The Cause of Hair Loss

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The Cause of Hair Loss



Normally, about 10 percent of the hair on your head is resting (not growing). After a few months, the resting hair falls out and new hair begins to grow in its place. The growing phase can last from 2 to 6 years. While in the growing phase, hair will gain approximately 1 centimeter a month. It is normal to experience hair loss every day as part of this normal resting/growing cycle. Some people experience excessive hair loss from a variety of causes.

The cause of hair loss is multi-variable. Most people erroneously believe that hair loss is caused by things like bad circulation, stress, sweat and dirt on the scalp, or wearing hats. With the exception of stress, none of these factors has been proven as a cause of hair loss. Stress is also not very likely unless you have undergone extreme physical or psychological torture. This hair loss is also temporary.

The real cause of hair loss lies with hormonal problems. Hair loss occurs when male or female hormones (androgens and estrogens) are out of balance. An imbalance of hormones is usually a genetic trait that as of yet, cannot be cured. Male and female-pattern baldness is the most common form of hair loss. This is caused by a hormone called DHT, a naturally occurring hormone that helps in sexual development. After puberty, an increase in DHT causes an increase in binding at hair follicle protein receptor sites which throws the process of healthy hair growth off.

Other causes of hair loss may be medicine. Blood-thinners, medicines used in chemotherapy, an excess of vitamin A, birth control pills, and antidepressants have all been shown to promote hair loss in certain people. Infections of the scalp can cause hair loss as well as certain diseases like lupus and diabetes.

Hairloss Info provides detailed information about the cause of male and hair loss, as well as products, treatments, remedies, and more. Hairloss Info is the sister site of Snoring Web.



Related Links:

Hair Loss In Women A Devastating Occurrence

Everything You Wanted To Know About Hair

Causes of Hair Loss

The Cause of Hair Loss

Hair Loss Resources

Hair Loss Articles

The Cause of Hair Loss



Normally, about 10 percent of the hair on your head is resting (not growing). After a few months, the resting hair falls out and new hair begins to grow in its place. The growing phase can last from 2 to 6 years. While in the growing phase, hair will gain approximately 1 centimeter a month. It is normal to experience hair loss every day as part of this normal resting/growing cycle. Some people experience excessive hair loss from a variety of causes.

The cause of hair loss is multi-variable. Most people erroneously believe that hair loss is caused by things like bad circulation, stress, sweat and dirt on the scalp, or wearing hats. With the exception of stress, none of these factors has been proven as a cause of hair loss. Stress is also not very likely unless you have undergone extreme physical or psychological torture. This hair loss is also temporary.

The real cause of hair loss lies with hormonal problems. Hair loss occurs when male or female hormones (androgens and estrogens) are out of balance. An imbalance of hormones is usually a genetic trait that as of yet, cannot be cured. Male and female-pattern baldness is the most common form of hair loss. This is caused by a hormone called DHT, a naturally occurring hormone that helps in sexual development. After puberty, an increase in DHT causes an increase in binding at hair follicle protein receptor sites which throws the process of healthy hair growth off.

Other causes of hair loss may be medicine. Blood-thinners, medicines used in chemotherapy, an excess of vitamin A, birth control pills, and antidepressants have all been shown to promote hair loss in certain people. Infections of the scalp can cause hair loss as well as certain diseases like lupus and diabetes.

Hairloss Info provides detailed information about the cause of male and hair loss, as well as products, treatments, remedies, and more. Hairloss Info is the sister site of Snoring Web.



Related Links:

Hair Loss In Women A Devastating Occurrence

Everything You Wanted To Know About Hair

Causes of Hair Loss

Proper Hair Care

Proper Hair Care

Each year, Americans spends millions of dollars on hair-care products and treatments. Unfortunately, some of these efforts are too rough or done frequently. The result is hair damage rather hair care. Damaged hair stays damaged until it grows out and is cut off. This can take many months, because your hair grows only about 1/2 inch each month.

Choose shampoo and conditioner that is right for you. Hair gets dirty when sebum, an oily substance secreted by the skin's sebaceous glands, coats the shaft. Dead skin cells and airborne dirt stick to the sebum. A "good" shampoo leaves hair manageable, easy-to-comb and glossy. Most modern shampoos are synthetic detergents called surfactant -- replacements for the older types that dulled hair by depositing a scum on its surface. Surfactant molecules surround a tiny glob of oil, forming a package called a "micelle." Rinse water carries the micelle away. Coloring, perming, combing, teasing and shampooing can break the cuticle's long protein chains. The cuticle gets shaggy, and hair becomes rough. Static, due to combing, can develop.

Most modern conditioners contain cationic quaternary ammonium compounds that provide a positive charge which reduces static and makes hair less "fly-away" and more manageable. Some products, particularly those containing benzalkonium chloride as the active ingredient, are good conditioners. Those with added polymers, collagen, balsam, silicones or resins that bond with and coat the hair shaft, may provide a protective film, smooth out the cuticle, reducing snarls and tangles. Conditioners that give "extra body" may contain waxes that, when dry, make it look fuller, some contain oil/fats (e.g., lanolin, mineral) to smooth hair, and a few have humectants that supposedly hold in water content. Price and exotic ingredients bear little or no relation to efficacy. Most conditioning products that claim to nourish hair do nothing of the sort as the ingredients cannot enter the hair unless they contain transformants -- molecules small enough to pass into the cortex.

Quaternary ammonium compounds in conditioners have a tadpole-shaped molecule that is attracted to a damaged site on the cuticle. When many such molecules attach to hair, they make it slippery and easy to comb. Shampoo molecules and conditioner molecules normally counteract one another when combined. But several new shampoo/conditioners contain conditioning agents that stay suspended until the hair is rinsed. Diluting the lather releases these agents, so they can coat the hair.

Protein shampoos do not penetrate your hair, but they do coat it, giving your hair more bulk. A protein shampoo acts as a shampoo and conditioner in one. Follow your shampoo with a cream rinse or conditioner. These products lubricate your hair between washings and help minimize damage from brushing or combing. Those containing protein ingredients may also thicken your hair temporarily. use shampoos tailored to your hair type--oily, dry or normal. Permanent - waved, straightened, or dye hair needs low pH shampoos. Excessive flaking may require dandruff shampoos (see treating dandruff).

Choosing the right conditioner or shampoo for your hair can be a matter of trial and error. Some products may make your hair limp, while others may even dull it with a film. Choose two different brands of shampoo and conditioner that are right for you, alternate use will give the best result.

It is a myth that shampooing increases hair loss. Whether dry or greasy, hair should be washed as often as required to look good, even every day. Most experts recommend at least once a week washing to prevent dandruff from clogging the scalp. If you have an oily scalp, frequent shampooing will keep the hair from lying flat, weighted down by the fats in sebum. Shampoo will also reduce surface sebum, which contains high levels of testosterone and DHT that may re-enter the skin and affect the hair follicle. Very dry hair may be improved by massaging with a little olive or almond oil, covering and leaving on overnight, washing out next morning. If done gently, daily shampooing will not damage your hair. The amount of washing will depend on the type of your hair, the weather, your physical activity, and perhaps even your occupation.

A proper and thorough brushing should precede every shampooing. For proper washing, wet your hair completely with warm water. The first rinsing acts as a pre-wash to remove dust and water-soluble dirt and hair-care products.

After the first rinsing apply the shampoo with hand to the oiliest part of the scalp and massage the entire scalp gently, using your fingers instead of your nails as you work the lather outward from your scalp. Try not to tangle the hair, and avoid scrubbing the ends, particularly if your hair is long.

Rinse thoroughly with water. Shampoo can leave a residue that can dry the hair, attract dirt, and irritate the scalp. If you shampoo daily, lather only once, even if you have oily hair. Over- cleansing can create a vicious cycle in which you stimulate oil production and then dry out the hair. If you shampoo less frequently, experiment with one or two sudsings.

Handle With Care

After washing, towel dry by patting gently. Since heat from curling irons and blow-dryers are notorious hair destroyers, to prevent damage, the hair should be dried naturally. If a blower is necessary, use it on a lowest setting and leave your hair slightly damp. If you brush or comb your hair while it is wet, you pull out much more hair than you would by gently untangling it with your fingers and waiting until it is damp or dry before you carefully brush or comb it. An occasional massage with the fingertips will enhance blood flow to the scalp.

Your hair requires gentle handling. Wet hair is especially fragile because it might become stretched. A natural bristle brush is preferred over a synthetic one because the synthetic material may create static and cut the hair. Brush the hair gently from the scalp to disperse scalp oil over the hair. Brushing is especially important for long hair because the natural oils do not normally reach the ends, but it's equally beneficial for short hair. It increases circulation to the scalp and stimulates hair growth. If you prefer a comb, use a wide-toothed comb to avoid injury to your hair.

Begin to brush the hair at the ends and remove large tangles gently with your fingers. Continue to brush, picking up more hair and working along the length of the shaft until you reach the scalp. Then brush thoroughly from the scalp to the ends with long continuous strokes. Bend at the waist and brush the hair down toward the floor to stimulate the scalp by increasing blood flow to that area.

Styling

Certain hairstyles and treatments can cause breakage or root damage. Avoid excessively tight braiding, buns, or ponytails. do not roll your hair too tightly in curlers. Teasing and back combing should be done gently or not at all. To much exposure to sun, wind, or swimming-pool chemicals will dry out your hair and cause it to knot.

A styling gel or mousse can give your hair more body or thickness. They do not necessarily damage your hair, but you may experience extra dryness, especially at the hair ends.

Hair bleaches chemically alter the melanin granule in the middle layer of each hair strand. Despite careful treatment, persistent bleaching eventually damages even healthy, strong hair shafts, but it does not injure the roots from which future hair growth takes place.

Hair dyes work more like paint by covering hair strands with color or by mixing with the melanin granules without altering them. Dyes come in temporary form, which eventually wash out, and semi-permanent and permanent forms, conduct a patch test to check for possible irritation, because a severe allergic reaction to hair dye could cause hair loss. Curling is safest if you twist your hair into pin curls overnight. Use of hot rollers or curling irons gives the best results for coarse hair, but they may damage strands or roots when used to excess. When you use a curling iron always roll in the ends last. For safe curling of fine hair, let it air dry and wind it loosely around sponge rollers.

Permanent waving rearranges the inner hair molecules, breaking and reforming its sulfur bonds, in a step-wise chemical process (that gives off the familiar sulfide odor which wafts off the head being waved). Permanent waving is safe for healthy hair, but you may find it results in increased dryness and splitting. Straightening and permanent waving use the same chemical methods to change the properties of hair strands.

In permanent waving, a gentle shampoo first strips off the sebum, then swelling agents open up the hair shaft -- to allow entry of the bond-rearranging waving solution. Modern waving solutions (mostly ammonium or sodium sulfide) are more flexible than the former types, safer and more controllable. The latest acidic waving lotions, although more expensive, have the gentlest hair-reforming action, and are advised for use on fragile or tinted hair. Wound on rollers of varying sizes, hair gets a permanent curl of the desired type. The final extent of the wave depends on the kind of hair (finer curling faster), the time the solution stays on and the size of roller used. After the hair is arranged in its new, curly configuration. Waving solution is rinsed off and the second solution, the neutralizer which restores the linkage is put on to halt the curling process. The waving action must be stopped at the right time to avoid overprocessing. Modern waving solutions are often self-timed, the hair-altering reaction automatically halted after a designated time. A permanent waving should never be done on hair dyed with metallic products and only with extreme care (using the gentler waving lotions) on hair that's been recently bleached or tinted with permanent, oxidative dyes. Dual processing could disintegrate hair made porous by the tinting procedure. Waving after coloring hair requires great care and use of weaker waving lotions -- a fact known by any trained hairdresser. Done by a reliable stylist, permanent waving today is pretty safe.

Diet and Your Hair

The quality of your hair reflects in part the adequacy of your diet: regular, well-rounded meals are best for you and your hair. Consuming extra protein or amino acid preparations will not promote hair growth. In fact, there is evidence that megadoses of some vitamins-particularly A and E may contribute to hair loss. Iron deficiency, due to inadequate consumption of red meat or heavy menstrual bleeding in women, could cause hair shedding. Crash diets and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa can damage hair dramatically.

Various claims are made for the value of analysis of hair samples-- measuring its mineral content -- as a means of assessing nutritional status or detecting nutritional deficiencies, but the process has no validity and can be considered one of the many scams aimed at appealing to people concerned about their health. The chance of getting accurate information from a single hair strand is nil. The results are distorted by contamination from sweat, the shampoos, conditioners, sprays and coloring agents used to groom hair, and by the hair's rate of growth. It's highly questionable whether the metal or mineral content of a hair accurately reflects amounts elsewhere in the body.

Common Drugs That Cause Hair Loss

It is well known that many cancer chemotherapy medications cause baldness. Most people are willing to put up with hair loss when accepting treatments for life-threatening diseases. But a large number of popular medications can cause hair loss while neither pharmaceutical industry nor your doctor will tell you about this side effect.

Here we compile a list of drugs that are know to cause hair loss in some patients:

Cholesterol-lowering drug:

clofibrate (Atromis-S) and gemfibrozil (Lopid)

Parkinson Medications:

levodopa (Dopar, Larodopa)

Ulcer drugs:

cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac) and famotidine (Pepcid)

Anticoagulents:

Coumarin and Heparin

Agents for gout:

Allopurinol (Loporin, Zyloprim)

Antiarthritics:

penicillamine, auranofin (Ridaura), indomethacin (i\Indocin), naproxen (Naprosyn), sulindac (Clinoril), and methotrexate (Folex)

Drugs derived from vitamin-A:

isotretinoin (Accutane) and etretinate (Tegison)

Anticonvulsants for epilepsy:

trimethadione (Tridione)

Antidepressants:

tricyclics, amphetamines

Beta blocker drugs for high blood pressure:

atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol (Lopressor), nadolol (Corgard), propranolol (Inderal) and timolol (Blocadren)

Antithyroid agents:

carbimazole, Iodine, thiocyanate, thiouracil

Others:

Blood thinners, male hormones (anabolic steroids)

Next time your doctor prescribes any drug for you, ask if it will cause hair loss. You doctor may not realize this side effect. You can ask him or her to look it up in the Physicians' Desk Reference, which lists the side effects of all prescription medications. If the drug is linked to reversible alopecia, ask if another can be substituted. And just to make sure your physician has given you accurate information, when you get the prescription filled, ask your pharmacist as well.

Other Baldness Solutions

Other Baldness Solutions

Wigs made from artificial or, increasingly, real hair, kept in place by adhesives, are becoming more natural-looking.

Sutured hair pieces may be permanently stitched into the scalp, i.e., synthetic hair fibers or the real hair of others is permanently attached, sewn in or "shot" (like tiny barbs) into the bald scalp by non-medical technicians. Although claimed to be safe, it is not, because whenever a foreign object is permanently placed in the body there's almost always a consequent infection or skin allergy.

Hair weaving, also called "hair intensification" or "hair integration," involves adding to thin hair by weaving or braiding human hair or synthetic fibers into existing hair. Apart from the expense (anywhere up to $2,500), this poses two problems: first, it may be difficult to keep your hair and scalp clean. And second, it stresses existing hair and may cause it to fall out.

The American Hair Loss Council advises that only people with plenty of healthy hair should consider hair weaving. And even they should plan to keep the "intensified" hair for only a few weeks.

Hair weaving. The procedure is not surgical but merely cosmetic in that it attaches extensions, either natural or synthetic, to existing hairs. On the downside, the extensions must be repositioned every four to six weeks as the hair grows out. Hairpieces. Toupees seem to be out of favor with Baby Boomers. Hairpieces have gotten a bad name because so many men wear cheap ones that make them look as if a weasel died on top of their head. It's very hard to spot a good toupee, but the dreadful ones get noticed.

If you're thinking about a hairpiece, your best bet is to go to someone who offers a free consultation. Go with a custom piece rather than an off-the-rack toupee. Synthetic pieces are better for active, sports-minded men because they hold up to weather and water better and are easier to keep clean. Natural pieces tend to look slightly better at first, but the harsh processing done to Oriental hair--the largest hair source--makes the hair break down sooner. As for comparative costs, figure about $150 more for a natural vs. synthetic piece in the $1,000 category.

Cosmetic Remedies

To reduce the visual effect of you thinning hair, you can always resort to camouflage. The universal rule in dealing with thinning hair is, less is more. Cut it short, cut it blunt. It will make your hair look fuller and less patchy, and will be easier to maintain. With longer hair, it would bunch together and the bunches would separate, showing wide expanses of scalp.

A skilled barber can also help you when hair is thinning only in certain areas. If you are thinning in the front, the hairline is creeping back at the temple. To minimize this condition ask you barber to trim the forward part short, while letting the hair at your temples grow longer.

If your hair is thinning at the crown of the head, keep the back short; long hair in the back of the head will be heavier, pulling down and away from the crown and exposing the balding area. If you still have reasonably thick hair on the top of your head, grow it long and cover the bald spot.

If your hair is fine, you're going to have a harder time covering the bald spot. You might want to try what's known in the hair-cutter's trade as a "swell" perm, a mild perm that increases hair volume. Such a light perm will be hardly recognizable to others.

If you have dark hair, lighten the color a bit. This trick will reduce the contrast between the remaining hair and the scalp, thereby making the skin less noticeable. One cosmetic trick that may work for women: buy a powdered eye shadow the color of your hair and apply it lightly to your scalp in the thin spots. It's harmless and may make thinning hair less noticeable.

When it comes to grooming products, stay away from gels, which can cause sections of hair to stick together and create gorges of empty space that reveal the scalp. Light sprays serve a better purpose. Many hairstylists recommend the following products which make you hair look fuller.