Dramatics Of Hair Loss In Women

June 19, 2010 · Posted in baldness · Comment 

Have you noticed a gradual and progressive increase in the number of hairs lost when combing or brushing? Perhaps after months or years of vain denial, you have realized that the mirror does not lie, visible thinning has occurred. You’re not alone if you’re experiencing breakage, increased hair shedding or significant hair loss.

Many women may cover it up with wigs, hair extensions, hats or scarves. Others choose one of the several approved medications or surgical procedures that are available to treat baldness.

Excessive hair loss or balding is mistakenly perceived as a strictly something that happens to men although women actually make up to forty percent of American hair loss sufferers. In America, one in four, or over 30 million women will seek solutions and treatment for hair loss annually.

First of all, don’t panic! Hair loss or hair shedding is consistent within the hair growth cycle and it is normal to lose some scalp hair each day. The average human scalp has roughly 100,000 to 150,000 individual hairs and the normal hair growth cycle results in the loosening or shedding of about 100 to 150 hairs on a daily basis. New hair growth then emerges from these same previous dormant hair follicles, growing at the average rate of about half an inch per month.

Hair is composed of two separate parts: the follicle and the hair shaft. The follicle lies below the scalp and produces the hair strands that we see growing out of our head. The follicle is alive, however the hair strand is simply composed of dead cells that have no regenerative ability.

For most people, 90% of our scalp hair is always in a to six year growth phase (anagen) while the remaining 10% is in a dormant period (telogen), which lasts about three months. When the dormant period ends the hair is shed; these are the worrisome hairs we obsess over in our comb, hairbrush, on our pillow or down the shower drain. Relax, some hair loss is perfectly normal.

Baldness or Alopecia happens when the normal pattern of hair growth is disrupted. The normal pattern of human hair growth is growing, resting, shedding and growing again. If the growth pattern is out of balance, hair does not grow back as readily as it falls out. A family history of androgenetic alopecia increases your risk of balding. Heredity also affects the age at which you begin to lose hair and the development, pattern and extent of your baldness.

What concerns us is not these normally shed hairs, but the noticeable thinning we confront in the mirror. For a woman, thick, vibrant hair is our crowning glory, our vanity visible. A luxuriant full mane epitomizes the beauty of a woman and is integrally woven into our self image. Our culture strongly identifies femininity with a thick, silky head of hair. Throughout recorded history, images of shining, full bodied hair are associated with female beauty, youth, desirability and good health. Society unfairly identifies dry, lack luster and thinning hair with old age, sickness and poverty.

A dramatic decrease in self esteem is evident in women when their hair begins to fall out. Hair shedding is not physically painful, however it often causes severe emotional distress. We obsess over our thin tresses as we battle depression and self loathing. Women frequently become introverted and withdraw from the world. We avoid intimate contact and make futile attempts to disguise the quality and quantity of our hair.

Hair loss is especially injurious to those who have professions or careers where physical appearance plays a significant role. A young woman is especially vulnerable to the stigma of balding. Not until we are confronted with the loss of our hair do we fully realize how essential hair is to our overall perception of ourselves.

A woman’s hair is at its thickest by age 20. Once we pass 20, however, our hair gradually begins to thin, shedding more than the normal 100-150 hairs a day. With aging, hair strands hold less pigment and become smaller so that what was once the luxuriant and thick hair of our youth becomes thin, fine and lighter in color. For even the elderly woman, significant hair loss can threaten self image. A woman’s sense of sexuality and femininity as well as her establish place in family and society are often undermined by hair loss.

It is hardly surprising when a man starts balding. By the age of thirty-five about 25 percent of American men will experience some degree of appreciable hair loss and about 75 percent are either bald or have a balding pattern by age 60.

In men, hair loss is often perceived as a sign of virility, a demonstrable sign that his male hormones are functioning at maximum capacity. To project strength and masculinity, men often choose to shave their heads.

Although many men are quite dismayed by a receding hairline, research indicates that the phycological pain of hair loss does not affect men as adversely as it impacts women. What makes coping with hair loss so difficult is the frightening lack of control, the feeling of the inability to do anything to make our hair stop falling out.

Causes Of Hair Loss In Women

As we age, women face a multitude of changes and challenges: wrinkles, a widening waist, cellulite deposits and thickening ankles. It does not seem fair that for many of us hair loss is yet another blow to our self esteem.

Female pattern baldness or Androgenetic Alopecia is the most common type of hair loss in women and is genetic in nature. This type of female balding is caused by the chemical Dihydrotestosterone or DHT which builds up around the air follicle and over time destroys both the hair shaft and the hair follicle. Pregnancy or the onset of menopause may cause a fluctuation in the production of estrogen. Lacking sufficient estrogen to produce testosterone-blocking enzymes, testosterone is then converted to DHT on the scalp. The result is a shorter hair growth cycle, finer hair and excessive hair loss from shedding and breakage. Some women experience an increase in hair loss several months after delivering a baby.

Genetics aside, there are many other reasons why women lose hair. Surgery, extreme physical or emotional stress, hormonal imbalances, chemotherapy and scalp infections are but a few. Female hair loss can also be triggered by birth control medications, certain prescription drugs or result from the use of harsh chemicals or aggressive styling that can cause permanent damage to the fragile hair follicle. Excessive hair shedding may also be symptomatic of rapid weight loss from dangerous fad-dieting or an eating disorder such as anorexia. The use of street drugs such as cocaine will also exhibit sudden and severe hair shedding.

When To Contact A Medical Professional

Reacting intensely to the physical state of our thinning hair may seem like excessive vanity, but it is not. Baldness is not usually caused by disease, but is more commonly related to heredity, aging and hormone function. However, changes in hair appearance, texture and growth patterns may indicate serious health concerns. Hair is one of the first areas, along with skin and nails, to reflect nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalance and illness. It is wise to pay attention.

Women’s hair seems to be particularly sensitive to underlying medical conditions so it is important that women with undiagnosed hair loss be properly evaluated by a physician. If your thinning hair is a result of a medical condition, your doctor will treat these ailments and as a result you may experience significant growth of new hair.

Once you and your doctor have identified the cause of your hair loss you may be referred to a hair specialist or implant surgeon to learn about the treatment options available such as or hair transplant procedures to promote growth or hide loss. For some types of alopecia, hair may resume normal growth without any treatment.

A healthy balanced diet, regular exercise, hydration and rest can go a long way towards preventing hair loss and maximizing the potential of your hair growth cycle.

Although medical research is on going, the following have proved beneficial in growing and maintaining a healthy head of hair.

Nutrition

Poor nutrition is often an underlying cause of hair loss as the hair is a reliable indicator of nutritional well being. Discuss with your health care provider your diet, all medications and any supplements you may be taking. Dull hair color or dry and brittle hair may be indicators of a deficiency in essential fats in the diet, oily hair may be a sign of a B vitamin deficiency.

Recent medical studies have found that a high percentage of women with thinning hair are deficient in iron and the amino acid lysine. It is difficult to obtain sufficient lysine through diet alone. Lysine is important in the transport of iron and necessary to support hair growth. Lysine is found in eggs and red meat so vegetarians needs to be aware of this potential shortfall in their diets.

The amino acids L-Cysteine and L-Methionine are believed to improve hair texture, quality and growth.

Low-fat foods that rank high in protein, low in carbohydrates, can play a vital role in sustaining healthy hair growth and aid in preventing hair loss. Important essential fatty acids for maintaining hair health are found in walnuts, sunflower seeds, sardines, spinach, soy and canola oil. Omega 3 and Omega 6 Oils protect the heart as well as your hair so include salmon in your diet on a regular basis.

Herbal Remedies Offer Hope For Hair Loss

Discuss with your nutritional advisor or medical professional the benefits of herbs. The following natural plant derivatives have properties to encourage a healthy head of hair.

Aloe
Arnica
Birch
Burdock
Catmint
Chamomile
Horsetail
Licorice
Marigold
Nettles
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Hair Care

Always choose organic natural products to avoid the chemicals and toxins found in many hair care products. Harsh chemicals may strip the natural oils from your hair and lead to breakage and poor hair growth. Dye, hair straightening and permanent solutions are highly destructive to the hair shaft and follicle as well as the delicate sebum balance of the scalp.

Be gentle with your hair. Allow hair to dry naturally rather than using a hair dryer. A natural bristle brush is helpful in preventing damage. Do not style until completely dry. Wet hair is weak hair so handle with care.

Avoid or break any bad habits you may have that pull or twist the hair. Try not to constantly run your fingers through your hair, tug at the hair and avoid hair clips or rubber bands that pull at and break off the hair. Minimize the usage of mousse, gels and hair sprays. These products dry and weigh down the hair shaft and dull the natural luster of your hair.

Avoid salt and chlorinated water when swimming. If exposed, always wash the hair with cool water and an organic gentle shampoo and apply a mild conditioner. Sun worshippers should make sure that hair care products have sunscreen properties to protect hair from the damaging affects of UV rays. Remember to wear a hat to prevent sunburn of the scalp.

Healthy Lifestyle

Hair loss is traumatic, however our hair is only part of who we are. I remind myself to keep my obsession with my hair loss in perspective and be happy with all the other areas of my life that are going right and in balance. Focus on the positive, eat well, rest well and be at peace with who you are. Remember, that for some, hair grows back as mysteriously as it disappeared.

Marlene Affeld writes for the Nandu Green Team. Plant a Tree! Celebrate Life! Nandu Green is your portal to Eco-Friendly Living!

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Hair Loss In Women – Are We Doing All We Can

June 18, 2010 · Posted in baldness · Comment 

Enormous progress has been made in the understanding of hair loss in women, but there remains much more to do. Despite hair loss research efforts, female hair loss cause and male hair loss cause still remain in question.

More than 30 million women in the United States alone seek help each year for hair loss problems. They are probably many more that accept the fact of their hair loss and do nothing about it. As referred to by the hair loss experts, female pattern baldness has been identified as a widely spread form of hair loss in women. However, the cause of such hair loss has not been attributed as of yet.

The following causes are probably attributes to hair loss in women today:

o Androgens and estrogens imbalance may cause baldness thinning hair in women

o Hormone glands over or under activity may cause hair loss in women such as in Thyroid disease

o Medication may cause hair loss

o Disease may cause hair loss such as scalp disease or as a by product of a disease such as or ovarian tumors or auto immune disease such as Lupus

o Hair loss due to trauma, physical or emotional including surgical procedures burns, scarring from accidents and severe emotional stress

o Improper hair care is a factor in hair loss

o Severe weight loss due to crash dieting, bulimia, protein deficiency, essential fatty acid or zinc deficiency may effect hair loss

Female hormonal imbalance problems may be a leading cause of female hair loss. Male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens may be out of balance to cause excessive hair loss. Pregnant women and women who go through menopause may experience excessive hair loss. Pregnancy and the months after labor, post-partum are especially vulnerable to hair loss, since there is abnormal activity of body hormones at the time. Many women notice hair loss about 3 – 6 months after they have had a baby. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. Several months’ later female hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, and normal cycle of growth and hair loss returns to normal again.

Hormone glands such as the thyroid gland may be overactive or under active and cause hair loss. Some medication may cause hair loss. Blood thinner medication, chemotherapy to treat cancer, birth control pills, menopause hormone therapy and antidepressants, all may be a cause for hair loss. Disease, such as lupus or diabetes and fungal infections of the scalp such as eczema may cause hair loss.

Hair style that pulls the hair and roots as in wearing tight pigtails, and the use of tight hair rollers can cause hair loss. If the misuse continues for a long time it may cause a permanent hair loss. Chemical hair treatments such as perms and hair straightening may cause hair loss due to hair root damage.
Society accepts a bald man but hair loss in woman is not socially acceptable today. Beauty and youth oriented society emphasis full flowing hair as sexual appeal. 1 out of every 4 women in the United States experience baldness or thinning hair loss at one time or another in her life.

If an excessive hair loss is noticed, it is important to seek doctor advice early to check on a possible cause for the individual hair loss. http://www.nuhair.net/female-hair-loss.htm goes in-dept on the importance of seeking a doctor’s help and properly evaluated on the onset of hair loss in women. A medication may have to be altered or changed or a change of hair care may alleviate the hair loss problem. Correct diagnostic taking corrective adverse events on hair loss are especially critical at the onset of hair loss symptoms to prevent scarring and large balding areas from being a permanent damage.
Esther

Author: Esther F
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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What Causes Hair Loss?

May 21, 2010 · Posted in baldness · Comment 

It is normal to lose between 50-100 hairs a day, this is part of the hair renewal process. However most people suffer from excessive hair loss at one time in their life. There are many reasons for this including medication, radiation, chemotherapy, exposure to chemicals, hormonal and nutritional factors, thyroid disease, generalized or local skin disease, and stress.

Many of these causes are temporary and a few are permanent. These are some of the more common reason for hair loss.

HORMONAL BEHAVIOUR

Since hormones both stimulate hair growth and cause hair loss, hormonal changes by far have the biggest impact on hair loss. These can affect both men and women in the following ways:

This is the most common cause of thinning and affects both men and women. Men generally have hair loss concentrated in a specific pattern from the front through to the crown. Women tend to have thinning throughout their head without being in any specific pattern. This type of hair loss is caused by the androgen DHT, or Dihydrotestosterone. Since everyone has DHT that is produced by their bodies and only some people suffer from hair loss there has to be another factor involved. This other factor is having follicles that have a greater number of Androgen receptors for the DHT to attach to. This is the component that is inherited through the genes. To date the most effective preventative treatments are anti androgens, drugs that prevent the creation of DHT. In the future gene therapy will one day be able to alter the genes to prevent the follicles from being affected by DHT.

Childbirth

After pregnancy many women experience a loss of hair, this is caused many hair simultaneously entering the resting (telogen) phase. Within two to three months after giving birth, some women will notice large amounts of hair coming out in their brushes and combs. This can last one to six months, but resolves completely in most cases. This condition is caused by the hormonal changes that take place after a woman’s body recovers from her pregnancy.

Birth control pills

Women who have a genetic predisposition to suffer from Androgenic Alopecia can have it occur at a much younger age by taking birth control pills. The hormonal changes that occur trigger the onset of the Androgenic Alopecia. If a woman has a history of female pattern loss in her family she should advise her doctor before going on the pill. After the discontinuation of the pill the woman may notice that her hair begins shedding two or three months later. This may continue for six months when it usually stops. In some cases the process cannot be reversed and the woman may not regrow some of the hair that was lost.

DISEASE OR ILLNESS INFLUENCES

Since the follicle is a very sensitive it does respond to imbalances in the body. Most hair loss causes by disease or illness is temporary and resolves itself after the body has returned to a healthy condition.

High fever, severe infection, severe flu

Sometimes one to three months after a high fever, severe infection or flu, a person may experience hair loss, this is usually temporary and corrects itself.

Thyroid disease

Both an overactive thyroid and an underactive thyroid can cause hair loss. Thyroid disease can be diagnosed by your physician with laboratory tests. Hair loss associated with thyroid disease can be reversed with proper treatment.

Deficient diet

Some people who go on low protein diets, or have severely abnormal eating habits, may develop protein malnutrition. To help save protein the body shifts growing hair into the resting phase. If this happens massive amounts of hair shedding can occur two to three months later. A sign of this is if the hair can be pulled out by the roots fairly easily. This condition can be reversed and prevented by eating the proper amount of protein. Its very important when dieting to maintain an adequate protein intake.

Medications

Some prescription drugs may cause temporary hair shedding in a small percentage of people. Examples of such drugs include some of the medicines used for the following: gout, arthritis, depression, heart problems, high blood pressure, or blood thinner. High doses of vitamin A may also cause hair shedding.

Cancer treatments

Chemotherapy and radiation treatment will cause hair loss because it stops hair cells from dividing. Hairs become thin and break off as they exit the scalp. This occurs one to three weeks after the treatment. Patients can lose up to 90 percent of their scalp hair. The hair will regrow after treatment ends and patients may want to get wigs before treatment. There are some drugs in development to help prevent this hair loss from occurring.

Low serum iron

Iron deficiency occasionally produces hair loss. Some people don’t have enough iron in their diets or may not fully absorb iron in their diets. Women who have heavy menstrual periods may develop iron deficiency. Low iron can be detected by laboratory tests and can be corrected by taking iron pills.

Major surgery/chronic illness

Anyone who has a major operation – a tremendous shock to the system – may notice increased hair shedding within one to three months afterwards. The condition reverses itself within a few months but people who have a severe chronic illness may shed hair indefinitely. A relatively unknown fact is that hair transplantation surgery can actually cause additional hair loss or “shock fallout”. Hairs lost from shock fallout usually don’t regrow.

Alopecia Areata

This type of hair loss is believed to be caused by the immune system reacting to hair follicles as if they were antibodies and shutting them down. The hair loss is usually limited to a coin sized area and all the hair in the area is lost leaving a totally smooth round patch. In a more severe rarer condition called Alopecia Totalis, all hair on the entire body is lost, including the eyelashes. Treatments include topical medications, a special kind of light treatment, or in some cases drugs.

Fungus Infection (Ringworm) of the scalp

Caused by a fungus infection, ringworm (which has nothing to do with worms) begins with small patches of scaling that can spread and result in broken hair, redness, swelling, and even oozing. This contagious disease is most common in children and oral medication will cure it.

Stress
n cause hair loss is some people. Usually it occurs 3 months after the stressful event has occured and it may take 3 months after the stress period has ended for the hair growth to resume. In most cases it is temporary if the person is not predisposed to genetic or Androgenic Alopecia, if they are stress may trigger the onset of genetic hair loss or may worsen existing Androgenic hair loss.

MECHANICAL DAMAGE CAUSES HAIR LOSS

Damage to the hair can be self inflicted either by intentional or unintentional means. Some people going through stress continuously pull at their hair until it comes out. Styling hair by bleaching, braiding and straightening can also cause damage and results in hair being lost.

Trichotillomania or Hair Pulling

Some children and less often adults play with their hair by pulling on it or twisting it. This can be part of a behavioral problem or a bad habit that is often done unconsciously. If the behavior is not stopped permanent hair loss can result from the constant stress on the hair. Its best to seek the help of a mental health professional to solve this problem.

Hair Styling Treatments

Many people change the appearance of their hair by using chemical treatments like dyes, tints, bleaches, straighteners, relaxers and permanent waves. If correctly done and done using reputable products, its rare to have any damage. However, hair can become weak and break if any of these chemicals are used too often. Hair can also break if the solution is left on too long, if two procedures are done on the same day, or if bleach is applied to previously bleached hair. Some chemical relaxers do contain powerful chemicals and there have been instances of people get chemical burns from these products resulting in permanent hair loss. Only go to qualified hair stylists and if doing it yourself make sure you only use reputable products and follow the product directions.

Hair Braids/Weaves

Many black women and some black men braid their hair or wear hair weaves. Under normal conditions these cause no problems. However if the weave is attached too tight or the braids are wrapped too tight, they put a constant strain on the hair follicle. If this is done for an extended period of time permanent hair loss can result. This is known as Traction Alopecia and is fairly common among people who braid or weave their hair. Make sure the person applying the braids or weave is qualified to do so and don’t wear braids or weaves continuously for extended periods of time.

Author: Gary Heron
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Hair Loss Causes and Risk Factors

April 22, 2010 · Posted in baldness · Comment 

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
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PCOS and Hair Loss – Natural Therapies Can Restore Scalp Hair

April 8, 2010 · Posted in baldness · Comment 

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
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Choosing One From the Many Hair Loss Products in the Market

March 16, 2010 · Posted in baldness · Comment 

Hair is a major part of ones appearance, a confidence booster. And when people, men or women, start losing hair, their confidence levels take a dive, some suffer from severe depression. Normally people loose about 50 to 100 hair per day, which is very normal but if this number much more then a doctor should consulted immediately.

Excessive hair loss from the scalp can cause baldness and it could be due to many factors. Heredity is a major factor here. Being on certain medication, undergoing some treatment, improper diet, high stress levels can all lead to temporary or permanent baldness. In males, hairline starts receding and hair becomes thinner near the top. In women, thinning of hair is seen on the scalp and has follows no pattern, like males.

There are many types of hair loss or baldness and it is very important to know the cause of baldness before going for a product or treatment. Today the market is flooded with hair loss products which claim 100% regrowth of hair. But one should not apply any hair loss product without consulting a doctor first as causes for hair loss varies from person to person. It is found that a male hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is converted to testosterone by an enzyme 5 alpha reductase which is a major factor for androgenetic alopecia, or loss of hair due to ageing.

There are two FDA approved products; namely finasteride and minoxidil, which have a high success rate. One of the hair loss products is Propecia, a finasteride tablet, which is an oral pill. This oral pill has to be taken once a day; it blocks the enzyme which creates DHT. DHT is the hormone which is associated with thinning hair and baldness. This pill is only for men and should not be used by women and children.

The other hair loss product is minoxidil which in United States is marketed as topical Rogaine solution. It helps people, both males and females, with Androgenic alopecia, losing hair due to age. It increases the blood supply to hair follicles and thus stimulates growth of hair. Now a generic version of minoxidil is also available.

Products like Nizoral and Avodart are not FDA approved but have some what been effective. US brand name for Dutasteride is Avodart which has been found to treat male pattern baldness on the top and crown of the head.

Topical and oral treatments, both have their pros and cons. An oral tablet is easy to take than a topical solution. It is seen that a combination treatment of oral with topical hair loss product is successful.

Author: Caitlina Fuller
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Treating Excessive Hair Loss With Rogaine – What You Need to Know Before You Use Rogaine

January 24, 2010 · Posted in baldness · Comment 

When it comes to treating excessive loss of hair, it is important to understand the causes behind this growing problem. More and more individuals find that they are losing their hair, and few truly understand the underlying cause of this problem. Some thinning hair is natural and a normal part of your body’s renewal process. However, when your loss of hair reaches excessive amounts, it is time to consult your physician. While a great deal of individuals suffer from genetic pattern baldness, which is common and can be treated with over the counter medications such as Rogaine, other people’s hair loss is a warning of a much more serious condition that only a licensed physician can diagnose.

What is Rogaine?

It is a topical medication that is used to treat pattern baldness in both men and women. While it has been on the market for many years, there is still no answer as to how this medication actually works to re-grow hair. Its active ingredient, minoxidil, has been tested and used in many other hair growth products and has been found to be highly successful. However, there are some growing concerns about this product.

The Concerns about Rogaine

When it comes to treating excessive hair loss, many individuals turn to a medication called Rogaine. This type of hair loss treatment comes with some major concerns over safety and does have some side effects associated with its main ingredient minoxidil. While most hair loss treatments contain this ingredient, this product seems to contain higher doses than other more natural hair loss treatments.

When it comes to combating excessive loss of hair, Rogaine is one of the oldest products on the market. Unlike more natural products, this hair loss treatment is a medication and not a supplement, which carries a higher risk of side effects. It is important to always speak to your doctor before starting any new medication and it is vital that you consult a physician before starting this treatment because of the potential risks involved.

Author: S McPherson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Hair Loss Vitamin D

January 17, 2010 · Posted in hair loss · Comment 

One interesting vitamin that get produced in the skin from direct exposure to the sun figures as another nutrient that helps prevent hair loss. Vitamin D aids in the regulation of calcium metabolism for stronger bones. It is an essential nutrient for growing kids whose calcium requirements for healthy bones can be significant in their growing years.

 

Most of our vitamin D requirement is produced by the skin when exposed to the sun. Some foods do contain the vitamin like cod liver oil, salmon, cereals and dairy products.

 

1. Vitamin D in Hair Loss

 

No scientific studies have yet to show any direct relationship between hair growth and vitamin D. But observations suggest that a deficiency in it results in rickets which can lead to hair loss. In addition, lab studies with mice deprived of vitamin D result in complete body hair loss. 

 

Some experts believe that a deficiency in the vitamin when coupled with deficiencies in the fatty acids that convert cholesterol into useful “good” cholesterol, hair loss can occur. While lack of vitamin D has not be proven to result in hair loss, having the right levels can help maintain normal hair growth which is what is needed to neutralize excessive hair loss.

 

2. Vitamin D Risks

 

Vitamin D is another fat-soluble vitamin that is not easily excreted by the body when there’s too much of it. It is fat-soluble and gets stored together with excess fat and is known to exhibit toxicity levels that can harm the health of adults. Weight loss can result and even hair loss. Vitamin D over production can get phosphate and excess calcium deposited in some organs like the kidneys and other soft tissues that can result in calcinosis.

 

It is rare that a person gets to overdose on vitamin D unless he eats a lot of cod liver oil. Even over exposure to the sun doesn’t result in vitamin overproduction in the skin since the skin’s melanin content regulates vitamin D production.

 

If you are looking for more information about Hair Loss Vitamin D , visit us at 10hairloss.com now!

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/hair-loss-articles/hair-loss-vitamin-d-1736406.html

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Rogaine For Women

January 5, 2010 · Posted in baldness · Comment 

All women want to have thicker, healthier, beautiful hair. There are many reasons for hair loss in women. Women’s Rogaine is the first and only FDA-approved treatment clinically proven to regrow hair in women. Indeed, Rogaine hair regrowth treatment is the #1 dermatologist-recommended brand for hair, which is available without a prescription. Rogaine hair regrowth treatment works for both men and women. Some people say Rogaine is more effective in women than in men.

Is Women’s Rogaine Right for You? The checklist below will help you determine if Rogaine for women is right for you.

You notice more hair than usual in the shower drain, on your pillow, or in your hairbrush.
Your hair is fine or thin, and gets worse.
You’ve changed your hairstyle or cut your hair shorter because you are dissatisfied with the fullness of your hair.
Your ponytail is smaller than it used to be.
Members of your immediate or extended family, male or female, have experienced hair loss.
If you part your hair in the middle of your scalp, the width of the part shows more scalp than normal.

Sound familiar? If two or more of these statements are true for you, you may be experiencing hereditary hair problem. Women’s Rogaine may be right for you.

However, there are many conditions, diseases, and hair care practices that can result in excessive hair loss. If you have no family history of hair problems, if your hair loss is sudden or patchy, or it is associated with childbirth, or you do not know the reason for your problem, it’s important to talk to your doctor or dermatologist. While Women’s Rogaine may not be right for you, your healthcare professional may offer other options such as hair transplantation, wigs, or hair weaves.

Author: Edgar Gilbertson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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