HAIR is an important part of many people's identity.
So when it starts falling out, or looking less than its best, it can be very distressing.
And in some cases, changes to your hair can be a sign of a serious disease.
1. Parkinson's disease
While white dandruff is perfectly normal, yellow dandruff can be a sign of Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's is a neurological disease that worsens over time.
Around 145,000 people live with the condition in the UK.
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It is usually associated with tremors, stiffness and slow movement.
Yellow dandruff is caused by seborrhoeic dermatitis, a condition where areas of the skin that have lots of sweat glands, (such as the scalp) become red, itchy, sore and flaky.
According to the charity Parkinson's UK, people with the disease are prone to the skin condition.
Although there is no cure for Parkinson's, there are several different treatments, therapies and support available to help manage it.
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2. Alopecia
If you notice small patches of hair loss – around the size of a coin – you could be suffering from a form of alopeica areata.
The autoimmune disease can also appear on the body including the beard, eyebrows, eyelashes or body hair, including pubic hair.
According to charity Alopecia UK, around 400,000 people in the UK either have condition it in the past.
It happens when cells attack the hair follicles, stopping them from producing more hair.
The cause is unknown but iron deficiency, and stress could trigger the condition, although may experts dispute this.
In some cases, alopeica areata can turn into alopecia totalis, when hair loss can spread across the entire head, or alopecia universalis, when it affects the entire body.
There is currently no cure for the condition, however, there are a several of treatments available, but none are guaranteed to work.
Usually, in patchy alopecia areata, hair will regrow over a few months or years, but regrowth is not guaranteed.
However once the condition has developed to alopecia totalis or universalis, the chances of full regrowth become smaller.
3. Cancer
Red or purple blotches on the scalp or hair line can be a sign of a rare but deadly blood vessel cancer.
Angiosarcoma develops in the inner lining of blood vessels and lymph vessels.
It can appear any place in the body, but typically occur in the skin on the scalp, head or neck.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, it usually appears as single or grouped bluish-red nodules or plaques on the scalp, face or ears.
When angiosarcoma affects organs, such as the liver or the heart, it often causes pain.
It is most commonly associated with older people but can occur at any age.
The cause of angiosarcoma is unknown.
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Treatments may include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Survival rate for those disease is poor, with just a 33 per cent chance of surviving five years.
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