The Truth about Hair Loss

It is normal to shed hair every day and the truth is we loose between 100 - 125 hairs on any given day. Some people, however, experience more hair loss than is normal. If you or someone you know is suffering from hair loss, here are some alternative health ideas that can help naturally.

It is normal to shed hair every day and the truth is we loose between 100 - 125 hairs on any given day. Hair that is shed falls out at the end of growth cycle. At any given time 10% of our hair is in what is called a "resting phase" and after 2- 3 months resting, hair falls out and new hair grows in its place. Some people, however, experience more hair loss than is normal.

As we get older, both men and women experience some hair loss. It’s a normal part of the aging process. Called Androgenetic Alopecia, it accounts for 95% of all hair loss. Androgentic Alopecia often runs in families and affects some people more than others. In men it is often referred to as Male Pattern Baldness. It is characterized by a receding hair line and baldness on the top of head. Women, on the other hand, don’t go entirely bald even if their hair loss is severe. Instead, hair loss is spread out evenly over their entire scalp.

Hormones play the dominant role when talking about Androgenetic Alopecia. Simple put, both men and women produce testosterone. Testosterone can be converted to dihydrotestosterone ( DHT) with the aid of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. DHT shrinks hair follicles causing the membranes in the scalp to thicken, become inelastic and restrict blood flow. This causes the hair follicles to atrophy. As a result, when a hair does fall out, it is not replaced.

Causes of Hair Loss

Lets discuss the main causes of hair loss, because once cause of hair loss is identified, one is better equipped to make an informed decision and take reasonable steps to stop and reverse the process. When this happens, one cause of hair loss is resolved: stress.

Hair loss is a natural daily phenomenon, re-growth is generally a given. But this shedding of hair cannot be the main cause of hair loss. Every strand of hair on a human head is genetically programmed to a cycle that includes growth, stabilization, aging and shedding. On the average, a human head sheds about 50 – 125 (depending on gender) but most of them will come back after the resting stage as the follicle itself is not destroyed. Trouble begins when the loss exceeds re-growth, or the re-growth is weak and unhealthy. These are the main causes of hair loss.


Other causes of hair loss are as follows:

Genes
Genes can give you stunning looks but may also be a cause of hair loss for you. In a vast majority of cases, hair loss is hereditary, passed down the genes from either side of parentage. Some studies indicate that baldness from the maternal side has a greater chance of it being passed along.

Here is the most common explanation how genes can be a cause of hair loss:

During the fetus formation stage, some hair genes make hair follicles susceptible to a hormone called Dihydrotestosterone, more commonly referred to as simply DHT. When this link is established, the follicle starts to shrink, sprouting thinner and weaker hair at every cycle. Eventually, the follicle or root dies and baldness is complete.

Stress, Trauma, Diet
Other causes of hair loss could be surgery, medication, high level of work or family related stress and diet or nutrition changes all these can contribute to hair loss. These causes of hair loss are generally short lived and hair growth is restored once the situation normalizes. In any case, the above mentioned causes of hair loss rarely contribute to baldness.
Please click on other links on this site to read and determine various hair loss and causes of hair loss discussed and explained by gender and group.

Needless to say, men produce more testosterone than women and experience more hair loss.

While Androgenetic Alopecia is the number one reason why individuals experience hair loss, it is not the only one. Medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, ringworm and fungal infections can cause hair loss. Certain medications such as blood thinners, gout medication, birth control pills and too much vitamin A can cause sudden or abnormal hair loss as can following a crash diet, sudden hormonal changes, chemotherapy and radiation.

Emotional stress, pregnancy, or surgery can also cause our hair to fall out and is usually not noticed until 3-4 months after the stressful event has taken place. Stress can cause a slowing of new hair growth because a larger number of hair follicles enter into the resting phase and no new hair growth is experienced.

Another way in which individuals experience hair loss is due to mechanical stressors on the hair and scalp. Wearing pigtails, cornrows or tight rollers that end up pull on the hair can scar the scalp and cause permanent hair loss. Hair products such as hot oil treatments and chemicals used for permanents can cause inflammation to the hair follicles which can also result in scarring and hair loss.

For some, hair loss may be the early warning sign of a more serious disorder such as lupus or diabetes, so it is important to talk to your doctor. If you or someone you know is suffering from hair loss, here are some alternative health ideas that can help naturally.

Hair Loss Prevention

Helpful information about preventing and stopping hair loss, including guide to hair loss causes and treatments. Learn how to prevent premature hair loss, stop hair loss and regrow hair.

There is no way around it - a full head of hair matters in today's context and hair loss prevention is a major issue. The presence of hair on one's head indicates vitality, youth and vigor. It adds to our personality and is often indispensable in social and even personal settings. People with a full head of hair seem to get ahead in most circles. When a person begins to lose hair, others tend to equate it with advancing age and loss of essential faculties. Hair loss prevention has occupied healers for ages. In their efforts to find means of preventing and stopping hair loss, ancient people even turned to spiritualism. Preventing hair from falling out is easier than growing it back, so the time-tested maxim that prevention is better than cure holds true in hair loss prevention. Once hair follicles have reached a dormant state, it is difficult and sometimes possible to reactivate them. Advanced hair loss often calls for radical measures such as surgery. However, it is possible to prevent hair loss with many new medical formulations.

It is important to establish the reasons behind every case of hair loss. The problem may lie in an unsuitable lifestyle. High stress levels can cause hair loss, as can the use of certain intoxicants. Smoking is another known offender. Lack of exercise can cause general metabolic dissipation, and this can often lead to hair loss. So can an unhealthy diet. Hair loss can also result from the use of certain drugs used to treat common ailments such as hypertension and depression.

On the pharmaceutical side, we now have many options for preventing and stopping hair loss. Compounds such as Finasteride are often helpful. This anti-androgen drug finds application in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. Scientists have discovered that it is also useful in preventing hair loss in males. The vasodilator Minoxidil has the fascinating side effect of reversing hair loss and even promoting hair growth. It is one of the biggest discoveries in the area of hair loss prevention in recent times. Applied topically for periods of over a month, Minoxidil rejuvenates hair follicles. Though experts are unsure of the exact action, they believe that Minoxidil increases blood flow to the affected areas and stimulates hair cell growth.

The synthetic antifungal agent Ketoconazole suppresses the immune system and doctors use it to treat various skin and fungal infections. Its immunosuppressant properties can stop and even reverse hair loss in patients who are losing hair because of such infections. However, it has certain side effects and has fallen into disfavor in the medical community of late.

Hair loss prevention is also achievable through the herbal route, though these systems have not seen sufficient study. The Chinese, for instance, use a herbal compound called Polygonum Multiflorum to prevent and reverse hair loss. Certain hair oils and tonics containing Resveratrol can also be beneficial to some patients suffering from hair loss.

There are many drugs and procedures for hair loss prevention available on the market today. Some have valid benefits, while others are merely scams that aim to exploit the insecurity and fervent hopes of those who suffer from hair loss. Finally, the best route for hair loss prevention is a professional diagnosis of the problem, followed by appropriate treatment.

Recommendations For Wellness

If you are taking prescription medications, talk to your doctor and find out if your medication is contributing to your hair loss.

Avoid mega-doses of vitamin A. Too much vitamin A can cause your hair to fall out.

Exercise, do yoga, meditate or find some other practice that will help to reduce your anxiety and stress levels.

Massage your scalp with rosemary oil in an olive oil base. Both rosemary oil and massaging the scalp can stimulate the circulation in the scalp and promote hair growth.

If you are a women, have your female hormones tested. If they are imbalanced, talk to your health care provider about bio-identical hormone replacements.

If you wear pigtails, cornrows, use a curling iron, hair dryer or hot rollers, try changing your hair style to one that puts less pressure and stress on your hair and scalp.

If hot oil treatments or chemicals such as those used in permanents are causing inflammation to the scalp, discontinue their use, or reduce the number of times you are using them.

Use gentle shampoos and conditioners to avoid any unnecessary damage to your hair.

In men, herbs such as saw palmetto and licorice root help block the formation of D HT. The same holds true for supplementation with zinc. As an added benefit, studies show that these supplements can also help prevent prostate enlargement.

Healthier Hair and Glowing Skin Just From A Shower Filter? Yes!

We all know that drinking clean water is good for our bodies, but does it matter if you are showering or bathing in tap water? It certainly does. Considering the drying effects of chlorine and other contaminants found in tap water, one of the best things you can do for your hair and skin is to use a quality shower filter.

You know it’s best to drink clean, uncontaminated water, but does it matter if you use regular tap water to shower and bathe in? The answer is Yes, it matters a great deal to your skin (your body’s largest organ), your hair and even your lungs! Here’s why:

Chlorine

One of the biggest reasons is chlorine, which is found in most tap water. When you take a hot shower, the chlorine vaporizes in the air and combines with other organic compounds in the air and forms chloroform gas. Chloroform gas is a strong irritant to the lungs and also causes fatigue. You can’t help but inhale this gas in the shower. Because chlorine and other irritants vaporize at a much lower temperature than the water itself, the concentration of chlorine in the air of your shower is much higher than the concentration found in the water itself. When the water you shower in is chlorinated, every time you step into a hot shower you are stepping into a concentrated chlorine chamber! Furthermore, both asthma and bronchitis may be linked to inhalation of chlorine.

Skin

As for your skin, your pores are wide open in the warmth of the shower and absorb a great deal of chlorine and other chemical contaminants such as VOCs (volatile organic compounds). We all know the feeling of dry skin from bathing or swimming in chlorinated water. Chlorine strips the oils from your skin, leaving it over-dried and even accelerating your skin’s aging.

Hair

Your hair is also dried out and damaged by the presence of chlorine in shower water. Like your skin, your hair is "wide open" when it is in hot water and it absorbs the chlorine, which strips the hair shaft of its natural oils, leaving it dry and dull. Also, chlorine and other chemicals found in tap water can interfere with and shorten the "life" of hair coloring, highlights and other hair treatments.

Shower Filters

Fortunately, it is simple and inexpensive to address this problem. A quality home shower filter does an excellent job of removing chlorine, VOCs, lead and other contaminants from your water. They install quickly and easily and are a very inexpensive way to have an immediate and positive impact on your overall health. There are several quality brands on the market, and any of them will have a dramatic and noticeable impact on your skin and hair right from your first use.

A drinking water filter is, of course, highly recommended as well, and at least one of the top brands offers a drinking water filter and shower filter "combo" pack at a reduced price for the pair. Given the importance of water to every aspect of your health, there are few better investments you can make!

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