Hair Loss and Thinning Hair
Hair seems to be one of the banes of women. It is either too straight, or too curly, too coarse or too fine. It is either too think or worse yet, too thin. Too thin or thinning hair is commonly one of the most emotionally devastating and self-confidence demoralizing complaints that women have.
Some people feel that reacting so strongly to a physic attribute such as hair may seem very vain, but I assure you that is not the case. Everyone has had a bad hair day or two, but no one should ever have to lose self-confidence over their hair. Your hair is one of the first thing people see when they see you along with the hair is the skin and nails.
Not only is it one of the first areas that people see when they see you, but it is the first area hormones attack when they decide to invade you. In addition, poor nutrition and illness will attack your hair as well.
Believe it or not, but every person loses from 50 to 100 strands of hair per day. but if you lose more than that you could have what is frequently identified as excessive hair loss. This will often times indicate that something in your body is not right. We will come back to this in a few minutes.
A strand of hair is made up of dead cells. Everything you put into your body eventually comes out in your hair, usually within three to six months. Hair grows from living follicles in the skin of the scalp. So why do certain hair follicles break their normal cycle and switch into a resting or “off” position — temporarily or permanently (causing hair loss)? And why do some women experience thinning hair on their head and darker thicker hair on other parts of their bodies (see our Facial Hair Removal post)? The reasons are highly individual, but can include any combination of the following:
- Blood loss
- Cosmetics (allergies and harsh treatments)
- Dental treatment
- Disease
- Drugs
- Genetics
- Hormonal imbalance, specifically androgen sensitivity
- Immune system irregularities
- Nutritional deficiencies (especially iron or vitamin A)
- Radiation/chemotherapy
- Scarring
- Stress (emotional and physical)
- Surgery
- Thyroid disorders
The thing to emphasize about the resting phase is that it is designed to be temporary. Hair follicles can be shocked into the resting phase by so many stressors — emotional, physical or cosmetic — and just as suddenly switch back to “on” when the stress is reduced. Hair appears to be amazingly adaptive.
No one knows for sure why some women maintain a thick, natural head of hair throughout their lives while others don’t.
You often hear of hair loss after a pregnancy or change in hormonal birth control. It is also a very common side effect of emotional stress (like a death or divorce) and physical stress (such as surgery or illness).
There are also dietary causes of hair losses, such as vitamin D, vitamin A, iron and protein deficiencies.
Some women may experience periods of noticeable hair loss (and growth) at different times in their menstrual cycle, or during different seasons. If this is your experience, be assured that it is very common and tends to resolve itself naturally.
If hair loss does not improve with some basic stress reduction and positive lifestyle changes there is a good chance that you have low iron. I noticed that when I take pre-natal vitamins (even when I am not pregnant and not planning on getting pregnant) that my hair grows thicker, longer and faster. This is said to be because of the extra iron in pre-natal vitamins.
Here are some natural hair loss solutions — the Women to Women approach:
If your hair loss is mild to moderate, the most important thing to do is weigh the immediate stressors in your life against how much support you’re giving your body. Start with an honest inventory of your healthy and not-so-healthy habits. Then take some steps toward shifting the balance to the support side. Here’s what we recommend:
- Eliminate dietary causes of hair loss. Eat a balanced diet comprised of whole, protein-rich foods — the more organic the better. Avoid or limit refined sugar and other simple carbohydrates to ameliorate insulin resistance. Read how in our Nutritional and Lifestyle Guidelines.
- Address vitamin deficiency hair loss. Take a rich multivitamin daily that includes hair-healthy vitamins such as B, C, E and Iron. Other important nutrients are calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc. A fish oil supplement containing vitamin D and essential fatty acids will help boost immunity and soothe inflammation.
- Consider herbal supplements. Kelp-derived supplements add iodine to the diet, which assists in the manufacture of thyroid hormones. Ginkgo biloba increases blood flow to the scalp (without androgens).
- Scalp massage and acupuncture can be helpful in stimulating blood flow to the scalp and supporting normal follicle function.
- Balance your hormones. If you are premenopausal, consider gentle endocrine support to help naturally rebalance your hormones.
- Examine your emotional health and your relationship with anger. Rage may be associated with higher levels of testosterone. Finding healthy ways to express yourself and your anger can go a long way toward reducing stress. If you are under severe psychological stress, your hair loss should improve a few months after the stress is relieved.
Remember that the condition of your hair mirrors what’s going on inside your body. It only makes sense to consider natural options that nurture your whole health before you spend a lot of money on expensive shampoos, conditioners and hair thickening products. (My friend has excessive hair growth though and she began using Rogaine for Men
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The Ready Store
Thanks for your Information. I had hair loss problem and i tried Provillus Treatment. The formula is 100% natural there is no side effects.Im very satisfied now.
Thanks for sharing this detailed information on hair loss remedy. If I may add, hair should always be well conditioned and not too dry. It would also be best if one uses an organic shampoo. I’ve used a few and it really helped me with hair loss problem.