Hair shedding occurs when several hairs are falling out at once without any single cause. It could be caused by brushing your hair too hard, but it can also happen occasionally for no apparent reason. According to hair and skin specialists, we lose 50 strands of hair every day. However, losing 100 strands per day is not unusual, especially in people with longer hair. The entire scalp has 100,000 hair follicles, so losing a hundred of hair strands per day should not be a cause for alarm.
Hair loss is another thing. It's the rapid, noticeable thinning of hair that can occur due to genetics or other known reasons like diet or a medical condition. It’s called Alopecia Areata and it's when your hair falls out, causing round patchy hair loss on your scalp. It can happen to both men and women and the cause isn’t known, although usually there is often a family history of it. Other times, it can be a sign of an autoimmune condition such as thyroid disease. Unlike hair shedding, where the breakage of hair shafts leads to new hair regeneration, some types of alopecia may result in permanent hair loss.
There are two common types: Alopecia universalis, where you lose all your body hair, and alopecia totalis, where you lose all the hair on your head. It is also possible to experience patches of hair loss or have just areas of the scalp which are hairless. It is where the body’s own immune system starts to attack the hair follicles.
Symptoms of Hair Loss
Hair loss can be a gradual or sudden process, and it can cause a variety of symptoms. Some of the most common ones include the following:
- Hair thinning
- Excessive shedding
- Bald patches and receding hairline
- Wider parting in your hair
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to see a doctor to determine the cause. Many medical conditions can cause hair loss, so it is important to get proper diagnosis and treatment.
Source: anveya
What Can I do?
There are a few things that you can do to help prevent hair loss. Eating a healthy diet that is rich in protein, iron and other essential nutrients is one of the key ways to promote hair growth. Another is avoiding excessive styling, especially wearing a tight ponytail or using chemical treatments.
When it comes to using hair products, stick to a mild shampoo and conditioner that are pH balanced for your hair type. Using a scalp massage oil or treatment can also help to nourish the scalp and promote hair regrowth.
If you're already experiencing a pattern of hair loss, you need to consult a doctor to find out the cause. Your doctor may order blood tests to detect if you actually have an autoimmune disease, and occasionally a scalp biopsy will be done to be able to determine what type of hair loss you have. The bad news is that there is no single medical treatment that can resolve loss of hair. Sometimes doctors prescribe topical treatments like creams, steroid injections under the skin or ultraviolet light therapy which are used to treat psoriasis. There are various drugs that can be used to address an irritated or itchy scalp and get it to grow back healthy hair, but none of these treatments is certain.
Now to the good news. Often, hair does start to grow back, but people who have had androgenetic alopecia for a long time may find this does not happen. People with this problem from a young age, or some type of dermatitis also usually have problems regarding hair regrowth. In extreme cases, the hair just does not grow back, which leads to complete baldness.
What Causes Alopecia?
It has been found that hereditary hair loss is caused by specific genes that trigger the disease. Angela Christiano, a geneticist in America, has found that people with certain types of hair loss problems, such as anagen effluvium and telogen effluvium, have several things in common with individuals diagnosed with autoimmune illnesses such as diabetes, celiac disease, and even arthritis. The study she did showed that it had much to do with certain T cells (white blood cells that fight infection or those producing signals to trigger the release of the white cells).
From a natural point of view, there could be many reasons why this is happening. In addition to certain skin conditions and medications, hormonal imbalance is believed to be one of the culprits. That said, it is important to investigate your hormone levels and your thyroid. Do have a blood test but even if the bloods come up okay, don’t rule these out. Check with your natural therapist as to what they recommend.
How to Maintain a Head of Hair
While hereditary hair loss is tough to beat, as it can potentially lead to male or female pattern baldness, eating healthy foods and taking extra care of your hair can improve its life cycle and prevent excessive shedding. Aside from harmful hair products and nutritional deficiencies, exposure to a stressful event can have a strong emotional impact that influences the health of your crowning glory. To put it simply, maintaining a healthy healthy mind, body and spirit is key in preventing androgenic alopecia.
Evening Primrose oil may be in order or even some Kelp, but don’t just start taking supplements because you think they are good for you. Vitamin E is good for the skin but don’t take this if you have high blood pressure. This does not mean you must abandon your multivitamin simply because it may contain vitamin E. It is better to consult a nutritionist to find out what is most suitable to your specific needs, otherwise you may find that you are taking things that you don’t need or your body cannot absorb properly.
Another thing to keep in check is your stress levels. Constant stress causes lots of chemical reactions in your body, which can make you physically, mentally and emotionally ill. Stress needs to be diffused on an energetic level, otherwise it will be a recurring problem. This is the case with any illness. How that is done is through a series of processes with a trained therapist. Whilst physically you can take Vitamin B, multivitamins, do some meditation, yoga, tai chi, etc. All these can diffuse stress on an energetic level. If you do not remove the pattern of stress, you can bet it will return. It may be in a different form and it may not be until years later, but the anxiety will come back. Excessive stress leads to anxiety, panic attacks, depression and other health conditions.
The following are additional tips for keeping your hair healthy and strong:
- Use a deep conditioning mask or treatment at least once a week.
- Avoid using hot tools like curling irons and straighteners on a regular basis.
- Try to avoid overwashing your hair and shampooing every day.
- Be gentle when brushing and detangling your hair, especially if you have fine strands.
- Avoid iron deficiency by including seafood, lean meat and dark leafy vegetables in your daily diet.
- Avoid tight hairstyles like cornrows, buns and ponytails that can put stress on the roots of the hair follicles.
- Quit smoking because it reduces blood flow to the scalp, which disrupts the hair growth cycle.
Find support
Taking all of the above into account will promote hair regrowth and prevent excessive hair shedding. If your problem persists, find a good natural therapist and a trusted friend who can see you through this, and you will find that your sense of self-worth will improve and you will realise that people love you for who you are, as uncomfortable as this disease is, not for what you look like.
Originally published on Oct 20, 2010
