Hair Loss – a Way to Cure it Naturally!
Hello ‘terrified individual’. So you fear from the word hair loss. There are many like you. The million dollar question many ask is if they will get hair loss ever in their life. And the million dollar answer is that you really will get hair loss of some kind or the other later in life…….but there are natural ways to cure it.
First of all, hair loss is a condition in which a person loses hairs. Yes, everybody knows that. But not everyone knows the real root cause for hair loss. Hair loss means a person may be sick or just not eating right
Our hair is made of a type of protein called keratin. A single hair consists of a hair shaft (the part that shows), a root below the skin, and a follicle, from which the hair root grows. At the lower end of the follicle is the hair bulb, where the hair’s color pigment, or melanin, is produced.
Most people lose about 50 to 100 head hairs a day. These hairs are replaced — they grow back in the same follicle on your head. This amount of hair loss is totally normal and no cause for worry. If you’re losing more than that, though, something might be wrong (Definitely you have hair loss).
CAUSES OF HAIR LOSS
Illnesses or medical conditions. Endocrine (hormonal) conditions, such as uncontrolled diabetes or thyroid disease, can interfere with hair production and cause hair loss. People with lupus can also lose hair. The hormone imbalance that occurs in polycystic ovary syndrome can cause hair loss in teen girls as well as adult women. Medications. Some medications that have hair loss as a side effect may be prescribed for teens. These include acne medicines like isotretinoin, and lithium, which is used to treat bipolar disorder. Diet pills that contain amphetamines also can cause hair loss. Chemotherapy drugs for cancer are probably the most well-known medications that cause hair loss Alopecia areata. This skin disease causes hair loss on the scalp and sometimes elsewhere on the body. It affects 1.7% of the population, including more than 5 million people in the United States. Alopecia areata (pronounced: al-uh-pee-shuh air-ee-ah-tuh) is thought to be an autoimmune disease, in which the hair follicles are damaged by a person’s own immune system. (In autoimmune diseases, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, tissues, and organs in a person’s body.) Alopecia areata usually starts as one or more small, round bald patches on the scalp. These can get bigger, and in a small number of cases, can progress to total hair loss. Both guys and girls can get it, and it often begins in childhood. The hair usually grows back within a year, but not always. Sometimes people with alopecia areata lose their hair again. Trichotillomania (pronounced: trik-o-til-uh-may-nee-uh). Trichotillomania is a psychological disorder in which people repeatedly pull their hair out, often leaving bald patches. It results in areas of baldness and damaged hairs of different lengths. People with trichotillomania usually need professional help from a therapist or other mental health professional before they are able to stop pulling their hair out. Hair treatments and styling. Having your hair chemically treated, such as getting your hair colored, bleached, straightened, or permed, can cause damage that may make the hair break off or fall out temporarily. Another type of baldness that results from hair styling actually can be permanent: Wearing hair pulled so tightly that it places tension on the scalp can result in a condition called traction alopecia. Traction alopecia can be permanent if the style is worn for a long enough time that it damages the hair follicles. Poor nutrition. Poor eating can contribute to hair loss. This is why some people with eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia lose their hair: The body isn’t getting enough protein, vitamins, and minerals to sustain hair growth. Some teens who are vegetarians also lose their hair if they don’t get enough protein from non-meat sources. And some athletes are at higher risk for hair loss because they may be more likely to develop iron-deficiency anemia. Disruption of the hair growth cycle. Some major events can alter the hair’s growth cycle temporarily. For example, delivering a baby, having surgery, or going through a traumatic event can temporarily cause shedding of large amounts of hair. Because the hair we see on our heads has actually taken months to grow, a person might not notice any disruption of the hair growth cycle until months after the event that caused it. This type of hair loss corrects itself. Androgenetic alopecia. Among adults, the most common cause of hair loss is androgenetic (pronounced: an-druh-juh-neh-tik) alopecia, sometimes called male-pattern baldness. This condition is caused by a combination of factors, including hormones called androgens and genetics. Sometimes, the hair loss can start as early as the mid-teen years. It also can occur in people who take steroids like testosterone to build their bodies.
HOW TO PREVENT HAIR LOSS
So heres the natural way to prevent hair loss. Its best said that nature has its own cure for each disease. Do consider taking Aloe Vera for preventing hair loss. Why Aloe Vera – Because I used it and it has helped me in hair loss.
HOW TO TAKE ALOE VERA – You can take aloe vera as a juice extracted from the leaf of the plant or you can apply it raw over your face and hairs(head hairs only). Or you can try the most recommended method, that is you can take aloe vera pills. They are said to have the right combination of vitamins and minerals which helps aloe vera to work. Also they will provide you with a million other benefits including glowing skin, etc. Well I wont mention the benefits as the list is long. But for more info on how to use Aloe Vera pills you can try the site
My hand’s itching! Oh god I typed so much! Many happy returns of the day! Bye! Do see my other articles.
Download Free Movies, visit http://www.gingle.co.cc
Joe is writing articles about health for the last five years and is now days promoting the health benefits of Aloe Vera. In the past he has promoted shikakai, Green Tea and almonds as a cure for many diseases. He is ready to talk to you personally about your problems at his website — www.aloe.co.nr —
He became interested in Aloe after it helped him cure his Acne and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Since then he is researching Aloe Vera and promoting its use for many diseases.
Peggy Knight Helps Girl with Hair Loss / Alopecia Areata on the Tyra Banks Show
www.peggyknight.com The Tyra Banks Show covered a story about a high school girl who sufferers from Alopecia Areata. Tyra makes the trip to her high school to help her confront the other students who tease her about her hair loss, and consoles her as the teenager tells the story of her father passing, causing her so much stress that she began to loose her hair. Peggy Knight has fought her own battle with Alopecia Areata as a teenager and through her struggle with hair loss she developed Peggy Knight Solutions. Peggy also tells her an amusing story about someone who had bullied her as a teenager, and who she recently saw at a high school reunion. Peggy Knight has fought her own battle with Alopecia Areata as a teenager and through her struggle with hair loss she developed Peggy Knight Solutions. Peggy Knight Solutions creates custom made hairpieces from the highest quality human hair for victims of medical hair loss. Alopecia areata is a highly unpredictable, autoimmune skin disease that may lead to the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body. This disease affects males and females of all ages and races, but it often begins in childhood. This disease affects approximately 2 percent of the population, or about 4.5 million people in the United States alone. Peggy Knight Solutions is the leading provider of hair prostheses for medical hair loss. We provide realistic human hair wigs and hairpieces made from the finest quality European hair for persons with medical …
Whatever the cause and symptom, hair loss is a source of dejection
Hair loss is a difficult matter to face for both men and women. It is the thinning of hair on the scalp. The medical term for hair loss is alopecia. Alopecia can be either temporary or permanent. Heredity and hormonal imbalance can cause gradual hair loss that is referred to as ‘androgenetic alopecia’.
Define Hair Loss
Hair is made up of a keratin, a protein that is produced in the hair follicles. When new cells are produced the old cells are pushed out through the surface of the skin. This cycle of new hair growth and losing old hair is termed as ‘natural hair loss’. When hormonal changes and heredity are the cause for hair loss then it is termed as ‘androgenetic alopecia’. Patches of baldness that normally grow back are termed as ‘alopecia areata’. Rapid shedding of hair after childbirth, fever, or sudden weight loss is termed as ‘telogen effluvium’ and thinning of hair from tight braids or ponytails is normally referred to as ‘traction alopecia’. Hair loss is generally age-related and occurs gradually in both males and females, but is more pronounced in males.
The average adult head has about 100,000 hairs at any given time and loses up to 100 of them a day. So a few stray hair here and there cannot necessarily be termed as a problem.
Each hair usually grows in repeated cycles — that is growth, rest, falling out and re-growth. Usually this cycle repeats itself yearly and as a result 90% of the scalp hair is growing at any given time; this phase lasts between two and six years. 10% of scalp hair is in the resting phase, lasting between two and three months. At the tail end of the resting phase, the hair goes through the shedding phase. When a hair is shed, it is replaced by a new hair.
Symptoms of Hair Loss
Male-pattern baldness is hereditary and therefore runs in families. It usually sets in around the late twenties or thirties. Following a set pattern, the first stage is usually a receding hairline, followed by thinning of the hair on the crown and temples. It can even progress to complete baldness, although it is rare. The symptoms of hair loss in men include:
Thinning hair on the scalp A receding hairline A horseshoe-shaped hair loss pattern leaving the crown exposed
With age, women generally notice thinning of hair, but they tend to lose hair mostly from the top of the head. This becomes more noticeable after menopause. It is also called androgenetic alopecia, or female-pattern hair loss. Baldness in females also runs in families. In women it includes:
Thinning of hair in general Thinning of hair at the crown
In addition other symptoms may be:
Sudden loss of patches of hair in which the immune system attacks the hair follicles and can affect all body hair – alopecia areata Complete loss of all hair on the body – alopecia universalis Patches of broken hair or bald patches because of the hair being pulled out – trichotillomania. Excessive shedding of hair after various illnesses or drug treatments, rapid weight loss, anemia, stress or pregnancy – telogen effluvium Inherited hair loss – androgenetic alopecia Hair loss because of fungal infection – tinea capitis
Hair being an important part of our appearance, its loss can result in loss of self-esteem and a feeling of unattractiveness, especially in women and teens.
Causes of Hair Loss
Although hair loss causes vary from person to person, there are various causes that result in scalp hair loss. However, most hair loss is not associated with systemic or internal disease or poor diet. Apart from genetics, hormonal changes as well as aging in men, women mostly lose hair due to poor circulation, hormonal changes after menopause, childbirth and poor diet.
Other causes of hair loss include stress, diabetes, certain drugs, chemicals and hair dyes and vitamin deficiencies.
In addition, disease like thyroid can also result in hair loss. Many medications also list ‘hair loss’ as one of their side effects. Moreover, cancer treatments like chemotherapy and immune suppression medications can result is loss of hair. Similarly, fungal infections may also result in hair loss.
Normally, each scalp hair has a life of around three years when in the growing (anagen) phase. Then the hair enters the resting (telogen) phase. Normally, about 10% of scalp hairs are in the telogen phase. In this three-month period, the hair root shrivels up into a small white ‘club’ a then falls out. Therefore, it is considered to be normal to lose about 100 hairs every day and more on days when the hair is shampooed. Shampooing loosens the hair root of the hairs that are ready to fall out. These hairs are then replaced.
Our circumstances or certain life altering evens may also ‘shock our system’ into altering our hair growth rhythm. This may put 30-40% of our hairs in the telogen phase. This normally happens after:
Childbirth High fever Sudden weight loss (crash dieting) Surgery Emotional trauma
Hair loss may or may not follow these events, depending on individual threshold. Strangely enough, the more dramatic the hair loss, the better is the prognosis. This is so because once the body gets back into shape almost all the hair will come back.
Other probable causes of hair loss are follicular deterioration, zinc or iron deficiency and use of steroids.
MHRA reviewed online clinic HealthExpress in UK for male pattern baldness. Get free hair loss consultation online and benefit of propecia next day delivery.
How Green Tea Can Stop Hair Loss, Balding, and Androgenic Alopecia Naturally
Many people have experienced the benefit of green tea for health and weight loss. Increasing research has shown many benefits to the natural anti-oxidant rich plant. The increased interest in green tea has shifted to the hair and skin. New research is being done to study the effect of green tea on hair loss. Many of the antioxidants that are found in drinks can benefit from the hair and scalp and some research shows that by adding green tea in your diet can help control or prevent hair loss. The chemical in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). In Korea scientiest are researching hair follicles were treated with EGCG in a lab environment. Research Saitama Cancer Center Research Institute in Japan and Seoul National University College of Medicine both evidence that EGCG stimulates hair growth. The Saitama study reports that green tea inhibits the production of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), a molecule that is linked to cancer, arthritis and hair loss.The experiement cultures showed increased hair growth and hair follicle elongation compared with control cultures.
A green tea tincture that 10 percent EGCG was also applied to the scalp of humans volunteers with positive results. A high intake of green tea leads to higher levels of six hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), a protein that binds to testosterone. Free testosterone travels through the bloodstream is able to come and hair follicles are converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that causes male pattern hair loss. Testosterone that is bound to SHBG can not be converted into DHT. Research also suggests that green tea can help with scalp conditions like dandruff and psoriasis by soothing skin and reducing inflammation.
Using a hair loss shampoo like Zenagen, which contains powerful patent pending extracts including green tea, can help fight hair loss. Using green tea or green tea contains a rinse after washing can help reduce scalp irritation. Panthenol, a provitamin, softens and strengthens hair and prevents split ends. Choose products that her real green tea extract EGCG or contain.Green tea contains vitamin C, vitamin E and panthenol, which are all common ingredients in conditioner. Vitamin E restores dry or damaged hair, while vitamin C protects against damage by UV radiation.
Official author and natural hair loss expert. Natural hair loss treatments, prevention, dht, and alopecia reviews, stories, and studies can be found at Zenagen Natural Hair Loss Shampoo website.
Hair Loss Products Range To Match Any Hair And Personality Type
Hair loss affects many people and there are some interesting approaches to fighting the common medical condition often referred to as androgenic alopecia. Once age related hair loss begins making its appearance, people fear that with the speed they are losing their hair, they might soon become bald. Depression and self-guilt can arise from the anxiety caused by the increasing hair loss shedding. For a long time there have not been many viable options to people going through hair loss and often think nothing can be done. Recent advancements in hair loss research and scientific experiments have helped develop new approaches to hair loss and going bald. The drug minoxidil was hailed as the miracle cure when it was released under the trademarked name Rogaine. The FDA approved hair loss product has become the number one selling treatment for androgenic alopecia in America.
Many people prefer natural or organic focused attention on their hair loss and a growing demand for natural hair loss products is providing new products for consumers. Hair loss is often thought to be due to the build up a chemical called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is a derivative of testosterone a natural occurring hormone that has many effects in the body. Saw palmetto a natural growing plant originating in Florida has been shown to interact with the DHT enzyme reaction at the hair follicle to possibly help stop hair loss.
Natural remedies to cure baldness are highly effective and there are no side effects of them on you. Other medical drugs use strong chemicals which harm our hair in more than one way but in the natural cure for baldness all the medicines given to you will be made from organic substances.
A growing area of hair loss research is the use of aromatherapy for hair loss. The oils in this method are obtained from cedar wood, bay, lemon, jojoba, lavender, grapefruit, and rosemary. The massage of these oils into the scalp is the basic step of aromatherapy cure. When the oils are absorbed in the scalp, it helps in re-growth of the hair. There are even certain herbal solutions like honey, aloe, mulberries, and Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) which are believed to be the best natural cures for baldness. These treatments are effective only if they are taken under the guidance of a professional. In Ayurveda all these herbal solutions are used along with the massage therapy.
There are many products and supplements that are beneficial to hair loss and with the increasingly researched area of medicine involving androgenic alopecia, there are sure to be many more new focus on this growing area will lead to many more advancements in science and treating natural hair loss products.
Official author and natural hair loss expert. Natural hair loss treatments, prevention, dht, and alopecia reviews, stories, and studies can be found at Zenagen natural hair loss shampoo website.
How Natural Hair Loss Shampoos Can Help Stop Hair Loss
New approaches to hair loss are available. Natural hair loss is an unfortunate part of many people’s lives and there are increasing research in creating a hair loss cure. Hair loss (alopecia) is often caused by circulating hormones in the body that can cause reduced blood flow, nutrient absorption, and thinning hair follicles.
There will be a time when we look in the mirror and the character looking back is displaying symptoms of losing that dazzling full layer upon layer of hair that developed into a considerable ingredient of our identity. The initial response will be astonishment perhaps followed by some exploration of possible ways to isolate the potential reasons for the hair loss.
The majority of experts in the discipline of balding suggest that a blood test or scalp biopsy should be done to determine if underlying circumstances such as elevated blood pressure, diabetes, lupus or any other medical conditions are the cause.
The scalp biopsy will make known the dimension of the hair follicles when viewed beneath a microscope. Dwindling hair follicles are a significant clue in reducing the possible reasons for hair loss. The leading possible cause being androgenetic alopecia.
Androgenetic alopecia, popularly referred to as male and female pattern balding, is the hair loss source for an astounding nine out of ten situations. Its final consequence is to put an end to hair follicles making new growth unfeasible without some kind of interference.
In men the model of balding is very identifiable with hair loss frequently starting at the forehead or on upper part of the head in the direction of the back. A slight case of male pattern balding in males is established by a minor bald spot that appears on the crown with a retreating hair line. Radical cases are acknowledged by all of the hair on the upper part of the head being lost with a little hair being retained on the sides and back of the head.
For women, it is a completely different scenario due to dihydrotestosterone concentrations in the hair cell and ranges in scalp enzyme and hormone patterning. For the majority of women, hair loss starts on the uppermost part of the head and is typically a thinning of the hair as opposed to a total loss of hair. The hairline is usually not affected.
Undoubtedly the reasons for hair loss are wide ranging. However, the preponderance of continuing and progressing cases is diagnosed to be male or female pattern baldness. There are presently a small amount of hair re-growth products available which have been confirmed successful in both blocking destructive hormones and bringing the vital dead hair follicles back to life. To learn more about natural hair loss treatment and prevention Zenagen website is a patent-pending natural hair loss shampoo website and information.
These types of products may be used in cooperation as a preventative tool, if used early and prior to acute hair loss, or subsequent to noticeable loss of hair. Whatever the stage of balding or thinning you are experiencing specific products may perhaps be required to defeat this latest challenge.
In androgenetic alopecia, the genes influence how the hair grows. They activate an indifference to a class of hormones called androgens such as testosterone and the related hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which reduces the hair follicles. Decreasing follicles create thinner hair and ultimately none at all.
Consequently, androgenetic alopecia is the result of the body’s decrease of producing new hairs and not due to extreme hair loss. Heredity also plays a part in the age at which you start to lose hair as well as the rate, pattern and degree of your baldness.
Official author and natural hair loss expert. Natural hair loss treatments, prevention, dht, and alopecia reviews, stories, and studies can be found at Zenagen natural hair loss shampoo
Hair Loss Causes and Risk Factors
Hair loss is related to the tendency of hair follicles to stop producing hair growth. Partial or complete loss of hair is called alopecia. Hair loss usually develops gradually and may be patchy or diffuse.
Interesting Facts About Hair And Hair Loss
- Hair is the fastest growing tissue in the body, second only to bone marrow.
- The average scalp contains about 100,000 hairs.
- Roughly 100 hairs are lost from your head every day.
- Each individual hair survives for an average of 4 – 7 years, during which time it grows about half an inch a month.
- You need to lose about 50% of your hair before hair loss becomes noticeable.
- In the United States, 30 million women experience hereditary hair loss. 70% of women with thinning hair can attribute it to hereditary hair loss.
- Hereditary hair loss or androgenetic alopecia is the most common form of hair loss for men, representing more than 95% of all male cases.
- Androgenetic alopecia affects many more men than women. About two-thirds of men experience some degree of appreciable hair loss by the time they are 35 years old, and about 85% have significantly thinning hair by age 50.
- In the United States, there has not been an elected bald President since the television age began.
The Most Common Cause Of Hair Loss
The most common cause of hair loss is genetics – inherit the tendency to lose hair from either or both of parents. The medical term for the genetic predisposition for hair loss is “androgenetic alopecia”.
In androgenetic alopecia, the genes affect how the hair grows. They trigger a sensitivity to a class of hormones called androgens, including testosterone, which causes hair follicles (which hair grows from) to shrink. Shrinking follicles produce thinner hair and eventually none at all. Thus, androgenetic alopecia is caused by the body’s failure to produce new hairs and not by excessive hair loss. Heredity also affects the age at which you begin to lose hair and the developmental speed, pattern and extent of your baldness.
Androgenetic alopecia accounts for more than 95% of hair loss in men. By the age of 35 two-thirds of American men will experience some degree of appreciable hair loss and by the age of 50 approximately 85% of men have significantly thinning hair.
Men generally develop bald spots on the forehead area or on the top of the head. In men, the hairs on the top of the head have a genetic sensitivity to the male hormone testosterone while the hairs on the sides and back of the head do not possess this genetic trait and therefore are not affected. For this reason hairs removed from the sides and the back (donor hair) will maintain their genetic predisposition when transplanted and continue to grow when moved to the top of the head where hair loss has occurred.
For woman, female pattern baldness is the most common type of hair loss. It can begin at puberty, but is most often seen after menopause. Women have an overall thinning of the hair throughout the scalp while the frontal hairline generally remains intact.
Other Hair Loss Causes And Risk Factors
Hair loss is not usually caused by a disease, but is related to aging, heredity, and testosterone. In addition to the common male and female patterns from a combination of these factors, other possible causes of hair loss, especially if in an unusual pattern exists, include:
-
Side effects of medications or medical treatments. Certain drugs used to treat gout, arthritis, depression, heart problems and high blood pressure may cause hair loss in some people. Drugs that can cause hair loss include:
- cholesterol lowering drugs: clofibrate, gemfibrozil
- parkinson medications: levodopa
- ulcer drugs: cimetidine, ranitidine
- anticoagulants: coumarin, heparin
- medications for gout: allopurinol
- antiarthritics: penicillamine, auranofin, indomethacin, naproxen, sulindac, methotrexate
- drugs derived from vitamin-A: isotretinoin, etretinate
- anticonvulsants: trimethadione
- antidepressants: tricyclics, amphetamines
- beta blockers: atenolol, metoprolol, nadolol, propranolol
- antithyroid agents: carbimazole, Iodine, thiocyanate, thiouracil
- Delayed shedding from stress. This common form of hair loss happens two to three months after a major body stress. The stressful event induces a higher proportion of hair follicles to enter the resting stage all at the same time. A few months later, all of the now-resting follicles begin to shed their hairs at about the same time. Because the stressful event happened months ago, most people do not connect it with their hair loss. It is a temporary condition, and new hairs begin growing within a few months. Stress can also trigger genetic hair loss. If your already losing hair stress will cause you to lose hair even faster.
- Inadequate protein in diet. Some people who go on crash diets that are low in protein, or have severely abnormal eating habits, may develop protein malnutrition. The body will save protein by shifting growing hairs into the resting phase. Massive hair shedding can occur two to three months later. This condition can be reversed and prevented by eating the proper amount of protein and, when dieting, maintaining adequate protein intake.
- Iron deficiency. Iron deficiency occasionally produces hair loss. Iron deficiency is common to women during menstruation and pregnancy and can be corrected through proper diet or iron supplements.
- Pregnancy and childbirth. Hair loss that is connected to pregnancy usually occurs after delivery. When a woman is pregnant, her hairs grow at very high speed. However, after a woman delivers her baby, many hairs enter the resting phase of the hair cycle. This is a natural process and resolves completely in most cases.
- Birth control pills. Women who lose hair while taking birth control pills usually have an inherited tendency for hair thinning (androgenic alopecia). If hair thinning occurs, a woman can consult her gynecologist about switching to another birth control pill. If a woman has a history of female pattern loss in her family she should advise her doctor before going on the pill.
- Scalp infection. Infections such as ringworm can invade the hair and skin of your scalp, leading to hair loss. Once infections are treated, hair generally regrows.
- Thyroid disease. Both an overactive thyroid and an underactive thyroid can cause hair loss. Hair loss associated with thyroid disease can be reversed with proper treatment.
- Patchy hair loss (Alopecia areata). Alopecia areata is classified as an autoimmune disease, but the cause is unknown. This disorder causes hair follicles to stop producing hairs. Approximately 2% of all people experience an episode of alopecia areata at some point in their lives. In the vast majority of cases the condition is temporary and goes away all by itself withing 6-7 months, and hair growth in the bald patch resumes.
- Hair pulling (traction alopecia). Traction alopecia is the loss of hair from constant pulling, often the result of tightly braided hair styles.
- Hair care. Pulling your hair back too tightly can cause hair loss. You may lose hair around the edge of the hairline, especially around the face and forehead. Using curling irons or dyes continually can also result in hair loss. Hair usually grows back when these activities are stopped.
- Blow-drying can worsen hair loss. The reason is that extreme heat damages the proteins in the hairs making them fragile and liable to break off. Brushing the hair during blow-drying causes more damage. If you use a hair dryer, it should be set on the coolest setting. Hair dyes, perms and hairsprays do not affect thinning hair.
- Age. As you age, your hairs tend to break more easily, and hair follicles do not grow as much hair.
Author: Yury Bayarski
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Credit card currency-exchange fees
PCOS and Hair Loss – Natural Therapies Can Restore Scalp Hair
Excessive scalp hair loss is a severe challenge to a woman’s self image and her standing in business and society. Although we usually think of balding as a man’s problem, women actually make up forty percent of the people in North America experiencing the distress of excessive hair loss. Many women losing significant scalp hair have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Safe, effective, natural therapies that treat the hormone imbalances related to PCOS will also restore your hair to optimal health. I am delighted to offer you these indispensable tools to help you restore your hair and your health.
Women experiencing hair loss lose ground fast in today’s world. At work and in her personal life a woman’s appearance has much to do with her financial and social success. Men may also prefer not to go bald. But since balding is known to be caused by high levels of testosterone, a bald man may be credited with extra virility. There is no such happy story for balding women. The appearance of thinning scalp hair translates to a significant loss of personal power for women.
The medical community in general treats women’s hair loss as a minor health issue. Most physicians have little inclination to address the emotional distress you feel. In many cases physicians treat balding as if it were “only” a vanity issue; they may not recognize hair loss as a red flag pointing to serious metabolic conditions, including PCOS.
The psychological pain of hair loss and its effect on our sense of empowerment is as devastating as any disfiguring disease. If you are a balding woman, your hair loss is a life altering condition with profound consequences for your health. Getting your hands on the wheel and driving yourself toward a solution for hair loss is the first step toward reviving your sense of personal strength and power. If hair loss is part of PCOS, the effort you make to restore your physical health will also renew scalp hair growth.
You need expert help to properly diagnose the cause of your hair loss. Hair loss that could have been merely temporary may become permanent if you have a delayed or incorrect diagnosis. Misdiagnoses is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of hair loss for women. The information I present here will help you identify the cause of your hair loss and ideally lead you and your doctors to proper treatments for your kind of hair loss, sooner rather than later.
Alopecia is the medical term for excessive or abnormal hair loss. There are different kinds of alopecia. What all hair loss has in common, whether it’s in men or women, is that it is always a symptom of something else that’s gone wrong. Your hair will remain on your head where it belongs if hormone imbalance, disease, or some other condition is not occurring. That condition may be as simple as having a gene that makes you susceptible to male or female pattern baldness. Or it may be as complex as a whole host of diseases. Hair loss may be a symptom of a short-term event such as stress, pregnancy, or a side effect of certain medications. In these situations, hair grows back when the event has passed. Substances including hormones and medication can cause a change in the hair growth patterns. When this happens, growth and shedding occur at the same time. Once the cause is dealt with, hairs go back to their random pattern of growth and shedding, and balding stops.
Alopecia: A Common Problem
Today more women than ever are experiencing hair loss — and the causes are typically quite different that what causes balding in men. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, some 30 million women in the United States are experiencing some degree of distressing scalp hair loss. The most common causes of scalp hair loss in women can include:
Mineral or vitamin deficiency – zinc, manganese, iron, vitamin B6, biotin
Essential fatty acid deficiency from a low calorie diet or eating disorders
Protein deficiency, as is common with vegetarian diets
Anemia from a low iron diet, poor digestion or any excess blood loss
Eating disorders, like anorexia, bulimia, even ‘yo-yo’ dieting; also compulsive or excessive physical exercise
Drug toxicity, for instance anesthesia with surgery or chemotherapy for cancer
Many prescription medications have hair loss as a potential ‘side’ effect, including bromocriptine, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, amphetamines, anti-cholesterol agents
Severe infections, either viral or bacterial
Severe stress, either a sudden extreme event or persistent, long term challenges
Any hypothalamic or pituitary disorder
Any liver, thyroid gland, adrenal gland or ovarian disorder, including PCOS
Any sex steroid imbalance such as low progesterone, estrogen dominance, excess testosterone or insulin
Starting or stopping any hormone therapy, including birth control pills, menopausal hormone replacement treatment or thyroid hormone replacement
Any natural event that causes big hormone changes, like child birth, breastfeeding and weaning or menopause
Perms, hair color, bleach, improper brushing/combing, pulling on the hair
Autoimmune disease such as lupus or multiple sclerosis
Allergies to foods, medicines, environmental chemicals or topical drugs
Recent hepatitis B shot. If you had a Hep B vaccine since this hair loss started, there may be a connection. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (278:117-8, 1997) links the Hep B vaccine to increased incidence of alopecia in women.
How does an individual woman figure out why she is losing too much of her hair? To understand that, it’s important to understand how hair grows.
Hair Grows in Cycles
Scalp hair grows about one-half inch per month. An individual strand of hair will grow for two to six years. Eventually each hair “rests” for a while, and then falls out. Soon after, that follicle will start growing a new strand. A healthy scalp will let about 100 of these cycling hairs fall out every day.
In folks with a genetic predisposition to hair loss, and for women with PCOS, hormones called androgens drive this process. Androgen hormones include testosterone, androsteinedione, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Men make and use relatively large amounts of androgens. Appropriate, smaller amounts of androgens are essential to women’s health as well.
In those who are genetically susceptible, testosterone activates enzymes produced in the hair cell, which then cause it to be converted into the more potent androgen DHT. DHT then binds with receptors deep within the hair follicle. Eventually, so much DHT builds up that the follicle begins shrinking. It can’t produce new hair reliably. Some of the follicles permanently stop producing new hairs. The end result is significant hair loss. The medical term for this condition is androgenic alopecia. Testosterone converts to DHT with the aid of the enzyme Type II 5-alpha reductase, which is held in a hair follicle’s oil glands. Actually, it’s not the amount of circulating testosterone that is the problem but the amount of DHT clogging up and shrinking scalp follicles, making it impossible for healthy hair to survive.
The process of testosterone converting to DHT, which then harms hair follicles, happens in both men and women. Usually women have a tiny fraction of the amount of testosterone that men make. It seems that for women with hair loss, the actual level of testosterone is not as crucial as are changes in the amount of testosterone she has. A shift in hormone levels triggered by lifestyle or other factors, will cause DHT- triggered hair loss in women. Even when hormone blood levels remain within what doctors consider “normal”, they can become high enough to cause a problem for an individual woman. The levels may not rise at all and still be a problem if you are very sensitive to even normal levels of chemicals, including hormones.
Because our hormones operate through a delicately balanced feedback system, with signals sent via the blood between the brain and body tissue, androgens do not need to be raised to trigger a problem. If the so-called female hormones, (which also are essential to men’s health) are for any reason shifting in relation to androgens, the resulting imbalance can also cause problems, including hair loss.
Hormones are always changing. Testosterone levels in men drop by as much as 10 percent each decade after age thirty. Women’s hormone levels shift with each menstrual cycle, or due to a lack of regular menses, in pregnancies and menopause. Eating disorders, excessive exercise, drugs and environmental toxins can also impact hormone levels.
Keys To Successful Treatment
Treatment of thinning scalp hair must be grounded in changing the habits you may have that support elevated androgens. Diet and exercise are key to maintaining optimal hormone balance. In fact, for women with PCOS, research is clear- there is no drug therapy more effective than proper diet and regular exercise. First, you get your foundational health habits in order; then, specific targeted therapies have the best chance of being effective for you.
Women with PCOS may also have excess coarse dark hair on their face and body. The only way to address the dark, coarse hair that grows out of follicles that have already been altered by excess androgens, is to destroy the follicle with laser or similar therapy. Once a follicle has changed the type of hair it produces, it will not change back. It is crucial to tame the excess androgens and prevent conversion of additional follicles, before investing in a therapy to permanently destroy facial or body hair follicles.
What Causes Women to Lose Too Much Scalp Hair?
For a long time doctors believed that androgenic alopecia was the main cause of balding in both men and women. Now we know that the process that leads to excessive hair loss in women is different. It is called female pattern hair loss.
An important difference between male and female balding is the pattern in which the hair loss occurs. Female pattern hair loss tends to happen as an overall thinning across all areas of the scalp, including the sides and back. Men lose hair from specific spots, like the temple, the crown, that bald spot in the back of the head. Male and female hormone and enzyme receptor sites are also in different areas of the scalp, causing the different gender related loss patterns of hair loss.
A second major difference is that balding in men is usually caused by a man’s genetics and his age, but for women, balding can happen at any age.
Lifestyle Choices, Illness and Medical Treatments Cause Hair Loss
Most women with hair loss have multiple features of their lifestyle, diet and health-related events that contribute. Sex hormone fluctuations are responsible for most female hair loss, including those who have PCOS, a recent pregnancy, menopause, hormone replacement therapy or birth control drug side effects. Chemotherapy for cancer, anti-coagulant drugs, iron- deficiency anemia, autoimmune disease can cause hair loss. Any disease involving hormone producing glands, including the thyroid, the adrenal and pituitary glands can trigger balding in women. It is essential for all women to learn the true cause of their hair loss before engaging any particular treatment.
The complex hormonal changes that accompany polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) often result in scalp hair loss. Sometimes hair loss is the first sign that a woman is suffering the metabolic disorder that also causes problems with acne, facial and body hair growth, irregular menstrual cycles and infertility. PCOS is associated with increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
Thyroid disorders, anemia, chronic illness or the use of certain medications, particularly any form of hormone replacement therapy or contraceptive prescriptions- should be considered a possible cause of hair loss in women. Autoimmune disorders will result in somewhat different, often less dramatic hair loss known as alopecia areata — an inflammatory condition in which hair comes out in clumps or patches.
Any drop in estrogen levels, as happens after pregnancy, with menopause, or when changing your hormone therapy including birth control pill use, will cause what is called estrogenic alopecia. In contrast to testosterone, estrogen helps scalp hair grow faster and stay on the head longer, resulting in thicker hair. This is the reason women’s hair gets fuller during pregnancy when estrogen levels are quite high, then sheds several weeks after the baby is born.
For women who do not have fertility-related hormone changes, estrogen-deficiency scalp hair loss generally starts around menopause. This form of female hair loss can be the first sign of approaching menopause. Sometimes the alopecia won’t begin until a few months or even years after menstruation has ended. Not all women get noticeable alopecia after menopause but most have a little thinning.
It’s not uncommon to have multiple factors involved in female hair loss. Many women with PCOS have thyroid problems, usually hypothyroidism (low thyroid function). Not only does hypothyroidism contribute to weight problems, it can also contribute to hair thinning. Some women with PCOS have both an excessively high level of testosterone and an under active thyroid.
If your hair is thinning, you may have heavy metals like lead, mercury or cadmium in your tissues. These poisonous residues saturate our environment. If you have lived near what is, or ever was an industrial or mining site, or lived with someone who works in a polluting industry, you may be contaminated. If you have ever smoked tobacco, you have a lot of cadmium in your body.
The majority of women with androgenic alopecia have diffuse thinning on all areas of the scalp. Some women may have a combination of two pattern types. Androgenic alopecia is caused by a variety of factors tied to the actions of hormones including PCOS, using contraceptives, pregnancy, and menopause. Any blood sugar and insulin hormone imbalance will lead to excess androgens. Women with insulin resistance, from chronic over-eating of refined carbohydrate food, will see more impact from androgens. Insulin resistance is associated with PCOS as well as Type 2 diabetes. Chronic stress that depletes adrenal glands can change the levels of androgens a woman produces as well. This is often the source of problems like infertility, acne and hair thinning in lean, athletic women with PCOS. Heredity may play a role in androgenic alopecia.
Any big event like childbirth or breastfeeding, malnutrition from an alteration in your diet, a severe infection, major surgery, or any extreme stress, can suddenly shift much of the 90 percent or so of your hairs that are in the growing phase or resting phase into the shedding phase. You will see this shift in the rate of hair loss 6 weeks to three month after the stressful event. This is called telogen effluvium. It is possible to lose great bunches of hair daily with full-blown telogen effluvium. Usually this type of hair loss is reversible, if major stressors are avoided. For some women however, telogen effluvium is a mysterious chronic disorder and can persist for months or years, without ever completely identifying all of the triggering factors.
Anagen effluvium happens when the hair follicle cells are so damaged they can not recover or reproduce. This is usually due to toxicity of chemotherapy for cancer. Chemotherapy is meant to destroy rapidly dividing cancer cells. Hair follicles in the growing (anagen) phase, are therefore vulnerable. Anagen effluvium means the hair shaft narrows as a result of damage to the follicle. The shaft breaks off at the narrowing and causes the loss of hair.
Traction alopecia is damage from hairstyles that pull at hair over time (braiding, cornrows, ponytails, extensions). If the condition is detected early enough, you can change your styling practice to be gentler on the follicles, and your hair will regrow.
Hormone contraceptives are a leading cause of distressing hair loss and other symptoms in women. Since the birth control pill first began being used in 1960, oral contraceptives, injections, implants, skin patches and vaginal rings have become the most commonly prescribed forms of birth control.
Unfortunately, many young women are given contraceptive hormones even when they are not sexually active, as a ‘treatment’ for irregular menses or acne. This is a mistake. This is not a treatment that addresses the underlying cause of problem periods or pimples. Contraceptive hormones will severely complicate a woman’s hormone balance and can lead to many health problems, including significant hair loss and worsening acne.
All contraceptive drugs use synthetic hormones to suppress ovulation. These drugs cause your ovaries to stop working; they are in a kind of ‘sleep’ state. Instead of having your natural cycles result from a dance of signals between your body and your brain, your tissues are subject to synthetic hormones in amounts much larger than your body normally makes. There are many long and short -term consequences to ovarian suppression. Most women experience side effects using contraceptive drugs, including hair loss either during or several weeks or months after stopping the drug.
An article appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association (278:117-8, 1997) linking the Hepatitis B vaccine to increased incidence of balding in women.
Diagnostic Testing
In order to successfully treat hair loss, it is essential to understand why your hair follicles are not healthy. There are diagnostic tests that may help identify the underlying biochemistry that is contributing to your excess hair loss. However, many women with significant chemical imbalances related to their hair loss will find that these test results are within the “normal” range. That’s because in many cases hair loss represents a stage of ill-health that is an early phase of a disease that will eventually fully develop. The lifestyle and dietary habits that eventually cause Type 2 diabetes and heart disease will also cause scalp hair thinning and facial hair coarsening in young women. It is usually many years before these same women have diagnostic tests that reveal they are diabetic or have coronary artery disease. Many of these women have undiagnosed PCOS.
Selective Sensitivity is the underlying problem
Another reason why diagnostic tests may be confusing is because of something called ‘selective sensitivity’ or ‘selective resistance’. It turns out that some body cells are more sensitive than others to the same amounts of hormone. A major complicating factor for some women is that while her muscle and fat may be insulin resistant, other types of organ cells are not. The pituitary, ovaries, and adrenal glands of an insulin resistant woman are stimulated by higher levels of insulin than is desirable, which causes for instance elevated testosterone. The high levels of androgens in turn increase risk for heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Despite these possible difficulties, it is important to do our best to determine what is and isn’t the cause of a major symptom like persistent excessive hair loss. Diagnostic tests that can help identify the source of your metabolic imbalance are:
The hair pull test is a simple diagnostic test in which the physician lightly pulls a small amount of hair (approx. 100 simultaneously) in order to determine if there is excessive loss. Normal range is zero to three hairs per pull.
Hormone levels: Dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone, androstenedione, prolactin, sex hormone binding globulin, follicular stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone. It is ideal to sample for FSH and LH on day 19 to 21 of your menstrual cycle, if those days can be identified.
Fasting blood glucose and insulin levels as well as cholesterol and triglyceride levels
A complete blood count plus serum iron, ferritin and total iron binding capacity
Thyroid stimulating hormone plus a thyroid function panel including T3, T4, and T3 % uptake
VDRL to screen for syphilis
A scalp biopsy should be done before choosing surgical transplant
Densitometry, a magnification device, used check for shrinking of the hair shaft.
Conventional Medical Treatments For Hair Loss
You may be very interested in drug therapies of surgery to address the profound distress of excessive hair loss. It is simply human nature to hope for a simple pill or procedure that will permanently free us from our problems. Unfortunately drugs never actually provide a simple solution. Once you swallow a chemical, it is delivered all over your body; it affects your whole body. We cannot control drugs so they have only the effects we want- there are always side effects that are more or less problematic. Using drug therapy means trading one problem for some others. Sometimes this is exactly the right thing to do. Other times it is a personal disaster. Most drugs will act on all your tissues there is a danger of side effects that further damage your health. Topical treatments applied directly to the scalp use the lowest doses, and are the least harmful drug choices.
You will enjoy the best results when you begin any treatment as soon as possible after hair loss begins. Stopping the adverse effects of androgens means you can prevent further hair loss. And you can support regrowth from the follicles that were dormant still healthy. Depending on how the agent you choose works, stopping treatment will result in the hair loss resuming, unless you have also made other changes in your lifestyle that keep androgens at a level that is healthy and not harmful to you.
Below you will find a list of treatments currently being used to treat hair loss in women. Some of these drugs have not been approved by the FDA for this particular application, however they have all been approved for other applications and are used “off label” to treat hair loss. Currently 2% topical Minoxidil is the only FDA approved treatment specifically for female pattern hair loss.
The effectiveness of these agents and methods will vary from woman to woman, but many women have found that using these treatments has made a positive difference in the character of their hair and their positive self-esteem. As always, treatments have the best chance of being effective if they are geared to the cause of the hair loss as well as to triggering hair growth.
Estrogen and progesterone as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), typically prescribed for women undergoing menopause for any reason, is probably the most common systemic form of treatment for androgenic alopecia in women.
Oral contraceptives will decrease the production of ovarian androgens, and thus can be used to treat women’s androgenic alopecia. There are substantial reasons to avoid the use of either synthetic or bio-identical hormone treatments for your hair loss. Some birth control pills actually contribute to hair loss by triggering it or increasing it once it’s been triggered by something else. Any individual woman may have a selective sensitivity to any hormone combination- what is a low androgen effect formula for one woman may be a high androgen effect for another.
I am no longer able to recommend the use of birth control pills or other hormone-based contraception to young women. Decades of evidence suggest there are plenty of known, and possibly as yet unknown health risks associated with the use of ANY from of reproductive hormones, either prescription or over-the-counter forms. It is clear that the benefits of hormonal contraceptives are accompanied by significant risks, including making it much more likely that a woman will experience hormone imbalances that lead to a long list of negative effects. Hormone replacement puts you are risk for:
Depression or other mood disorders; decreased libido
Migraines and headaches
Breast lumps, tenderness and enlargement
Vaginal bleeding between periods
High blood pressure (hypertension)
High cholesterol
Blood clot in the leg, felt as: pain in the calf; leg cramps; leg or foot swelling
Blood clot in the lung, felt as: shortness of breath; sharp chest pain; coughing up blood
Heart attack, felt as: chest pain or heaviness
Sudden loss of vision or vision changes, which can be a sign of a blood clot in the eye
Cerebral vascular accident (a stroke): impaired vision or speech; weakness or numbness in a limb; severe headache
Liver damage, seen as: yellow eyes or skin; dark urine; abdominal pain
Allergic reaction: rash; hives; itching; swelling; difficulty breathing or swallowing
Acne
Bloating, nausea and vomiting
Changes in your eyes that make it more difficult to wear contact lenses
If you chose a hormone prescription for any reason, you should be sure to use only low-androgen content methods. If you have a strong predisposition for genetic hair loss, insulin resistance, diabetes, heart disease or any female organ cancer in your family I strongly recommend the use of another non-hormonal form of birth control.
Below is a list of birth control pills ranging from lowest androgen index to highest:
Desogen, Ortho-Cept, Ortho-Cyclen, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Micronor, Nor-Q D, Ovcon-35, Brevicon/Modicon, Ortho Norvum 7/7/7, Ortho Novum 10-11, Tri-Norinyl, Norinyl and Ortho 1/35, Demulen 1/35, Triphasil/Tri-Levien, Nordette, Lo/Ovral, Ovrette, Ovral, Loestrin1/20, Loestrin 1.5/30.
The following hormonal contraceptives have a significant potential of causing hair loss or making it worse:
Progestin implants, such as Norplant, are small rods surgically implanted under your skin. The rods release a continuous dose of progestin to prevent ovarian function.
Progestin injections, such as Depo-Provera, are given into the muscles of the upper arm or buttocks.
The skin patch (Ortho Evra) is pasted onto your shoulder, buttocks, or other location. It releases progestin and estrogen continuously to prevent your ovaries from producing normal cycles.
The vaginal ring (NuvaRing) is a flexible ring that is inserted into the vagina. This method releases the lowest amounts of progestin and estrogen.
Minoxidil 2% Topical Treatment – Minoxidil seems to be more effective for women than men, for increasing scalp hair growth. The manufacturers of minoxidil recommend women use 2% minoxidil. There is a 5% solution available that has been tested and found safe enough for men. Because the makers of minoxidil have not invested in the expense of gaining FDA approval for promoting 5% minoxidil for use by women, it must be prescribed and used under a physician’s supervision. Small clinical trials on 5% minoxidil for women show that the 5% solution is in fact more effective in both retaining and regrowing hair than the 2 % solution.
Spironolactone (Aldactone) is a potassium-sparing diuretic used to treat high blood pressure and swelling. Spironolactone slows the production of androgens in the adrenal glands and ovaries. It prevents DHT from binding to receptor sites in the hair follicles.
Cimetidine (Tagamet) is a histamine blocker, approved to treat digestive tract ulcers. It prevents the stomach from producing digestive enzymes. Cimetidine also has been shown to block DHT from binding to hair follicle receptor sites.
Cyproterone acetate is used to reduce sexual aggression in men. Cyproterone acetate blocks DHT at hair follicle receptors. It has significant toxicity and long term side effects and is not available in the US.
Ketoconazole is a prescription topical treatment. It is primarily used as an antimicrobial for treating skin fungus. It suppresses production of androgens by adrenal glands, testicles and ovaries. Nizoral shampoo contains 2% ketoconazole. There is an over-the-counter version available. It has 1% active ingredient and is not as effective as prescription strength.
Finasteride is a drug that inhibits the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, an enzyme that deactivates DHT. It is sold as Proscar to treat prostate enlargement in men. Sold as Propecia it is approved by the FDA for male balding. Women should not take it if they are pregnant or might become pregnant because of the risk of feminization effects on a male fetus.
Surgical Implants
Since hair restoration surgery is an option for the vast majority of the balding men, women may want to consider it. However, the type of hair loss most women suffer from makes hair transplants a bad idea.
Few women have the type of hair loss that make them good candidates for a surgical solution. Most men lose hair in well-defined areas, for instance the receding forehead or the classic round spot on the top of the skull. Little clumps or plugs of hair are removed from areas where healthy follicles are stable and plentiful, and these are transplanted to other areas of the head. Women more often experience an overall thinning across their whole scalp, including the sides and back. Most women have few reliably stable donor sites. Offering to transplant hair from unstable donor sites is medically unethical and women must not allow their distress about balding to get in the way of a cool- eyed look at the rationale behind treatment options offered.
Are any women good candidates for hair transplant? Yes, some. A small percentage, 2% to 5% of women will have the type of hair loss that will benefit from this type of procedure. They are:
Women who have suffered hair loss due to non-hormonal causes, like traction alopecia.
Women who have scalp scars from some kind of wound or cosmetic surgery and want to repair hair loss around the incision or injury sites.
Women who have healthy and stable donor sites along with balding in a distinct pattern, like a receding hairline or thinning on the very top of the head.
Natural Remedies for Women’s Hair Loss
Safe, effective natural therapies are available to help you restore scalp health and increase hair growth. Like all natural therapies, in order to be maximally effective, it is essential to work with you as an individual. Some remedies will be more useful to you than others, depending on your unique, personal physical, mental and emotional health status. It is always important to spend your health care dollars well. I offer a consultation service to help you choose and make best use of the available options for treatment. Please visit your local ND to find out how to benefit from a personal consultation. You will receive recommendations for specific natural therapies, designed for your unique health status, to help you restore your health, and your scalp hair to it’s fullest and most enjoyable beauty.
Author: Nancy Dunne, ND
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Pressure cooker
The Cold Hard Truth About The Top Two Balding Causes In Men
For most men the idea of losing their hair is an unsettling prospect. I guess a lot of it has to do with that so called in between stage of balding, where some areas have dense hair, others have moderate hair, and then there is the disgusting section that has just a few hairs. This stage makes us look at least 10 years older and prompts comments from our relatives about trying the dreaded comb over. In this article we will briefly explore what I consider to be the two most common balding causes in men, as well as offer up a couple of solutions.
The first of our two balding causes may surprise you. It is age! Now this doesn’t apply to everyone, after all you just might be feeling forever young today. But let’s put that aside for few minutes and talk about how aging can have a profound impact on balding.
As we get older a number of things start to change. We may become less active, could be on a number of prescription medications, tend to eat less healthy, circulatory problems can arise, diabetes or other diseases can appear, years of hair abuse are starting to be seen, we may drink more coffee and less water, and the natural hair medicating process is totally out of control. All of the above are considered to be balding causes in their own write, but put them together in an age related package and it is a wonder anyone over the age of 50 has any hair left at all.
Our second, of our balding causes is androgenetic alopecia. Some suggest that androgenetic alopecia is responsible for nine out of every ten cases of hair loss in men. Why? The answer is what makes us men! That’s right, you guessed it, the answer is testosterone. Men have much more testosterone floating around in their veins than women and this explains the 4 to 1 ratio of men to women in relation to androgenetic alopecia. In this condition testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone within the hair cell and then accumulates deep within the hair follicle. This process can begin as early as ones teenage years and generally takes from 4 to 10 years to become noticeable. The major problem is, once androgenetic alopecia is noticed the balding process may already have damaged 25 percent or more of your total number of hair follicles.
At this point action must be taken, because once 50 percent or more of your follicles have been damaged it will become very difficult , if not impossible, to restore your lost hair through any means except surgery. On the other hand if this condition is recognized and treated early the success rate can be very high.
Note: Androgenetic alopecia is one of the few balding causes that is progressive and will not reverse itself without treatment.
What Next? There are currently a handful of hair re-growth products specially formulated for men which have been proven effective both in blocking harmful hormones and bringing the all important dead hair follicles back to life. These specially formulated treatments can be used both as a preventative tool, starting before hair loss becomes severe, or after loss of hair has become noticeable. Whatever the level of balding or thinning you are experiencing these products could be just what is needed to overcome this latest life challenge.
Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of natural health products and natural living with over 10 years Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/hair-loss-articles/the-cold-hard-truth-about-the-top-two-balding-causes-in-men-1695770.html
experience in the field.
Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at
Purchase Remedies.com
Alopecia Areata Cause Hair Loss
Alopecia Areata affects approximately 2% of the overall population, including more than 5 million people in the United States, according to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF). Alopecia Areata is considered a skin disease because it occurs on the skin of the hair, or scalp, and is usually diagnosed by your dermatologist. Luckily, agree experts, it includes no rashes, hives or itching, although exposed scalp areas do require extra care.
The problem with Alopecia is that for many who have it, have it for life. Some people experienced a bald spot and then hair would simply grow back even without treatment and never has it happen again. But for some their hair grows back again, sometimes for years posing no problems.
Alopecia causes no pain to most and they don’t need pity from anyone. It is not contagious. They are healthy individuals just with their hair problems. It is not like diabetes or hypertension, where although these diseases are not seen, they have more serious complications. Alopecia on the other hand, still allows those who have it to enjoy any activity they choose, with no food limitations or drugs to maintain.
Androgenic Alopecia is characterized by thinning of the hair on the scalp as opposed to follicular hair loss. Male pattern hair loss usually doesn’t present itself until after puberty when the male hormones are really elevated. This is when someone with a genetic predisposition to balding will start to notice their hair thinning.
Loss of scalp and body hair is termed as Alopecia in the medical slang. It can be brought on by several factors. The condition has become common during recent years and has been the source of many concerns and insecurities. However, it is a condition that is easily treated. Once the causative element is removed, so is the hair loss.
The effects of alopecia can be remedied if proper diagnosis and prompt medical treatment is given. It is a disease that affects many so instead of hiding or denying it, do not be ashamed to consult with a medical specialist.
Androgenetic Alopecia. Androgenetic alopecia is the type of alopecia that is considered hereditary. It is also known as male pattern baldness, although it can also affect women. In androgenetic alopecia, the hair on the scalp turns nearly transparent before falling off.
Heredity does play a role in its development. Having a relative with Alopecia increases a person’s risk of having it as well. It is also caused by an over active immune system where the body develops cells that act on the hair follicles making them stop hair production.
The cause of this autoimmune dysfunction is still unknown. Association with other autoimmune disorders like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, allergies and vitiligo have been noted. It has also been linked to emotional stress.
Alopecia causes no pain to most and they don’t need pity from anyone. It is not contagious. They are healthy individuals just with their hair problems. It is not like diabetes or hypertension, where although these diseases are not seen, they have more serious complications. Alopecia on the other hand, still allows those who have it to enjoy any activity they choose, with no food limitations or drugs to maintain.
Read about hair loss products, and also read about hair loss cure and laser hair loss treatment Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/hair-loss-articles/alopecia-areata-cause-hair-loss-1638000.html
Loans- U.S. expands faster airport screening process to busiest airports
- Airbus A380 wings to have checks for cracks
- Talks continue between MTA, New York transit workers
- China opposes EU scheme on carbon tax for airlines flying in Europe
- FAA to issue rules on pilot fatigue more than a year after deadline
- FAA to issue rules on pilot fatigue more than a year after deadline
- Boeing machinists accept 4 year contract extension
- Women-only taxis start plying on Malaysian roads
- Urgent drive to act on road safety in Africa
- U.S. officials worried about exploding shipping containers from Vietnam
- Loans
- Sarah Burton wins Designer of the Year at 2011 British Fashion Awards
- Gaudy Christmas sweaters making fashion comeback
- Latest Discounts
- Givenchy Handbags Sale
- 20% Off at GoJane Coupon Ends in 4 Days!
- Shopbob Major Mid Season Sales 30% to 70% Off
- Barbie gets inked in fashion makeover
- Sales 50% Off from Three Dots Detail
- Start A Fashion Business (Quick Guide)
- 7 for All Mankind Sales from Couture Candy
- Loans
- Crocs footwear moves into accessories and apparel
- Hottest 2012 Super Bowl souvenir is a hand-knit scarf
- Digital catwalk is the new fashion for couture shows
- Over-the-top sneakers are everywhere
- Let the returns and exchanges begin
- Hats that won’t leave you with helmet head
- Auctions sell Elizabeth Taylor’s jewels, Steve Jobs’ Apple contract for millions
- Keep your cashmere in shape for seasons to come
- Barneys devotes whole floor to world of Gaga
- Intimacy 2.0 dress becomes transparent as you flirt
