data. Even a simple sentence with three or four words would take time and effort for those affected by dysarthria. 'It was really emotional, because what happens with dysarthria is that people aren't able to understand what you say. So eventually they withdraw from their surroundings and stop trying to speak in the first place,' he said. 'Many of these patients were putting in a lot of effort, and there were many cases where I was telling them to stop, the doctor was telling them to stop, but they still kept going. They were really happy to contribute.' Following real-time testing, Khetan filed a patent for the device. Khetan shared that the small device is built on the transformer architecture, the technology that is powering large language models like ChatGPT and Claude. However, for the device, he adapted the architecture for speech recognition. 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Don't forget the neck: Rakesh Roshan urges 45+ after 75% blockage found in brain arteries without symptoms
Don't forget the neck: Rakesh Roshan urges 45+ after 75% blockage found in brain arteries without symptoms

Economic Times

time3 hours ago

  • Economic Times

Don't forget the neck: Rakesh Roshan urges 45+ after 75% blockage found in brain arteries without symptoms

Synopsis Rakesh Roshan, the actor and filmmaker, recently underwent a preventive procedure after a routine check-up revealed significant artery blockages, exceeding 75% in both arteries supplying blood to his brain. Despite showing no symptoms, the issue was detected through a neck scan, prompting immediate hospitalization. Agencies Rakesh Roshan news Actor and filmmaker Rakesh Roshan has shared a health update on Instagram, revealing that doctors discovered serious artery blockages during a routine check-up. Although he showed no symptoms, a neck scan revealed over 75% blockage in both arteries supplying blood to his said that the issue was detected when his doctor advised an additional scan for his neck during a full-body check-up. Following the discovery, he was immediately admitted to the hospital for a preventive procedure. The 75-year-old has since recovered and is currently resting at home. He said he plans to resume his fitness routine used his experience to raise awareness among people above 45–50 years of age, urging them to undergo regular heart and brain-related health screenings. He particularly emphasised the importance of CT scans for the heart and carotid sonography for the neck.'I hope this inspires others to stay on top of their health, especially where the heart and brain are concerned…I think it's important to remember that prevention is always better than a cure. I wish a healthy and aware year to you all,' Rakesh Roshan wrote. Roshan pointed out that he had no signs of discomfort before the issue was discovered. The blockage was only found because his doctor insisted on an extra neck scan during a routine full-body check-up. He acted quickly after the scan results and got admitted for a preventive stressed the importance of getting regular health screenings, especially for those above the age of 45. Roshan specifically recommended heart CT scans and carotid sonography, which checks for blockages in the arteries that carry blood to the brain. He said these scans are often overlooked but can be son Hrithik Roshan also shared the post on Instagram, helping amplify the message. Hrithik's post reportedly received more reach than Rakesh Roshan's original Vishal Dadlani responded by saying, 'Glad it was discovered in time and glad you're on the mend, Rakesh Roshan Sir. Your fitness journey and dedication to your health are inspirational!'Before this health update, Rakesh Roshan had shared a video of his workout routine on social media. The clip showed him engaged in intense weight training and boxing exercises. The video gained more than 4 million views and drew attention to his physical fitness at age December 2018, Roshan was diagnosed with early-stage throat cancer. He publicly shared the diagnosis, receiving support from Hrithik Roshan and other family underwent surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Speaking to News18 later, Roshan said he had exercised with Hrithik even on the day of his surgery.

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