What is hair loss?

A health article about hair loss from Your Health Online the A to Z directory of dealing with Health Problems & nutritional Self Care Strategies

Hair loss usually develops gradually in a person, and it might either be a patchy case of hair being lost or might be diffused, which means that it will be all over. In a person who is not experiencing hair loss other than the regular loss of hair, they are losing about 100 hairs from their heads every day. On the average scalp, there are about 100,000 hairs.

A hair is going to live for about 4 and a half years, and it will grow about half and inch during every month. In the 5th year, the hair will fall out, and will be replaced in about 6 months by a new hair. Most of the baldness that is genetic is caused by the fact that your body does not generate new hairs to replace the ones that fall out naturally.

Types of hair loss and their causes

The most important cause of loss of hair is inadequate nutrition. Even a partial lack of almost any nutrient may cause hair to fall. Persons lacking vitamin B6 lose their hair and those deficient in folic acid often become completely bald. But the hair grows normally after the liberal intake of these vitamins.

Another important cause of falling of hair is stress such as worry, anxiety and sudden shock.

Stress leads to a severe tension in the skin of the scalp. This adversely affects the supply of essential nutrition required for the healthy growth of the hair. General debility, syphilis, chronic cold, influenza and anaemia, also gives rise to this disorder.

It makes the roots of the hair weak, resulting in the falling of hair.

Some of the other conditions are called alopecial totalis and alopecial universalis, which mean that the entire scalp for the first one, and the entire body for the second one, become completely bald.

These conditions are

Unclean condition of the scalp can also cause loss of hair. It weakens the hair roots by blocking the pores with the collected dirt. Heredity is another predisposing factor which may cause hair to fall.

Another common cause of hair loss is poor circulation to the scalp. It is estimated that about 1/3 of people, especially men, who are suffering hair loss will see significant improvement if they are able to improve the blood circulation to the scalp.

Risk Factors:

One of the major risk factors for hair loss is not giving your body the full range of nutrition it needs on a daily basis and in a form that the body can absorb it and get that nutrition right down to your cells.

Many times in men a loss of hair can be traced back to the way that men produce testosterone. Too much or too little is going to add to baldness that might be already occurring.

In Women hair loss can be because of many reasons, such as their particular genetics, Thyroid problems, their age, and the fact that male hormones tend to increase in women after menopause, which is going to aide in the thinning of a woman’s hair.

Stress and general lifestyle issues place pressure on your system that can be a significant risk factor for hair loss.

Treatment:

Baldness, whether permanent or temporary, can't be cured. But hair loss treatments are available to help promote hair growth or hide hair loss. For some types of alopecia, hair may resume growth without any treatment.

Medication

The effectiveness of medications used to treat alopecia depends on the cause of hair loss, extent of the loss and individual response. Generally, treatment is less effective for more extensive cases of hair loss.

The types of drugs for treatment of alopecia that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration include:

Minoxidil (Rogaine). This over-the-counter (nonprescription) medication is approved for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata. Minoxidil is a liquid or foam that you rub into your scalp twice daily to grow hair and to prevent further loss. Some people experience some hair regrowth or a slower rate of hair loss or both. Minoxidil is available in a 2 percent solution and in a 5 percent solution.

New hair resulting from minoxidil use may be thinner and shorter than previous hair. But there can be enough hair growth for some people to hide their bald spots and have them blend with existing hair. New hair stops growing soon after you discontinue the use of minoxidil. It may take 12 weeks for new hair to start growing. If you experience minimal results within six months, your doctor may recommend discontinuing use. Side effects can include irritation of the scalp.

Finasteride (Propecia). This prescription medication to treat male-pattern baldness is taken daily in pill form. Many men taking finasteride experience a slowing of hair loss, and some may show some new hair growth. Positive results may take several months. Finasteride works by stopping the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that shrinks hair follicles and is an important factor in male hair loss. Rare side effects of finasteride include diminished sex drive and sexual function. As with minoxidil, the benefits of finasteride stop if you stop using it.

Finasteride is not approved for use by women. In fact, it poses significant danger to women of childbearing age. If you're a pregnant woman, don't even handle crushed or broken finasteride tablets because absorption of the drug may cause serious birth defects in male fetuses.

Corticosteroids. Injections of cortisone into the scalp can treat alopecia areata. Treatment is usually repeated monthly. Doctors sometimes prescribe corticosteroid pills for extensive hair loss due to alopecia areata. New hair may be visible four weeks after the injection. Ointments and creams also can be used, but they may be less effective than injections.

Anthralin (Dritho-Scalp). Available as either a cream or an ointment, anthralin is a synthetic, tarry substance that you apply to your scalp and wash off daily. It's typically used to treat psoriasis, but doctors can prescribe it to treat other skin conditions. Anthralin may stimulate new hair growth for cases of alopecia areata. It may take up to 12 weeks for new hair to appear.

Surgery

Hair transplants and scalp reduction surgery are available to treat androgenetic alopecia when more conservative measures have failed. During transplantation a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon takes tiny plugs of skin, each containing one to several hairs, from the back or side of your scalp. The plugs are then implanted into the bald sections. Several transplant sessions may be needed, as hereditary hair loss progresses with time.

Scalp reduction, as the name implies, means decreasing the area of bald skin on your head. Your scalp and the top part of your head may seem to have a snug fit. But the skin can become flexible and stretched enough for some of it to be surgically removed. After hairless scalp is removed, the space is closed with hair-covered scalp. Doctors can also fold hair-bearing skin over an area of bald skin in a scalp reduction technique called a flap. Scalp reduction can be combined with hair transplantation to fashion a natural-looking hairline in those with more extensive hair loss.

Surgical procedures to treat baldness are expensive and can be painful. Possible risks include infection and scarring. It will take six to eight months before the quality of the new hair can be properly evaluated.

If you're interested in these procedures, consider only board-certified dermatologists, plastic surgeons or cosmetic surgeons, and check local and state medical boards for a record of patient complaints before choosing a doctor. Consult with this doctor to confirm the cause of your hair loss and review all treatment options, including nonsurgical ones, before proceeding with plans for surgery.

Wigs and hairpieces

If you would like an alternative to medical treatment for your baldness or if you don't respond to treatment, you may want to consider wearing a wig or hairpiece. They can be used to cover either permanent or temporary hair loss. Quality, natural-looking wigs and hairpieces are available.

(Source of hair loss treatment information: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hair-loss/DS00278/DSECTION=6)

Prevention:

The best prevention action you can take for hair loss it to keep healthy, give you body good nutrition every day and ensure that you have good circulation of blood through the scalp.

These things will be a huge help but if you have a genetic disposition to hair loss or a hormonal imbalance then any prevention measures you take may not be enough to stop the process

When to seek Medical Advice:

There are a number of good medications that will be of great benefit to some individual though not to others.

There is the option of surgical intervention with hair transplants.

If you are taking any of these roads it is highly recommended that you do so under your doctor’s guidance.

Medication should be approved by your doctor and hair transplant is a surgical procedure and while your doctor may not be involved with it directly, their advice will keep you from getting off tack and being caught up in something that will do you long term damage.

Treatment/Therapy:

First of all, remember that consulting with your doctor is very important, because he might be able to recommend things that you haven’t even heard of.

The healthy condition of the hair depends, to a very large extent , on the intake of sufficient amounts of essential nutrients in the daily diet. Hair is made of protein and adequate protein is necessary for luxuriant hair.

Women require 60 grams, men 80 to 90, adolescent boys and girls 80 to 100 grams of protein. It is supplied by milk, buttermilk, yogurt,soyabean, eggs, cheese, meat and fish. A lack of vitamin A may cause the hair to be course and ugly.

A deficiency of some of the B vitamins, of iron, copper and iodine may cause hair disorders like falling of hair and premature greying.

Lack of inositol causes loss of hair. Any person having trouble with his or her hair should eat foods rich in inositol such as yeast, liver and molasses.

Research has, however, shown that women have a low requirement of inositol. Although this vitamin may help to stimulate the growth of a woman’s hair, its lack is probably not a major cause of slow growth . Women are generally deficient in iodine and vitamin B1, either of which can slow down circulation to the scalp to such an extent that hair may fall out and new hair grow in very slowly.

Women who keep their diets adequate in iodine, the B vitamins and iron have a better growth of hair.

According to Adelle Davis, a world famous nutritionist, "increasing the intake of protein, particularly of liver, wheat germ and yeast, and supplementing the diet with a teaspoon of inositol daily usually stops a man’s hair from falling, and I have seen three or four persons whose hair became thick after these improvements were made. "

Persons with a tendency to lose hair should thus take a well balanced and correct diet, made up of foods which in combination should supply all the essential nutrients.

It has been found that a diet which contains liberal quantities of: ( i) seeds, nuts and grains, ( ii) vegetables and (iii) fruits would provide adequate amounts of all the essential nutrients.

Each food group should roughly form the bulk of one of the three principal meals. These foods should , however, be supplemented with certain special foods such as milk, vegetable oils, honey, wheat germ, yeast and liver. Falling of Hair http://www.healthlibrary.com/reading/ncure/chap47.htm (1 of 2) [5/19/1999 9:23:56 PM]

Self Care strategies for Living with hair loss

Diet change strategies:

One of the best things you can do for your hair is to ensure that you have everything it needs delivered to it, all the vitamins, minerals, botanical factors, everything it needs on a daily basis.

Unfortunately our modern lifestyle damages our capacity to process our food. The most common cause for doctor’s visits in the western world is lack of energy. This indicates that the nutrition in the food we eat (if we eat well) is NOT being delivered down to our cells.

If the nutrition is not getting to the cells to keep us strong then it is not getting to your hair.

This is such a major issue that we have an article explaining how the process of getting nutrition to your cells works and I suggest you take a few minutes now and read it.

You will find it here; Nutrition For Your Cells.

Vitamin & Nutrient Associations

Over the years I have seen a host of people get themselves onto a nutrition program for weight loss and add Omega 3 oils to it to improve their cardio-vascular system.

It is quite common for people using such products to experience improved nails and improved hair.

In ladies this often shows as hair thickening and looking healthier, fewer (if any) split ends and a general improvement in wellbeing.

In men it often leads to hair regenerating and thickening and quite often thin fuzzy hair regrowing on bald pates and the body improves itself and attempts to recover from it’s lack of wellness.

In about 1/3 of cases it appears that the underlying problem with hair loss is poor circulation to the scalp. In those cases most people respond extremely well to use of Omege 3 & 6 fatty acid fish oil capsules.

We wish you well in your search for solutions to this problem and your movement towards better health in all areas.

Resources :

Free Report Reveals tips for “Eat Right! Using Good Nutrition to Prevent Hair Loss” Free Health Book. - Living & Dealing with Hair loss or Baldness. Hair loss is something that over half of the men in this world (and a lot of women too) will have to deal with at some point in their lives. Click the link above or book cover to get your free Report & eCourse today!

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