 If you're losing more strands than usual or you notice your hair's thinner than it used to be, here's what may be to blame.
Many people—and women especially—take great pride in their hair. It makes sense, as your crowning glory is just as front and center, just as visible to the rest of the world, as your face. Losing some hair every day is completely natural. It's a sign your body's growing new, healthy ones to replace the old. In fact, losing up to 100 hairs per day is normal. You can also kind of get an idea of what's normal for you by just paying attention to what you typically see in your brush or shower drain. "If all of a sudden you're noticing a lot more, or your ponytail is thinner or you're seeing more scalp," then you may be losing more hair than you should, Francesca Fusco, M.D., dermatologist at Wexler Dermatology in NYC and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai, tells SELF. There are many different types of hair loss. Some, like genetic andogenetic alopecia (female pattern hair loss) are irreversible and out of your control—you get the hand you're dealt. But others, like the very common telogen effluvium, which is temporarily increased shedding caused by a wide variety of health and hormonal changes, can be fixed. With telogen effluvium hair loss, you need to think back to four or so months before to determine the culprit, Bethanee Schlosser, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology and director of the Women's Skin Health Program for Northwestern Medicine, tells SELF. "Shedding peaks about four months after the incident" that caused it, she explains. Other types of hair loss may happen progressively over some time and depending on whether they damage the hair follicle, can be either permanent or fleeting. If you've noticed your hair is falling out more than usual, looks thinner, or seems to be growing more slowly, here are some of the most likely things that could be causing it. 1. Childbirth During pregnancy, most women notice their hair going into rapid growth mode. "That’s when everything is in a grow, grow, grow phase, because there's surges of hormones [estrogen] that make hair grow," Fusco says. Since the hair growth stage lasts longer, normal shedding doesn't occur. Once estrogen levels go back to normal after delivery, hair resumes its normal growth cycles and starts to shed all that thick, luscious hair that accumulated over the last 10 months. Some women experience very mild shedding, but others experience intense shedding for a few months. 2. Changes in birth control Going off the Pill or changing to a different type of hormonal contraception can also cause hormone-induced shedding. "Whether you're just starting it, discontinuing it, or changing brands, your body can react by causing the hair to go into an increased shedding mode," says Fusco. 3. Protein deficiency Eating protein is essential for our bodies to make new hair cells. If you're not eating enough, your body won't have enough new hairs to replace the old ones when they shed. 4. Certain medications "Medications can cause chronic shedding," Schlosser says. The most notorious for doing so are blood pressure medications, but some antidepressants and HIV medications may do it as well. Always talk with your prescribing doctor if you notice you're losing hair a few months after starting new meds. 5. Dandruff or scalp psoriasis When the skin on the scalp is inflamed and itchy, and you frequently scratch the hell out of it, your hair may start to shed more than usual. Dandruff is the most easily treated cause of hair loss, Fusco says, because you can treat it with a zinc pyrithione shampoo (she recommends Clear Complete Scalp Care Anti-Dandruff System). "Consistency is the trick," so it's important to find a shampoo and conditioner you like, she says. Similarly, seeing a dermatologist to treat your psoriasis and restore your scalp's health will get your hair growing back normally. 6. Going through intense emotional or physical stress When you're experiencing something stressful or traumatic—not your average day-to-day stress, but something big and life-altering like a divorce, a death in the family, a significant job change, or a big move—you may experience a temporary halt in hair growth as your body puts its resources toward getting you through said big event. "Hairs don’t all grow at the same rate," Schlosser explains. "Some are growing some are resting and some are actively being shed. When you have these conditions, your body halts hair growth, and then things get restarted and all these hairs that have been halted start to get pushed out at the same time." The same thing can happen with physical stress and trauma, like having a big operation, being hospitalized, or even losing a significant amount of weight very quickly. 7. Autoimmune diseases "An autoimmune condition makes the body recognize its own hair follicles as foreign and it attacks them and makes the hair fall out," Fusco explains. This could be alopecia areata—an autoimmune hair loss condition— or something like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, and certain types of anemia (like sickle-cell anemia, not the more common iron-deficiency anemia). Schlosser notes that lupus can cause some scarring of the hair follicle, resulting in permanent hair loss. 8. Wearing too-tight hairstyles too often This can cause traction alopecia, Schlosser says. "Classically, this happens when people wear tight braids chronically, but i’ve seen it with tight ponytails, too," she explains. It can cause progressive thinning of the hairline, and if you do it for long enough, the hair loss may actually become permanent. It's considered a scarring process, which can damage the hair follicle beyond repair. Schlosser advises never wearing one hairstyle for too long, and trying not to pull too tightly if you can help it. 9. Heat-styling your hair on the reg Fusco says that women will come to her explaining they have hair loss, when really they have something called trichorrhexis nodosa. This is a condition where damaged, weak points in the hair shaft cause hair to break off easily. The cause? Thermal damage to the hair from things like using hot tools and over-bleaching. "Hair loss is not necessarily from the root but it's from somewhere along the shaft," she explains. 10. Over-processing your hair Getting frequent perms, chemical straightening or relaxing procedures—basically anything that uses harsh chemicals on your scalp and hair—can damage the hair follicle and cause permanent hair loss. "After repeated insults, the hair follicles just won't grow back," Schlosser says. This can cause hair to appear thinner, and may be especially noticeable on the scalp. Remember, many hair loss conditions are treatable. Most cases of increased shedding will gradually resolve on their own without treatment, Schlosser says. But if your hair doesn't return to its normal fullness after six to nine months, see a doctor for an evaluation to find out if something else is going on. "If you ever have any symptoms like itching, pain, burning, flaking, redness, or notice you can't see as many hair follicles anymore, you should seek help sooner." See your primary care provider or go directly to a dermatologist who specializes in treating hair loss. They can determine what type it is and what the right treatment approach is for you.  Have you ever noticed that there will be more hair falls that may be spread around your shoulders and pillows after terrible head ache? Can we assume that headache is related with hair loss?
There is another type of headache called tension headaches, which feel like pressure is being applied to your head, especially around the back of the head and over the forehead. The name itself is the point. Tension or stress can cause hair loss. A lot of stress and tension can occur after stressful event such as death, divorce , house fires, accidents, or even final examination. We call hair loss from stress, telogen effluvium. However, this kind of hair loss may not come from stress only. Besides severe stress, a shock to your system such as surgery, giving birth, some medications, crash diets, and thyroid problems can push hair into its resting, or telogen, state. When you are under unhealthy conditions, the body will draw back some necessary nutrition to fix itself and therefore it is natural that hair will fall more than usual. About 2-3 months later, you may see hair falling out that sometimes described as hair “coming out in handfuls.” In most cases, new hair starts growing right away. Your doctor should determine if your telogen effluvium needs treatment. This type of hair loss is a temporary condition that some people may use drugs to help them. If the main reason of hair loss is headache or migraine caused by stress or tension, some alternative treatment can be helpful. Aromatherapy : By simply smelling some essential oils like lavender, ginger, peppermint, and wintergreen or applying them to the temples or neck can relieve headache Massage therapy : Massage can reduce stress and tension and relieve tight muscles in the neck and shoulders Relaxation techniques : Meditation, deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and relaxation to music are easy and great for headache and migraine relief. Yoga : Light exercise in the morning 20-30 minutes is good for health in overall. Dietary : Salt can intrigue high blood pressure. High blood pressure is related with tension. Reduced or totally eliminated salt from the diet. Avoid hot and spicy foods. This is an advice from Ayurveda medicines. You get a clue now what is the relationship between headache and hair loss. Tension is a key. Simply relax and have positive thinking is simple way to prevent hair loss from stress.  Unless you are balding, chances are good that you take hair for granted. A little shampoo and conditioner, a bit of styling product, and a good hair day is in your future—right? Not necessarily. Like all other body tissues, the state of your hair is related to your overall health and individual physical characteristics. Hair starts its lifespan in small, sack-like structures in the skin known as follicles. Each follicle produces a single hair shaft composed of a hard protein called keratin, which is arranged in long, tightly bound strands. New growth begins in the follicle and pushes outward so that the oldest part of the hair is furthest from the scalp. Each hair has a distinct growth cycle — active growth, maturation, and rest. During the resting phase, the follicle relaxes its hold on the shaft, so hair can easily fall or be pulled out. Every hair on your head goes through the growth cycle, but not at the same time. At any given moment, about 15 percent of all the hairs on your head are resting, and therefore capable of shedding . . . in your hairbrush, in the shower, on the bathroom floor. This is totally normal, and is not a harbinger of baldness. Between my two daughters and myself, our shower drain needs cleaning about every two weeks — that’s about all the “resting” hair it can take before it’s thoroughly clogged. Trust me, none of us is even close to bald. But if you have been experiencing unusual hair loss or problems with dryness, splitting, or breakage, or if you simply want to have more beautiful locks, nutrition can help. What Affects Hair Health? It is estimated that we each lose about 100 hairs a day. The actual number you’ll lose on any given day depends on how abundant and healthy your follicles are, what medications you’re taking, and many other factors, some of which are beyond your control. For example, the recommendations in this section won’t reverse thinning hair due to male pattern baldness or aging — typical male baldness is genetic. As we age, our hair spends more time in the resting phase, which means that we’ll shed more hair than usual, and it won’t grow back as quickly. For more general hair problems, here are some factors that you should be aware of: Hormonal Shifts Both male and female hormones affect hair growth. Male hormones known as androgens — a category that includes testosterone — stimulate hair growth on the face and body, and create fuller, thicker hair on the head. In women, ovaries and adrenal glands naturally produce androgens, but only very small amounts. If a woman suddenly starts growing facial hair, she should see her doctor — it could be a sign of a hormone-related health problem. For some men with a genetic susceptibility to baldness, normal testosterone is converted to a more potent form of testosterone (dihydrotestosterone, or DHT), which binds to cells in the follicle. DHT alters the growth/shed cycle and eventually kills the follicle. These men find themselves becoming bald in their 20s, a few years after their testosterone levels peak. Because the follicle itself shrinks and dies, this type of baldness is irreversible. Some prescription medications may short-circuit the balding process if caught early enough, though the medications need to be continued for life. In both men and women, levels of androgens decrease after about age 40, which leads to thinner, slower-growing, less luxurious hair as we get older. In contrast to androgens, the female hormone estrogen slows hair growth and creates a finer, thinner shaft of hair, which is why women are, on average, naturally less hairy than men. After menopause, levels of estrogen fall off dramatically, causing some genetically susceptible women to lose significant amounts of hair. Experts believe that female balding follows a processes much like male balding — without enough estrogen to off-set the tiny amounts of androgens in their bodies, they also can have androgen-related hair loss. But male and female hair loss aren’t identical. While men tend to bald in a distinct pattern that includes a receding hairline and hair loss at the crown, women tend to lose hair evenly, leaving them with a sparse head of hair instead of a totally bald scalp. When levels of estrogen and progesterone are both high, such as during pregnancy, the combination works to synchronize the hair growth cycles, so more hair is in the growth stage at the same time. In the second and third trimester of pregnancy, the percent of hair in the resting phase falls by one-third to about 10 percent. For those few months, pregnant women have the fullest, richest heads of hair they’ll have in their entire lives. About three months after delivery, the percent of shedding hairs goes back up to 15 percent. As all those synchronized hairs enter the resting phase together, it can look like you’re suddenly losing all your hair. Don’t panic! Once the hair starts to regrow, it returns to its usual growth/rest cycle.  Stress
Stress is one of the most common causes of unusual hair loss. Accidents, major illnesses, severe psychological stress, or other traumatic events can send hair follicles into the resting phase prematurely. Around three months later, when those resting follicles release the hair shaft, large amounts of hair can seem to fall out simultaneously, and for no discernable reason since several months will have passed since the event that triggered this whole episode. Again, getting through this is simply a matter of waiting it out. Your hair should begin to regrow almost immediately. Lack of Protein Hair is made of protein. All basic nutrients contribute to keeping us whole and healthy, but protein provides the building blocks that allow us to repair, replace, or grow bones, skin, muscles, and hair. Although we tend to think of dietary protein as coming from steak, fish, chicken, and other meats, it is also found in eggs, legumes (such as starchy beans and lentils), dairy products, soy foods, and — in smaller amounts — some whole grains and vegetables. People who don’t get enough protein in their diets, such as those with anorexia nervosa or who follow any extreme weight-loss diet, will slow the rate of new hair growth. As hair is naturally shed, it won’t grow back as quickly. With enough hair loss, the scalp will start to show through. Starvation also depletes the body of other nutrients important for hair growth and quality. And over the long term, starvation and extreme weight loss will lead to a reduction in hormone production, which can also lead to thinning hair. Medications and Supplements Most people understand that chemotherapy treatments for cancer can cause widespread balding, but many other commonly prescribed medications may lead to less extensive hair loss. These include anticoagulants (such as warfarin), antidepressants, oral contraceptives, and medications for blood pressure, gout, or arthritis. In addition, very high doses of vitamin A and selenium are toxic and can cause hair loss. This type of toxicity happens only if you take high-dose supplements, so don’t take individual supplements for vitamin A or selenium. If you take a multivitamin supplement, it shouldn’t contain more than 100% DV for vitamin A (5,000 IU) or selenium (70 micrograms). Better yet, make sure your multivitamin provides 50 to 100% of its vitamin A in the precursor form of beta carotene and/or mixed carotenoids. There is no known chance of Vitamin A toxicity when you’re getting your standard supplemental dose from carotenoids. Because beta carotene in food and supplements is converted to the active form of vitamin A by your body in controlled amounts, you won’t make more than your body needs. Once you stop taking the medication or supplements, hair will usually begin to grow back within a few months. Thyroid Gland Malfunction and Other Disorders Thyroid hormones affect the metabolism of all cells, including cells in hair follicles. Too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroid) or too little thyroid hormone (hypothyroid) can result in thin, brittle hair or hair loss. With uncontrolled diabetes, body cells (including cells in hair follicles) starve because glucose can’t get in; and in systemic lupus erythematosus, the body attacks its own collagen, including the collagen in hair follicles. These disorders and many others — including celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease — may cause hair loss or damage by altering cell metabolism or structure. Once the underlying disease is treated, hair growth should return to normal. All cases of unexplained hair loss should be investigated by a physician to rule out the possibility of serious disease. Reference: joybauer.com |
AuthorBy Masaakii Archives
May 2024
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed