Hair Loss - The Reasons

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Hair Loss - The Reasons


General: Hair is constantly going through cycles of growth, resting, shedding. When hairs that are lost are not replaced, or when more hair follicles go into the resting phase, hair loss becomes noticeable. While there is ongoing debate regarding hair loss reasons, the list below shows many of the common contibuting factors:

Ageing The period for hair loss is between the 20 and 50 years of age. Some individuals arrive at the advance stages of hair loss sooner than others although it becomes increasingly evident as people advance in age.

Cosmetic Chemicals Particularly bleaching, permanents, coloring.

Drugs/Medications/Radiation Included are anticoagulants, antidepressants, contraceptive pills, amphetamines, some arthritis medications, some antibiotics, some blood thinners, medicines for gout, drugs derived from vitamin-A, certain drugs for ulcers, beta blocker drugs for high blood pressure. Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy halt the growth phase of hair follicles which results in a sudden hair loss as those follicles all shed their hair at about the same time.

Heredity Androgenetic alopecia is the term used to describe a genetic predisposition in men and women for pattern baldness or pattern hair loss. Although there is a dominant tendency for male pattern baldness, female members of a family can be transmitters as well.

Hormonal Imbalance If the male and female hormones, androgens and estrogens, are out of balance, hair loss may result. Also an overactive or underactive thyroid gland can contribute to hair loss.

Illness and Severe Infections These can include scalp fungal infections, Thyroid disorders, Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Diabetes, Lupus.

Immune System Disorder Alopecia areata is an immune system disorder which causes hair follicles to stop producing hairs. Advanced forms of the disorder are identified by the terms alopecia totalis when all head hair disappears, and alopecia universalis which results in all body hair disappearing.

Menopause Due to hormonal changes after menopause, some women find their hair begins to thin. There are a variety of treatments available involving hormone replacement therapy (HRT). There may be side effects in some cases and experimentation may be necessary under the guidance of a physician.

Poor Blood Circulation Poor blood flow to the scalp, insufficient nutrients in the blood, or poor drainage of waste products through the lymphatic systems can all contribute.

Pregnancy Three to six months after delivering a child, many women notice a degree of hair loss as the hair goes into a resting phase because of the physiological impact of the pregnancy on the body.

Pulling Traction alopecia is the term used to describe loss of hair from constant pulling, as with tightly braided hair styles such as pony tails. Also the improper use of curling tongs or rollers can tug the hair so it weakens.

Sebum Buildup Sebum buildup in the follicles attacks the hair bulb, the rounded area at the end of a hair strand which is rooted in the follicle. Sebum causes the hair bulb to shrink so the hair is not as well rooted. After the hair falls out the new hair strand growing in that follicle is weaker and thinner and the process is repeated until the hair follicle is so damaged it dies. (Sebum is a fatty substance secreted from the sebaceous glands most of which open into hair follicles.)

Stress and Nervous Disorders Telogen effluvium is the term used for a slowing down of new hair growth because of sudden or severe stress. The stress triggers a large number of hair follicles to enter the resting stage, so a few months after the stressful event, those follicles shed hair at about the same time.

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Diet, Nutrition, and Hair Loss

One key factor in maintaining a growing protein on a part of ones biological body is obvious: one must maintain a healthy diet. Although certain factors have been definitely identified as contributors to hair loss, we must keep in mind that hair is part of the complete biological system of the human body. Being a system, dysfunctions in one part of the system can contribute to dysfunctions in other parts; chain reactions occur when one part of the body malfunctions, causing other parts within the system to falter. To maintain optimum health, it is best to maintain a healthy diet and regular exercise regimen.

Defining exactly what a healthy diet is when it comes to preventing hair loss can be a little more complex. Principally, the main vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that one must ingest in some form to maintain healthy hair are vitamin A, all B vitamins-particularly vitamins B-6 and B-12, folic acid, biotin, vitamin C, vitamin E, copper, iron, zinc, iodine, protein of course, silica, essential fatty acids (EFAs, formerly known as vitamin F) and last but not least one must consume water. There are also certain foods that may cause dysfunctions that will contribute to hair loss.

The best way to maintain a healthy vitamin and mineral intake is a good diet. It is not necessary or advisable to go out and buy a bunch of over-the-counter vitamin supplements in order to achieve your suggested nutritional levels. Many over-the-counter vitamins are chemically processed and are not completely absorbed into the system. It is also easy to overdose oneself with over the counter vitamins particularly when taking supplements of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals, causing toxicity and adverse reactions. The likelihood of doing this is far less with food; therefore it is always best to obtain the bulk of your vitamin and mineral requirements from whole foods.

Vitamin A is a key component to developing healthy cells and tissues in the body, including hair. Additionally it works with silica and zinc to prevent drying and clogging of the sebaceous glands, the glands vital to producing sebum, which is an important lubricant for the hair follicle. Vitamin A deficiencies commonly cause thickening of the scalp, dry hair, and dandruff. Air pollution, smoking, extremely bright light, certain cholesterol-lowering drugs, laxatives, and aspirin are some known vitamin A inhibitors. Liver, fish oil, eggs, fortified milk, and red, yellow, and orange vegetables are good sources for vitamin A, as are some dark green leafy vegetables like spinach. Be particularly careful if you take vitamin A supplements, as vitamin A is fat-soluble, allowing the body to store it and making it easy for the body to overdose on vitamin A. Vitamin A overdoses can cause excessively dry skin and inflamed hair follicles, and in some cases ironically can cause hair loss. If you choose to take supplements of this vitamin, consult with a specialist first. As mentioned above, the likelihood of overdosing by achieving your vitamin A intake by food sources is almost nil, so it is best to attempt to achieve this at all costs.

B-vitamins work interdependently and therefore all levels of B vitamins need to be sufficient in order to maintain proper health. Vitamins B-6, folic acid, biotin, and vitamin B-12 are all key components in maintaining healthy hemoglobin levels in the blood, which is the iron-containing portion of red-blood cells. Hemoglobins primary function is to carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body, so if these vitamins were deficient in ones body, then hair and skin would indeed suffer. Fortunately some of the tastiest foods contain these vitamins. Vitamin B-6 is found in protein rich foods, which is excellent because the body needs a sufficient amount of protein to maintain hair growth as well. Liver, chicken, fish, pork, kidney, and soybeans are good sources of B-6 and are relatively low in fat when they are not fried. Folic acid is found in whole grains, cereals, nuts, green leafy vegetables, orange juice, brewers yeast, wheat germ, and liver again. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and other dairy products meanwhile provide healthy amounts of B-12. Biotin deficiencies are rare unless there is a severe case of malnutrition or a serious intestinal disorder, since a healthy gut produces biotin through good bacteria found there.

Note: if you have a known intestinal disorder and are plagued by hair loss, ask your doctor about biotin deficiencies and possible solutions. Vitamin C is responsible for the development of healthy collagen, which is necessary to hold body tissues together. A vitamin C deficiency can cause split ends and hair breakage, yet this is easily reversible with an increase to normal vitamin C levels. Vitamin C can be found in foods such as fresh peppers, citrus fruits, melons berries, potatoes, tomatoes, and dark green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin E is necessary to provide good blood circulation to the scalp by increasing the uptake of oxygen. Vitamin E is derived from foods such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, grains, vegetable oils, and most ready-to-eat cereals, which are fortified with vitamin E. Vitamin E deficiencies are rare in people in North America and Europe. In the rare cases of vitamin E deficiency, usually caused by the inability to absorb oils and fats, dietary supplements are available.

Copper is a trace mineral that is also necessary in the production of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin as mentioned earlier is vital to the process of carrying oxygen to tissues such as the hair, and obviously hair is alive cannot grow without proper oxygen, yet it does not breathe as other components of our body do, because the oxygen must get to the shaft of the hair. Good sources of copper are liver again, seafood, nuts, and seeds. Another key mineral vital in the production of hemoglobin is iron. Iron is found in two forms, heme and non-heme; heme iron is much easier to absorb into the system. This is where the problem lies. Of course most people know that red meat is a good source of iron, however red meat is non-heme iron and is difficult for the body to absorb, as are many iron supplements. Good heme iron sources are green leafy vegetables, kidney beans, and bran. Additionally, one can increase the absorption of non-heme iron into the body by consuming non-heme food sources and vitamin C sources in the same meal.

Zinc is another vital component to healthy hair, being that it is responsible for cell production, tissue growth and repair, and the maintenance of the oil-secreting glands of the scalp. It also plays a large role in protein synthesis and collagen formation. For this reason, zinc is important for both hair maintenance and dandruff prevention. Most Americans are deficient in zinc. Most foods of animal origin, particularly seafood, contain good amounts of zinc; oysters are particularly rich in zinc. Zinc is also found in eggs and milk, although in much smaller amounts. Zinc from sources such as nuts, legumes, and natural grains is of a different type than those found in animal sources and is not easily used by the body, although oats are a good source of zinc that is readily used by the body. Protein is found in most of the aforementioned animal source foods, particularly meats, fish, milk, cheese, eggs and yogurt. There is no need for a person eating the average Western diet to eat additional protein. Too much protein, even though hair is made of protein, will not improve hair growth and may cause other health problems.

A challenge for vegans is to maintain healthy levels of protein, being that complete proteins containing all nine essential amino acids necessary are found mostly in animal sources. Legumes, seeds, nuts, grains and vegetables do not contain the same form of protein necessary for a healthy body. There is only one common non-meat source for complete protein, and that is the soybean. Fortunately, soybeans have been made into tofu and texturized vegetable protein (TVP) so that they can be made into various dishes. Additionally, one may eat from a wide variety of vegetable sources in order to obtain all the essential amino acids.

Iodine is vital to the growth of hair. Sheep farmers long ago discovered that vegetation void of iodine due to iodine-depleted soil will adversely affect the growth of wool in sheep. Likewise, our hair needs iodine to grow. Iodine is synthetically added to table salt, however in this form it is not assimilated well into the body and can therefore cause iodine overload. An excess of iodine in the body can adversely affect the thyroid. It is best to use non-iodized salt and retrieve your iodine from natural food sources. These include seaweed, salmon, seafood, lima beans, molasses, eggs, potatoes with the skin on, watercress and garlic.

One of the most difficult nutrients vital to hair growth to get in ones diet is the trace mineral silica. Silicon is a form of silicon and is the second most abundant element in the earths crust, second only to oxygen. The Earth provides everything we need for health, and with silicon being so abundant, it would seem that there would never be a problem with silica deficiency. Unfortunately, trace minerals are rare in Western diets because our food is processed and our soil depleted by chemical treatments so often that trace minerals are lost. Silica is vital to the strength of hair, and although it will not necessarily stop hair from falling out from the follicle, it will stop hair breakage. It works by stimulating the cell metabolism and formation, which slows the aging process. Foods that are rich in silica are rice, oats, lettuce, parsnips, asparagus, onion, strawberry, cabbage, cucumber, leek, sunflower seeds, celery, rhubarb, cauliflower, and swiss chard. Note that many of these foods, particularly rice, are a large part of Asian diets and Asians tend to have the strongest and healthiest hair. Be sure to seek out all the above foods from sources that grow food organically, as this is vital to obtaining the trace minerals that are usually not present in North American soil and therefore not in American foods. Additionally these foods should be eaten uncooked, or in the case of rice-unwashed, as trace minerals are easily cooked and washed away.

To read more goto http://www.WellnessMedicine.info/hairloss

Editor of Wellness Medicine Dr Darryl Chew specialises in Men's Health and andrology. He had edited several articles and books on Muscle Management, Weight Loss, Male Sexuality.

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Hair Loss Remedies How Do You Choose?


Hair Loss Remedies are big business, especially on the internet. However not all hair loss remedies are equal, and before you decide that its time to tackle your hair loss problem, you might like to think a little more about whether you need to seek out a hairloss remedy, and if so how.

The first thing you need to do before even thinking of looking for hair loss remedies is to consult your doctor. Not all hair loss is permanent. There are various medical conditions and medical treatments which cause hair loss. But when the condition or treatment is over the hair naturally grows back.

So it is essential to pinpoint the cause of your hair loss before you start on any search for hair loss remedies. Your doctor can advise and tell you whether you need to follow up and consult a specialist. Your specialist can advise specifically on what hair loss remedies are available to you.

However there is another step you need to take before you start on any hair restoration campaign using any of the multitude of hairloss remedies that can be found. Decide how important it is to you to do something about it if the verdict is that you have some form of permanent hair loss.

Hair loss is not a disease of itself. It is usually a normal condition that for many men, and some women, is a part of life. Just as some people get sick and others dont, some suffer from hair loss and some dont.

And as it is not a disease of itself it does not necessarily need to be treated. Whether you decide to look for some form of hairloss remedy is purely a personal decision based on personal and aesthetic considerations. Some people seem to see hair loss as a condition that needs to be treated as cancer needs to be treated, simply because it is there.

However that is not to say that you shouldnt consider some form of hair loss treatment, just that you need to think about it and weigh up all the factors. And there is no rush. It is very rare for hair loss to happen fast. It is usually gradual and you have some time to think about your options.

Spend as much time as you feel you should to educate yourself about all the various hair loss remedies on the market. Dont feel that you need to rush in and make a choice. You have time to educate yourself so that when you finally do decide to do something about it you know exactly what your options are.

And if you do finally decide to seek out the best hair loss remedies then you should be well educated and able to differentiate the snake oil from the real and very effective hair loss remedies that are available on the market. Because there are some very good ones out there. And some very bad ones. Make sure you know which is which.

So, if you are suffering from hair loss and are worried about it, take your time and take stock. Find out what the cause is. Find out whether you need to seek professional help or not. Find out what hair loss remedies are out there, how they work, (if they work), what they do, what they cost, what any possible side effects are and how likely they are to work for you.

And once you have spent some time investigating all possible avenues, considering all the factors involved, and investigated the particular products and options available to you, then you can make a calculated informed decision about whether, and if so how, to treat your hair loss.

Youll be glad you took the time to think about it well. Then you should get the result you want. Theres no rush.

For a website totally devoted to hair loss and hair replacement visit Peter's Website The Hair Replacement Guide, and find out about Hair Loss Treatments as well as Male Hair Loss and more, including Female Hair Loss and Hair Transplants

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Hair Loss: Know The Cause, Know The Cure


Dont you envy those young men in the streets with full heads of hair? Hair has always been considered a mans crowning glory, while hair loss has been regarded as signs of ageing and unattractiveness.

So, losing hair has always been a problem for many men.

Well, it no longer has to be a problem! If you know your hair problem, you can find out the cure easily. In this article, I hope to present to you the major causes of hair loss, and the things that you should do if you have such a problem.

Of course, you may also want to take a look at my book: http://www.myhealthweekly.com/presents/hairloss/

Cause 1: Genetic Balding

This is seen in men and women alike, and this constitutes the majority of cases of hair loss. The most commonly used cure is treatment with 2% topical minoxidil. However, only around 30% of users show noticeable improvement, and stopping the use of the drug might result in loss of the newly grown hair. When 0.05% retinoic acid solution is added however, a higher percentage of users show moticeable improvement. Consult your doctor about using these drugs.

Cause 2: Fungal Infection

Fungal infection often causes patchy hair loss, and red scalp, scaling (dandruff) and pus is often seen. This type of infection can be easily treated with a few months course of anti-fungal agents, used simultaneously with anti-fungal shampoo.

Cause 3: Major illness/surgery

After you have undergone a major illness or surgery, you might experience this type of hair loss. This type of hair loss can also follow stress or childbirth. However, such hair loss is temporary, and hair will regrow in a matter of months.

Cause 4: Drugs

There are various drugs that can cause hair loss, such as vitamin A, chemotherapy, blood thinners, and thyroid medication. However, hair will also regrow soon after the discontinuation of the drug. Alternative medication can be prescribed by the doctor if this is the cause of hair loss.

In conclusion, hair loss, though distress, is not life threatening. Medication provided by the doctor can solve most of the problems, and in severe cases, a local injection onto the scalp will cause hair to grow back.

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Hair Loss Is a Cause for Concern


Losing hair is not only a cosmetic problem though it cant be denied that it can bring down your self-confidence and self esteem to a worrying degree. Hair loss can be indicative of more serious problems as well. So, the sooner we do something about it the better it is.

Lets begin by understanding what it is and how it is caused. Baldness or alopecia is a state of losing excessive hair. You must know that losing 50 to 100 hairs in a day is considered normal. Its when you lose more than that you should sit up and take note of the problem. Baldness can be the result of heredity, certain medications or an underlying medical condition. Anyone men, women and children can experience hair loss. However, in most cases it is caused by todays stressful lifestyle, long working hours, pollution, poor diet, combined with alcohol, drugs and smoking.

Theres not much you can do about factors like heredity, but you can correct the other factors and improve the quality of your hair. Remember, hair loss is not an irreversible process. Hair is a bi-product of blood. Therefore to treat the hair and scalp, you cannot obtain a good result by using topical lotions alone. You cannot feed the hair externally. If you could, the shampoo or conditioner would do wonders. It is logical therefore to take care of your scalp and the composition of your blood. The composition of your blood and state of your scalp determine the quality and growth of your hair.

Your overall diet affects your blood. You must supplement your diet with live enzymes to help absorb vitamins in the body. They are normally only found in raw fruit and vegetables and uncooked food. You should drink lots of water also. Never comb your wet hair and never use a thin comb. Also avoid hot air dryers; let the hair dry naturally.

Stimulating the scalp is another way to tackle the problem of hair loss. You should massage your scalp with a tangy lotion to increase the blood flow around the hair follicles. Nourishments reaching the hair follicles will stimulate the hair to grow much fuller, shinier and healthier.

If you are losing large amounts of hair, see a physician. Hair loss may be caused by some health conditions such as high cholesterol levels. Often the hair grows back when the cause is corrected

If hair loss occurs at an age when you can afford to let it be, you should let your hair loss run its course untreated and unhidden. However, if it happens when youre still too young to go around with a baldhead you may either cover it up with hairstyles, makeup, hats or scarves or choose one of the medications and surgical procedures that are available to treat hair loss. But, before pursuing any of these treatment options, talk to your doctor about the cause and best possible treatment for your hair loss.

Joseph Then operates a Health Portal and covers a range of health issues like obesity, dieting, hair loss and more. You can visit him at http://www.thehealthyportal.com

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