Shataghnee Chanda
Do you find more hair on the pillow, comb, and the surface of your room than on your scalp?
Tension Not!
By the age of 30, 25% of men and 12% of women lose hair. This number increases to 50% for men and 25% for women at 50.
Thus, You are not alone!
Now, move yourself to a rocking chair with popcorn and let us delve into the realm of hair loss and know why it happens to you.
Hair loss is one of the prime concerns that has worried millions around the globe. The people concerned are irrespective of age and sex. Losing a few strands in a day is normal, but daily heavy falls are shocking and alarming. That’s why knowing what causes hair loss can be one way to deal with the problem. With such knowledge, it is possible to take preventive measures get timely treatment and afford health care.
They might be a combined result of causes such as heredity, lifestyle decisions, and medical conditions. The following article on The One Liner will outline some of the main factors that can be attributed to why hair fall occurs and we will discuss some practical advice on how one should go about the problem.
Baldness is majorly genetic. In men, it is referred to as Androgenetic Alopecia. While in females, it is known as female pattern baldness. It is hereditary and is evident from an early age in some people, even in their adolescent years. It is associated with the presence of one form of hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which causes degeneration of the hair follicles and also shortens the growth cycle.
If you can see the passing down of hair loss in your parents or grandparents, then there is every likelihood that you too will lose hair. In most cases, such genetic background is quite relevant to know, and indeed it gives a chance for planning and acting for this loss. Early roll-in of medical treatments or lifestyle changes can help stall or eliminate the possible further loss.
Chronic stress triggers hair loss. It could keep pushing your follicles into a resting phase and then make them drop out due to telogen effluvium. This phenomenon accounts for the causal association of hair thinning and loss attributed to stress some months following a life event.
Poor Nutrition and Poor Diet Nutrient-dense foods are also bad for the hair; a diet rich in these acts as a tonic. Their deficiency, applying mainly to foods rich in some vitamins, such as B-12 and D and minerals like iron and zinc, can cause hair loss. Since protein is the basic constituent of any tissue, including hair, it is thus essential. Weak hair tends to fall easily due to an intake of insufficient proteins.
Smoking is also bad for hair as it affects blood flow other than that, through which hair follicles get most of the important nutrients. Otherwise, it impairs blood flow. This will eventually result in weakened follicles that have fallen out or thinned. In addition, the chemicals in cigarettes were known to damage the DNA of the hair follicle itself.
Heavy drinking was associated with hair loss. Excessive intake of alcohol will tend to dehydrate the body and cause poor absorption of nutritional values, and hence it could result in possible hair loss. It has also been discovered that alcohol is very destructive to the liver and thus hinders the process of detoxification which is crucial for healthy hair.
The research shows that medical conditions may cause hair loss problems in individuals. Diseases can cause hair loss and include diseases of the thyroid, PCOS, and autoimmune diseases like alopecia areata. These diseases either change the balance of hormones in the body or change the normal growth cycle of hair, thus causing thinning or bald patches.
We see hair loss in humans because of hormonal changes in the body, as may occur during pregnancy or menopause, and can trigger hair loss in women. Estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate; such fluctuations destroy the growth of hair and increase shedding and thinning.
Medications are a common cause of alopecia. Probably, the most frequently offending medications are drugs to treat cancer, blood pressure, and depression. This is a reversible, yet very distressing form of alopecia. Discussions with the healthcare provider about options may help alleviate this problem.
It is said that the frequent use of heat-styling tools, harsh chemicals, and very tight hairstyles are all liable to wreak huge amounts of much-needed damage on shafts and hair follicles. All these have to be reduced in their use as much as possible, with gentler alternatives applied.
Other gentle hair care options also involve using
Hair growth is essential to scalp health. Massaging your scalp increases blood flow to those areas that feed the follicles to grow hair. Keeping it clean and free from buildup also avoids certain conditions that may make one lose his/her hair due to dandruff or fungal infections.
Small changes, such as reduced stress, good dietary intake with no smoking, and limited alcohol consumption, make a huge difference to the hair. If one has persistent concerns about hair loss, he/she should seek professional help.
However, if your hair fall has not been arrested as of yet, then professional help is a must. Dermatologists and trichologists offer relevant treatments and advice according to the nature of the problem that can help you regain control over your falling hair.