The Many Causes of Women’s Hair Loss

Everybody knows that men are not thrilled about going bald. What is not as widely known is how much women dread the same thing. This condition in women is a worldwide problem. For women, and much moreso in Western countries, hair loss is extremely embarrassing and causes immense emotional pain. There are social expectations about women and hair, and just one of them is that women don’t, and shouldn’t, lose their hair. Getting thin or going bald is very hard for women to deal with. Also, did you know that hair loss happens as much in women as it does in men? What are some of the causes of this hair loss?

For men, you know there is male pattern hair loss. And women have the same condition, and it’s called female pattern baldness. It’s not same as androgenic alopecia, but it’s similar to it. For women, the main difference is pattern of hair loss. In men, this condition hits in specific places first and then stretches out to other areas of the scalp. What is seen in women is the thinning out all over the top.

You can say the distinction for women is that there’s really no distinct pattern.

The primary cause of thinning and baldness in women is alopecia areata. Surprisingly, it’s a disorder of the the autoimmune system. But you cannot detect this by yourself. You have to get a diagnosis by a doctor. Should you notice that your hair is thinning, then go see your doctor about that. Yet there is good news to this story because it is a condition that can be treated. Since it is autoimmune related, then that is why it can be treated. When you see your doctor, you’ll be given a way to treat it that will work best for you.

Certain chronic illnesses can cause, in addition to their other symptoms, women’s hair loss. Sometimes this depends on the types of medications that you are prescribed to counteract the effects of these illnesses. In other situations, if there is hair loss involved it is a symptom, and that will help the physician make a diagnosis. As you can imagine, very often the chronic illness will last forever and throughout the remainder of the person’s life. The situation is usually one in which there is management of any symptoms with medication, and there is no cure for it. As is often the case, here, the hair loss has to be endured because the medication needs to be taken. You do have options in the area of coping with the hair loss, and there are some options for you – just talk to your doctor. There are lots of reasons that a woman might lose her hair. There are environmental, emotional, and physical scenarios and reasons. As always, only a medical professional, your doctor, can find out the real reason for your condition. Whatever the cause, they will help you to find out for sure what it is. There are always options available, and what they are will depend on what exactly is causing your hair problems.

Controlling hairfall is a few meals away

Tired of sweeping countless strands of hair on the floor? Or are you losing sleep over a receding hairline? Then it’s probably time to get up and take control of your hairfall. A normal individual loses about 70-100 strands of hair daily which are replaced by new strands. But in case of severe
hairfall, the quantity of hair lost each day increases with or without a reduced rate of newer hair growth.

Hair loss is a concern for both men and women, but more visible in men. About 50 per cent men complain of thinning of hair along with a receding hairline by the age of 45 or more.  In case of women, the complaints of thinning of hair or severe hairfall start around the age of 50 or post-menopause.

Why do we lose hair?
The most common reason for hair loss is the male hormone testosterone, which is also found in women. Increased consumption of medication could also cause hairfall. Hormonal changes in women during periods of pregnancy, lactation, menopause or thyroid disease are also responsible for increased hair loss. Inadequate intake of protein, low levels of iron and zinc or a deficiency of essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) results in increased hair loss.

Dealing with hair loss
It is important to provide every follicle the nutrition it needs. Substantial intake of quality protein via non-vegetarian or vegetarian sources is a must. You can opt for soyabean and soy products, pulses, lentils, milk, curd and nuts. Iron can also be obtained from other sources like green leafy vegetables, gardencress seeds, dates, raisins, eggs etc.

Nuts and seeds are good sources of magnesium and zinc, that promote hair nourishment. Fish, flaxseed, flaxseed oil, walnuts, mustard seeds and soyabean are also good sources of essential fatty acids that promote hair nourishment.

The health of your hair depends on the circulation to the scalp and the nutrients in your blood. Regular exercise will stimulate circulation. Coriander juice with mint and curry leaf juice helps provide beneficial nutrients.

Foods high in sugar content, caffeine, alcohol can increase hairfall due to the production of cortisols and stress hormones. Research also proves that smoking leads to faster graying of hair. Topical application of almond oil, castor oil or olive oil on the scalp has shown to be beneficial. Herbs like tulsi, brahmi, amla, rosemary, sage and triphala improve the health of the scalp and reduce hairloss.

One should also take care while washing hair. Don’t over dry your hair as it becomes brittle. Use mild shampoos and conditioners. Using hot water for washing, irons and hot blowdryers can also damage hair. Be gentle while brushing and combing your hair.

Hairfall is a manifestation of the body’s health status. Prolonged hairfall should not be ignored, diet should be modified and medical help should be sought before the problem gets out of hand.

Long Term Treatment for Hair Loss

A lot of people have been asking of an effective hair loss treatment that doesn’t have any harmful side effects. Presently, there are a lot of hair loss treatments on the market today, basically there are two types, ones that are taken internally and the ones applied topically or put on directly on the scalp.

A lot of doctors, would prescribe oral hair loss treatments because of its effectiveness in stopping hair further hair fall and stimulate new hair growth, but the downside of these treatments are its side effects, particularly on males which could eventually cause impotence. This causes a lot of men to make a very difficult decision to choose between their looks or sacrificing their mojo.

This occurs because of the inhibition dihydrotestosterone or DHT, an important male hormone. DHT comes from testosterone when acted upon by an enzyme called 5 alpha reductase. DHT contribute to a lot of functions in a male body, it literally transforms a boy to a man during puberty and it also strongly influence a mans mojo, without this hormone you will never get Charlie to stand when you need it.

Luckily, there are alternatives to oral treatments. Topical hair loss treatments like shampoos and tonics are directly applied on the scalp and its anti DHA properties affects only the scalp and does not enter systemically, therefore, not affecting the production of DHT whatsoever. This makes topical hair loss treatments safe even after years of use.

What’s great about topical treatments is that it can be use safely every day, even children can use it. When these treatments are used early, they can prevent hair loss from ever occurring.