Are Breastfeeding Moms Prone to Baldness?

Hair loss has always been perceived to be a very big problem predominant in men. However, hair loss is also experienced by women, especially ones who are breast-feeding; this is due to the change in their hormonal cycle. In most of the cases, the woman regains normal hair growth 6 to 12 months after childbirth.

If you recently had a baby and are a new mother, you may notice your hair falling at a pace which you might find rapid and irregular. However, this happens to all mothers due to a change in the production level of the hormone oestrogen. This is very normal and women need not panic since this case of hair loss is usually temporary. This would not lead to baldness and soon within 6 to 12 months after the child is born, the hair would enter a regular pattern of growth and fall.

To understand why this happens, you need to know about the normal hair growth pattern. In general, not 100% of the hairs on our scalp grow. About 85% of the hairs are in growing stage and the rest of the 10–15% are in the resting period. Once the resting period ends, the hair falls and the follicles then generate new growth of healthy hairs. Thus, it is quite normal for an average woman to lose 100 strands of hair daily. However, this pattern changes during pregnancy.

With pregnancy comes an increased level of oestrogen hormones. This increase upsets the normal growth pattern of hair present on the scalp. The growing period stretches and comparatively fewer strands of hair enter the resting period. Thus, the hair fall is reduced drastically on an average. As a result, the hair becomes thick during the pregnancy period. Once the child is born, the oestrogen level tumbles down drastically. This results in a reverse pattern that the hair follicles adopted during pregnancy.

While you feed your newborn baby, more hair follicles enter the resting period. Thus, as a result, more strands of hair are lost and your hair becomes thin. However, this is quite natural, and by the time the child grows and becomes a year old, your hair growth pattern returns to the normal routine and resumes growth.

There is nothing much a woman can do to fight back this hair loss because it is an attribute of the hormonal fluctuation in the body. While some women opt for hair thickening products that lend a fluffy look to their hairs, the others stick to taking a new short haircut.

Causes of Male Hair Loss

Hair loss causes a lot of anxiety for a lot of men; hence, men are keen to find the cause of hair loss and eliminate the problem from the root. Some of the most common causes of hair loss are genetic factors, exposure to harsh chemicals, and stress.

For a lot of people, hair loss is a cause for worry. Men are more prone to hair loss compared to women and lots of efforts are being made by both men suffering hair loss and the companies that make products to address these problems. However, to counter hair loss effectively, it would help to know what the causes are.

If you see hair on your comb, in the sink, or on the shower drain, don’t panic because this is just old hair falling out to make place for new hair growth. However, when a disproportionately large amount of hair is found, then you should probably do something about it. Given here are the common causes of hair loss.

• Hair loss occurs due to hormonal changes brought about by age. The body deteriorates with old age in general and hair also starts falling out without replacement. There are two types of balding in men. They either have a receding hairline or they have hair loss starting from the top of the head.

• Genetics also determine whether you will lose hair. Some older men have a full head of hair while others start balding as early as their 20s.

• You need to have a well-balanced diet because deficiency of certain nutrients is also known to cause premature hair loss in men.

• Stress is another strong factor associated with hair loss. Stress causes whitening of hair and also loss of hair, so it would help to keep stress levels down.

• It is important to use the right shampoo, conditioner and hair products. Harsh chemicals in some hair care products and hair coloring agents can also cause hair loss.

• Hair shouldn’t be pulled or stretched too tight if you tend to tie it as this will weaken the roots and eventually cause the hair to fall out.

• Wash and condition your hair regularly. Neglect can also cause hair to deteriorate over time. Try not to use a blow dryer as this will dry the hair too much and can be detrimental over a long time.

• For people undergoing treatments like radiation therapy, hair fall is an expected side effect.

• Some medications are also associated with hair loss in men. Check for these side effects before using them.

• Health of the scalp is also important when it comes to hair and any infection on the scalp can trigger hair loss.

• Hyper-thyroidism and hypo-thyroidism are also associated with hair loss.

Vitamins and Minerals in Herbal Remedies for Hair Loss

One of the most common causes of hair loss and early balding is decreased blood flow to the hair follicles, resulting in slowing or stopping of hair growth. Applying the mineral silica, combined with activated oxygen, to your scalp may be able to encourage scalp blood flow and ensuing hair growth.

Silica is an excellent alternative to prescription hair loss treatments because it does not alter your hormonal balance and works as a treatment for female hair loss, unlike pharmaceuticals, which can alter your hormones and commonly don’t work for women who are balding.

Other herbal hair loss treatments, when applied topically, have proven to nourish the human scalp. Algae oils contain vitamins, minerals and phyto-nutrients. These oils plus fatty acids and plant sterols, reduce dihydrotestosterone, a hormone known to cause hair loss and early balding.

Another herbal hair loss treatment is grape-seed oil, which acts as an antimicrobial and encourages scalp healing. When combined with sunflower and safflower oils, this herbal hair loss formula works even better, due to their essential fatty acid content, which nourishes and heals the scalp. Grape seed contains proanthocyanidins, which are potent antioxidants and act as smooth muscle relaxants in the blood vessels and capillaries, preventing or offsetting damage to the hair follicle blood supply.

If you are looking for hair loss treatments in the way of internal supplementation, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) as well as sulfur-rich amino acids offer the dietary sulfur required for the construction of hair proteins. Sulfur and MSM is found in foods, but due to its volatile nature, it is quickly lost when it is processed, cooked, and/or stored so it needs to be taken in the form of a supplement. The specific sulfur-rich amino acids are cysteine, methionine and glutathione.

In order for hair follicles to be productive, they must have a healthy, continuous supply of blood. The B vitamins — including niacin, thiamine and biotin — enhance hair health by improving factors that promote circulation of blood to the skin of the scalp. In addition, studies have shown that the amount of vitamin B6 within cells affects the response rate of cells to steroid hormones. Cells that are vitamin B6 deficient will become more responsive to steroid hormones.

It can be assumed that cells that have a higher level of B6 within them will be less responsive to the hormones that can cause androgenetic alopecia or early balding and other disorders related to dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Treatment Options for Male Hair Loss

Some men don’t think that hair loss treatments are a subject worthy of their attention; that is, until they start seeing more hair in the sink, or in the tub, than they see on their head. It is estimated that nearly thirty per cent of all people suffering from hair loss or hair loss symptoms and in need of treatments are indeed men.

There are a variety of reasons for hair loss but no matter what the reason, it can be as devastating as any other cause. In most cases, hair loss treatments can be very effective, depending upon the user’s vigilance in applying the treatment. Traditional herbs that are useful as natural treatments are green tea, liquorice extracts, horsetail, ginger, psoralea seeds, apple cider vinegar, rosemary and sage tea.

If you are genetically or hormonally set on the path of losing hair, nutrition alone might not be enough to prevent it, but it will slow down the hair loss, and will also help with regrowth of lost hair. If you are looking for the best hair regrowth products, always remember to use treatments that contain active ingredients that are known to be effective in treating hair loss.

For most men suffering from alopecia Areata, or male pattern baldness, 5% minoxidil is usually required to achieve satisfactory hair regrowth. Herbal hair loss remedies provide the best results in the treatment of hereditary hair thinning and hair loss both in men and women ensuring them regrowth of thick and luxurious hair.

If you’ve decided you need to do something to reverse hair loss, but you want something cheaper and more natural than drugs, laser treatments, plugs, or transplants, what are your alternatives? Male hair loss treatments are available as topical applications like minoxidil, which is applied on the scalp. Another of the better-known herbal treatment is green tea, which you may also have sitting in your kitchen.