What Triggers Excessive Hair Loss?

Your hair lives in a state of constant cyclical movement. At any given moment, a certain percentage of your hair is in a growth phase (usually about 85 per cent of hairs), a transitional phase, or a resting phase. When a given hair follicle transitions from resting to growth, the old hair is pushed out by a new hair.

It is this cycle that causes what we think of as everyday hair loss — most people lose 50 to 100 hairs each day. And on days when we shampoo, we tend to lose more. Therefore, none of us should be alarmed if we leave a small clump of hair behind after we shower (although unclogging the drain is probably a good idea).

Dermatologists explain the life cycle of hair as a very biologic rhythm . . . where certain things can disrupt this rhythm. These ‘disruptions’ are what often lead to hair loss.

The Most Common Cause

Although there is a large array of possible triggers for hair loss, the most common cause remains to be genetics; hence, the most common type of hair loss is androgenic alopecia, or male and female pattern baldness. Fifty per cent of men and women will have some manifestation of hereditary hair loss although the pattern of hair loss differs.

This genetically-driven hair loss is not experienced through excessive shedding, but rather a gradual thinning of the hair. Baldness just doesn’t happen overnight. It is also experienced differently in men and women. While men often go completely bald — specifically on the crown or top of their head — women usually experience general thinning on the top of the scalp and rarely experience anything close to total baldness.

According to hair loss experts, female pattern hair loss tends to start early if it’s going to be severe. They often say of their female patients, ‘They [often] think they’ll be bald and [get] very frightened. Most of the time if they’re in their 40s, 50s, 60s, they’re not going to’.

As an aside, many men and women that experience pattern baldness are also shown to have higher-than-average levels of insulin. Although the correlation between insulin resistance (pre-diabetes) and hair loss had been well-established in men; in the last decade, research has found the same connection in women.

What Other Causes Are There?

Besides genetics, any number of things can trigger temporary and permanent hair loss. Since most people that experience excessive hair shedding only do so on a temporary basis, sometimes the culprit is never discovered. There are probably various signals (other than the major ones) that can lead to shedding, but we’re just not in tune with what those are.

But remember, if you are concerned about excessive hair loss, it’s always best to seek the advice of a medical professional. When there is an acute loss of hair — either in patches or diffusely — evaluation by a medical professional is indicated. This way, appropriate treatment can be started as early as possible.

How to Save Your Scalp from Baldness

There are so many products that are advertised as hair loss treatments that can work wonders. They make bold claims which cause consumers to open their wallets and spend large sums of money. These products are very popular because thinning hair is a common problem that many people want to avoid at all costs, literally. Do not fall into this trap. Learn what to look for in an effective treatment.

Research Is Important

It’s important not to make an impulse purchase out of desperation. This can lead to disappointment when the product fails to live up to its claims. This is why it’s so important to do research before making a purchase. It’s not hard to learn how to spot a product that can really re-grow hair. The key is to understand what to look for.

Understand What Causes Thinning Hair

There are so many reasons a person’s hair will start falling out. It can be due to poor diet, vitamin deficiency, or using harsh hair products. Even knit caps can cause breakage because they cause excess friction on the strands. In women, the thinning can be caused by hormonal changes due to pregnancy or menopause. Having an over-active or under-active thyroid can also be a factor.

Genetic Factors

In most cases, the excess shedding of strands is an inherited trait known as male pattern baldness. This condition affects both men and women. Men will often become completely bald on the top of the head. Women would notice thinning in various areas but usually won’t go completely bald. Still, this condition is just as distressing for women as it is for men.

DHT and Baldness

Male or female pattern baldness is caused by the hormone dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. DHT is found in the ovaries of women and in the testicles of men. This hormone is the culprit of baldness because it impairs the follicles, causing the strands to fall out. If the follicles remain dormant for too long, they’re permanently disabled. If the thinning is treated early, the follicles can be repaired.

Effective Hair Loss Treatments

In order for a hair loss remedy to work, it’s important to choose a treatment that was created to correct the type of thinning the product was intended for. To treat male or female pattern baldness, only use products that block the production of DHT. If excess strands are falling out due to nutritional deficiencies or for medical reasons, see a physician and get treatment for those conditions and the hair should grow back.

Do Not Waste Time

Act quickly as soon as the first signs of thinning become evident. Do not let those follicles die! Determine the cause of the hair loss. The most likely cause is DHT. Get treatments that inhibit this hormone.

Hair Loss Prevention: Vitamin Supplements for Healthy Scalp and Hair

Some amount of hair loss is normal for everyone, as hair goes through a growing phase as well as a resting phase. Following the resting phase, the hair falls out, although new hair often fills in to take its place. Hair loss that is not replaced can lead to thinning or baldness, a condition that some people find disturbing. There are several treatments available for hair loss, including vitamin supplementation.

Alopecia

The clinical term for hair loss is called ‘alopecia’. Many people think of hair loss as male pattern baldness, a permanent condition that causes hair on the head to thin and fall out. This is an inherited condition known as androgenetic alopecia, which can affect men as well as women. Alopecia areata is another type of hair loss that results in hair falling out from the head as well as other parts of the body. It is the result of an autoimmune process in which the body damages its own hair follicles, causing them to fall out.

Biotin

Biotin is a B-complex vitamin that is created by molds, yeasts and bacteria, some of which are found in the gastrointestinal tract. Biotin helps the body get energy through the breakdown of fats and carbohydrates during digestion. It is found in foods such as yeast, eggs, pork, salmon, avocados and raspberries. Taking a biotin supplement of 300 mg per day may help with hair growth. Also, you may see results if you get enough biotin through food. Biotin deficiency causes hair loss, as well as a scaly facial rash, depression and lethargy.

Zinc Oxide

Zinc is important for cell growth and metabolism, as well as supporting the immune system and promoting wound healing. Most people under the age of 60 who live in developed countries do not have difficulties getting enough zinc in their diets. Severe zinc deficiency can cause hair loss, as well as diarrhea, lesions on the skin and eyes and a delay in sexual maturation. Zinc supplements may help with hair loss for those with alopecia areata. A 2009 study in the “Annals of Dermatology” reported that oral zinc gluconate, when given to patients with alopecia areata who had low levels of zinc, resulted in 60 per cent hair regrowth for some of the patients involved.

What to Consider

Although there are many different types of vitamin supplements available, see your doctor before attempting to treat your hair loss with vitamins. Some supplements are advertised as being specifically created to treat hair loss, but your doctor can help you to understand what treatments are appropriate for regrowing your hair. Always check labels before taking any kind of vitamin supplement to be aware of how much you are taking on a daily basis. In the case of vitamin supplements, taking too much could be harmful, and more is not necessarily better.

Overcome Hair Loss with Organic Oils

Most people are curious about the benefits of using essential oils as a part of routine hair care. The truth is that good hair oil works as an excellent hair conditioner, giving you soft, shiny healthy hair. It also penetrates the hair shaft making the hair more flexible and silky. For those whose hair is thinning or balding, the application of essential oils promotes hair regrowth. These essential oils are organic treatments that promote hair regrowth and prevent or stop hair loss.

Tea tree oil is one of the most versatile essential oils for hair regrowth when it comes to hair loss treatments. This oil moisturizes the hair and minimizes oil production of the scalp, preventing greasy-looking hair and leaving the scalp clean and dandruff-free. A few drops of tea tree oil can be added to olive oil for a mild but effective weekly treatment to deal with dandruff problems.

The healing properties of jojoba oil are useful for extremely damaged or breaking hair. This is truly one of the finest essential oils for hair loss due and brittle hair. Apply the oil to towel-dried hair and leave on for at least half an hour.

Basil is a beneficial herb that promotes and stimulates hair regrowth. One can easily make basil hair oil to massage onto the scalp. This massage promotes healing, health, and improves blood circulation in the scalp which, in turn, promotes hair regrowth. Basil is good when used together with ivy burdock and fenugreek herbs.

Other natural hair loss treatments include essential oils of southern wood and cedarwood. Dilute 3 drops of each of the oils in 1 teaspoon of base oil then massage onto the scalp. These oils are beneficial for those looking for effective hair loss treatments.

Burdock essential oil is good for the scalp. It also encourages hair regrowth. It stimulates blood flow to the root of the hair, thus helping with the problem of hair loss.

Rosemary and castor oil are two of the finest natural hair loss treatments. Mix 2 tablespoons of castor oil to 4 drops of essential oil of rosemary. Massage the warmed oils onto the scalp and hair, cover and leave overnight. Wash the next day using a mild shampoo. This is a healing conditioner to prevent hair loss from worsening.

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).