Hair Loss Treatment

How much hair loss is normal?

While hair loss can be scary, it is important to note that shedding of hairs is a natural process with anything from 100 to 300 hairs being randomly shed each day. Let’s look at two distinct aspects of normal hair loss. First, we’ll examine what is actually involved in the hair growth cycle. Second, we’ll assess the natural progression of hair loss over time.

Hair is composed of long, twisted keratin fibers that are protected by a coating of keratinized cells. Just below the surface of the skin lies a cluster of active cells known as the dermal papilla and it is from here that the hair grows into its follicle.

This growing fiber eventually hardens and grows out from the scalp. At this stage the hair fiber is dead with only the root tip containing living cells.

In a little more detail, the hair growth cycle, consists of three distinct stages:

Anagen stage – a phase of growth that can last between two and seven years. On average, each hair grows about six inches (15cm) per year.

Catagen stage – a phase of transition that lasts roughly two to four weeks. At this time the hair shaft detaches from the dermal papilla and moves up within a shrinking follicle.

Telogen stage – a resting period that lasts about three months allowing the hair to detach itself from the follicle before falling out. After this, the cycle repeats itself unless other factors intervene to prevent repetition of the cycle.

Clearly time has a role to play in the development of hair loss in both men and women. Humans are born with varying amounts of soft and fine body hair. Through time some of this hair becomes stronger and develops further characteristics such as color and texture. Up to the onset of puberty the hairline is characterized by a low spread across the forehead. For men, this continues only for a few more years.

As men progress through their twenties the hairline takes on a more mature look typified by recessions to the frontal temporal regions and accompanied by slight thinning elsewhere. This concave appearance doesn’t necessarily equate to premature balding as it is all a question of degree.

The Norwood Scale is an extremely useful tool in developing a hair growth strategy as it allows you to establish your own degree of hair loss in a way that is understood by physicians and other hair loss experts. More importantly, it can help to set your mind at rest and allow you to differentiate between normal hair loss that does not require remedial action and more extreme loss that calls for immediate action.

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Seborrheic Dermatitis Hair Loss

There are various reasons for hair loss. Several disorders or diseases can also result in hair loss. Hair loss is an usually an indication of some underlying problem within the body.

Seborrheic dermatitis is one such disorder that is related to the changes on the scalp. This is a common inherited disorder and should be treated continuously and treatment should start as soon as it is detected.

Seborrheic dermatitis is also often known as dandruff, eczema or cradle cap. When you have seborrheic dermatitis, you experience a change in the skin texture on your scalp. This will include either greasy or oily areas over the scalp or white flakes that are coming off from your scalp. You are also likely to experience itching and redness in the scalp area, and not to mention, also hair loss.

If you notice any of the above mentioned symptoms, then you may be having seborrheic dermatitis. For treatment, you can use a medicated shampoo for direct application on your scalp. Depending on the shampoo, it will contain a variety of ingredients that will help.

These shampoos will contain medications such as salicylic acid, coal tar, zinc, resorcin and selenium.

If the medicated shampoo fails to arrest your hair loss and scalp disorder another option is you can get a prescribed medication from your physician in order to get rid of seborrheic dermatitis. The prescribed medications will usually have a stronger amount of these
ingredients in them, as well as added ketoconazole and corticosteroids.

You can also massage your head in order to get the balance in the scalp back to a normal condition. This is especially effective with children who are dealing with seborrheic dermatitis.

While seborrheic dermatitis can easily be treated with the right shampoos and hair care, it cannot easily be prevented. Once you have the symptoms, it is very likely that you may get them again. You will need to continue to use the shampoos that have the medication in them and take the necessary measures in order to prevent the problem from coming back.

In addition, make sure that you have an adequate supply of essential vitamins and supplements. As always, a healthy diet helps. Adopt good hair care tips to prevent further hair loss.

If you are having a difficult time preventing this problem, then you can consult your physician about possible treatments. Having an understanding of seborrheic dermatitis and knowing how to treat the problem will help you in maintaining a healthy scalp and hair.

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Role of Zinc in Hair Loss

One of the reasons for hair loss could be a lack of particular nutrients and vitamins. A lack of the essential vitamins can lead to your body not functioning at its best. The same holds good for the health of your hair.

One of the major nutrient factor to prevent and treat hair loss is the simple Zinc. Understanding the role of zinc, with relation to hair loss, should help you ensure preventable measure to stopping hair loss due to a lack of zinc in your diet.

It is well known that zinc is essential not just for healthy hair growth but also for a healthy skin and nails. A lack of this crucial nutrient will cause your hair to stop growing and to fall out faster. Zinc works in conjunction with various proteins to create a sort of support system for you body. Zinc is needed for cell division, in the growth and maintenance of muscles, helps to control oil glands, and is also required for the synthesis of protein and collagen.

In fact it is reported that zinc has been shown to be effective in stopping hair from turning gray. Even when hair is already gray or becoming thinner and balding, zinc can reverse the effects when taken in proper amounts.

The reason why many suffer from zinc deficiency is not surprising given that zinc is destroyed in the milling process and is also lost in cooking.

Zinc deficiency not only produces the problem of hair loss, but also affects the health of the scalp. The scalp may become too dry or flaky and can often be irritated because of the lack of nutrients.

In addition, a zinc deficiency can result in a poor immune system, heightened sensitivities and allergies, night blindness, loss of smell, white spots under finger nails, skin problems, sleep disturbances etc.

Men with zinc shortage may have a problem with fertility, while women may experience irregular periods. Children with too little zinc may have stunted growth and slow sexual maturity.

Zinc deficiency is a problem that you should not turn a blind eye to. Include a variety of foods in your diet that are rich in zinc. Wheat germ, yeast, muscle meat, fish and egg yolks are all known for containing a high amount of zinc. It is best to have zinc from natural sources as these get assimilated faster and are easier on your system.

If, however, you cannot get the required amount of zinc from natural sources, then you can always buy zinc supplements. Instances where consuming zinc from natural sources is not possible include if you have certain food allergies or intolerance. Zinc supplements are readily available in health stores. The effective dosage ranges from fifty to one hundred milligrams a day.

So if you suffer from hair loss problems the this is one vitamin supplement that may just work wonders for your receding hair line.

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Natural Hair Loss Remedies

Much before the modern age and the chemical based medical system, healers and practitioners of herbal medicine had numerous natural ways of treating hair loss and prevent thinning of hair. We would classifies these as natural remedies.

In a way every product is “natural” in the sense that we extract them from products available in nature, but when we talk of natural remedies here, it refers to using products in their pristine form without any chemical alteration or treatment.

Some such remedies have been found to be pretty successful by people who use them. So it is worthwhile to have a look at the most popular one. After all anything is worth a try if it helps us with our hair loss problem. Now for the solutions:

ESSENTIAL OILS: These are concentrated oils from plants, such as lavender, soybean, and bay. They are massaged directly onnto the scalp and are said to assist with increasing blood circulation and follicle stimulation.

EXERCISE: Any form of physical activity increases and improves blood circulation to all parts of the body, including the scalp.  It is believed that increased blood supply to the cells in the hair follicles will maintain their health and stimulate hair production.

HERBAL COCKTAILS: (Use Externally. Do not Ingest):  A variety of herbs are recommended, for example include Rosemary, Sage, Nettle and Burdock and boil them together, strain off the leaves, and wash the hair with the solution every day.

JOJOBA OIL: Widely used in Mexico for hundreds of years, it is massaged on the scalp, and many claim it is highly effective in stimulating new hair growth.

LOWERING DHT: DHT is formed when an enzyme in a man’s body acts upon the testosterone and is believed to be responsible for the “closing-up” of hair follicles.  Products such as Provillus shows a lot of promise and may help block DHT production, thus proving an important help for male hair loss sufferers. You can find it at at www.provillus.com.

Homeopathic physicians usually recommend that some of these treatments be used concurrently. Some have had success, but, as in all cases, different bodies respond differently to the same treatment. But still, they are worth a try before moving to more expensive treatments.

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7 Common Causes of Female Hair Loss

To be frank hair loss can be distressing for anyone, but for a woman it can be more so, as a healthy and thick tresses is a sign of beauty.

While the cause of hair loss in women varies from person to person, there are some common conditions, Understanding these can help you cope better and can also help you find the right hair fall solution.

Let us look at the 7 most common reasons:

1)Hereditary thinning, or androgenetic alopecia, its proper medical term, is the most common cause of women’s hair loss. The tendency to develop female pattern hair loss can be inherited from either side of the family. Generally this leads to thinning of the hair in women rather than baldness and can start in the teens, twenties or thirties.

Unfortunately, there are no cures for hereditary female hair loss. However, there are treatments, such as minoxidil, which may help some, this is a topical lotion applied twice daily to your scalp.

An alternative solution which women with thinning hair may consider is female hair transplantation. This procedure involves moving hair from areas of your head with normal hair growth to thinning areas.

As with all surgical procedures, you should only undertake this after taking advice from a specialist.

2)Improper hair cosmetic use is another common cause of women’s hair loss. Treatments such as bleaches, tints, hair dyes, straighteners or perms rarely damage your hair if done properly. However, their overuse can cause the hair root to become weak or break.

If chemical treatments is the cause of your hair turning brittle and leading to hair loss, then it is recommended you stop their usage until the damaged hair has grown out.

3)Alopecia areata is another type of hair loss which can affect women of any age. This usually results in hair falling out and leaving round coin sized smooth patches on the head. In rare cases there may be a total loss of hair.

Although the cause of alopecia areata in women is not clear, in time the hair usually grows back by itself. Female hair loss caused by alopecia areata can also be successfully treated by dermatologists.

4)Thyroid disease can also lead to female hair loss. Where an under or over-active thyroid condition has been diagnosed, any associated hair loss can be usually be successfully treated by your physician.

5)Severe infection, flu or a high fever can also be a cause of hair loss in women. After a bout of illness, even as much as four weeks to three months afterwards, you may be taken aback by seeing a lot of hair falling out.

This is caused by your hair going into a resting phase to redirect energy to the healing of the body. Any hair loss usually corrects itself over time though.

6)Some medications can also lead to women’s hair loss. For example, prescription drugs used for arthritis, blood thinning, depression, gout, heart problems or high blood pressure may cause hair loss. High doses of vitamin A have also been associated with female hair loss.

7)Inadequate protein in a women’s diet can be a cause of female hair loss. If you go on a crash diet or have extreme irregular dietary habits then you may develop protein malnutrition.

As with severe illness, the body will put hair into the resting phase to conserve protein. Significant hair loss can occur two to three months later and be easily pulled out by the roots.

Hair loss caused by inadequate protein can be easily reversed by ensuring you eat the correct levels of protein in your diet.

To conclude, we have looked at several common causes of women’s hair loss and some suggested solutions for treating the problem. However, because there are so many different causes of female hair loss you should always consult your physician or dermatologist to correctly diagnose your problem and to take the best course of action to treat it.

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