Dog question: 6 myths about healing wool belts
Humanity has long loved dogs. A pleasant sensation from the benefit that these beautiful and such different animals bring is mixed to disinterested love. In the long list of the advantages of a dog tribe, healing properties are also indicated.
Relatively recently, dogs were treated tightly and varied. They were allowed to lick wounds – and indeed, later in saliva, Lizozim was found – an enzyme with antibacterial properties. True, later it turned out that in the saliva of the person he is also available. Dog wool burned and sprinkled wounds with it. The urine of animals was used to combat warts, bloods were saved from the bites of poisonous snakes, and dog fat was treated for rheumatism – and in this place it is sad to think about the fate of a person’s friend. Dogs were even “fed” diseases and, as lovers of alternative medicine would say, “since it was so common, it means that it worked”
With the development of science and medicine, folk methods of healing were a thing of the past. But faith in hidden in the dog organism remained powerful natural forces. Now this is expressed in a special attitude to things made of dog wool. Belts, vests, knee pads, etc. – find a company that offers a wide range of items to cure a variety of diseases today is not a problem. MedaboutMe was versed in whether the objects of dog wool really have some unusual properties.
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How does hair work?
Fundamentally, the hair of all mammals is arranged the same way: there is a hair bag (follicle), in which there is a hair root, and there is a rod, a visible part of the hair located above the skin.
In the middle of the hair is a hear t-shaped layer. It is made up of cubic keratinized cells with gaps between them, filled with air, and as they grow, there are less and less and a continuous air channel is formed.
The next, cortical layer is composed of elongated keratinized cells with a pigment. It is this layer that determines the elasticity, strength and color of the hair.
Outside, the hair is covered with a cuticle – this is the name of the last, scaly layer. The role of the cuticle is to protect the hair from external influences. To do this, it is covered with carbohydrates and a thin layer of fat coming from the sebaceous glands. The location of the scales determines the degree of smoothness or coating of the hair, its brilliance or the absence of one. The denser the scales are adjacent, the straighter the hair and the more shiny they look. And, accordingly, on the contrary.
Wool and hair
The animal’s hair and human hair are not the same thing. People and horses have simple hair follicles, and fluffy pets have complex pets. Therefore, unlike us, cats and dogs have two types of hair: spine (primary covering hair) and fluff (secondary hair).
Seal hair of several orders is distinguished depending on the thickness. Rare thick and long hair is called guides. Around them are located several lateral hairs. And already around these primary hair there are secondary – downy hair, which are most represented by the undercoat. They are short, thin, without core and curved.
The closer the dog’s breed to her wild ancestors, the more she has a “wild” type of wool: her hair grows in bundles – 1 large hair, several lateral and from 6 to 15 downy, which are hidden under the outer hair. This allows you to achieve a binarium of fur: covering outlet hair protect the skin from the wind and getting wet, and the undercoat holds heat.
A characteristic point: if the animal lives on the street, in the aviary or at least constantly walks, it has richer under the pussy. And absolutely pets have a smoor of pets less.
Another important fact: in people, each hair grows on their own, and non-stop, it has to be trimmed. In animals, hair growth is a synchronized process. At a certain moment, it stops and molting occurs – hair change throughout the body.
Humanity has been using wool since hunting wild animals. Today we are actively using sheep, goat, camel wool, less often wool collected during the molting of horses and cattle, as well as rabbit fluff. Dog wool stands apart. On an industrial scale, it is usually not harvested, so this is more a matter of private production.
Legends go about the properties of dog wool. We will analyze some of them.
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The myth of a special structure of dog wool
They say that the hair of dogs differs from the wool of other mammals: either she has more scales, or less, or inside her “air with air”. In fact, there is the difference between the hair of goats, sheep, camels, dogs and cats, but it does not depend on the special structure of the hair, but on the ratio of the outer hair of various subtypes, undercoat and transitional hair options. So fundamentally, the hairs of dog wool are no different from sheep, goat, etc.
Bioactive substances myth
In the descriptions of the healing properties of dog wool, there is often a mention of special bioactive compounds that cover it: from vitamins and enzymes to substances that relieve inflammation. But, firstly, the hair core is dead cells that themselves produce nothing. Secondly, on the surface of the hair, the secret of the sebaceous and other glands, dirt, etc. can settle on the surface of the hair, but it is unlikely that anyone will want to put on a dirty thing, even if it was from the most valuable hair in the world. The wool is processed, cleaned – and in the process of this, any extraneous substances from the surface of the hair are removed. And this is not to mention the fact that biologically active substances are in the overwhelming majority of rather unstable compounds, which at temperatures, humidity break up and cease to be valuable for the body.
The myth of pain
Continuing the theme of bioactive substances, it is also worth mentioning the “analgesic” effect of dog wool. This is one of the reasons why it is recommended for people suffering from joint pain. But, as mentioned above, there are no miracle connections with anti-inflammatory or analgesic properties on the dog’s hair surface. And the analgesic effect is achieved due to the heating of the sheltered body. Similarly, the decongestant effect of woolen objects is explained. Grandmother Angora scarf is no worse than a dog in this regard.
But there is still a difference between Angora wool and dog hair – this is the proportion of straight, hard guard hairs in the total composition of wool. The dog’s coat is more pungent and coarser than the delicate “angora”, which consists entirely of down. Adherents of treatment with pet hair belts are sure that this causticity is also beneficial, as it gives a kind of massage effect, which also reduces pain. Some “experts” even claim that it can be compared to an acupuncture session. In reality, more spiky hair, of course, causes additional blood flow to the surface of the skin, but it can also cause irritation on it and greatly unnerve the wearer of the “healing” belt.
The posture myth
Dog hair belts with thick fabric backing are advertised as posture correctors. But only a specially designed corset can work as a posture corrector – and it does not matter what it will be made of. If special supporting properties are not initially incorporated into the design of the belt, then the very fact of its canine origin does not affect posture.
The myth of potency
This myth surprisingly occurs in dog hair, sheepskin, and camel hair. Alas, in this case it doesn’t matter “from whom” the healing belt “to increase potency” is made. Neither sheep’s wool, nor dog storage container’s, nor camel’s will not cure a man of prostatitis and other diseases that affect potency. Only a urologist or andrologist can do this.
The myth of weight loss
Wearing a belt can have a warming effect, but it will hardly affect the extra centimeters of fat around the waist. And the inconvenience for the “carrier” can create very tangible. So counting on losing weight, solely thanks to the dog belt, is naive.
Diseases against which dog hair is powerless
So, no wool in the world, including dog:
- does not strengthen the immune system and does not protect against allergies. Moreover, a person may well be allergic to the discharge of dog skin, settling on wool;
- does not have anti-inflammatory properties;
- does not tone or anesthetize;
- does not accelerate healing;
- does not eliminate “harmful” negative ions (or, conversely, positive ones).
Woolen items are useless to use when:
- viral and bacterial infections;
- respiratory diseases;
- kidney stones and other diseases of the genitourinary system;
- intervertebral hernias and osteochondrosis;
- with any vascular diseases, etc.
Woolen bandages and belts can be useful and can be part of a complex therapy in the treatment of sprains and other injuries that require warming up. But the question of prescribing warming should be decided only with a doctor. There are many conditions in which heat can adversely affect health.
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