Archive for December, 2008

Is Your Diet Causing Your Hair Loss?

Did you know that one cause of hair loss could be found in a basic need that you have? Your diet, the foods you eat everyday maybe something you should explore as a cause for your hair loss. Iron deficiency can contribute to and in fact be a leading cause of hair loss in women who are pre-menopausal. Of women surveyed who have hair loss, 72% of them were found to be deficient in iron deficiency. When blood iron levels drop they can develop a condition called, telogen effluvium (sudden hair loss). Iron deficiency has also been linked to slow hair shedding. Women who have been pregnant or who are going through menopause often experience this slow shedding of hair. Women in the reproductive years of their lives can lose as much as 15 mg of iron during each month period. A pregnant woman can lose as much as 1000 mg of iron during her pregnancy. If you have a poor diet, this can contribute to lower than normal levels of iron. Coffee, tea and bran consumption can also lead to poor iron absorption, which can contribute to the problem.

Your doctor can determine if iron deficiency may be causing hair loss and if this is found to be true; prescribe iron supplements, or advise you on how to improve your diet by eating foods rich in iron or by avoiding foods and beverages that disrupt the absorption of iron contained in foods that you eat.

Other nutritional deficiencies can also contribute to the increase in hair shedding experienced by those who suffer from hair loss. Iron is not the only dietary deficiency. Others include a deficiency in vitamins A, certain B vitamins, vitamin biotin, and also vitamin C. You can also be deficient in copper, protein, water and zinc and any one of these can also contribute to hair loss.

If you suspect that you may be deficient in vitamin A, you can obtain this vitamin by eating animal food sources such as eggs, fish oil, fortified milk, and liver. Plant sources can also contain carotenoids, like beta-carotene, that is converted to vitamin A once in the body. To get this plant source of vitamin A eat plant foods such as orange, red and yellow fruits and vegetables and also dark green leafy vegetables.

If you feel that your diet may be deficient in vitamins B6, folic acid, or vitamin B12 try eating more chicken, fish, kidney beans, soybeans, or pork. You can also get adequate amounts of these nutrients by eating certain grains, cereals, nuts and legumes. You can obtain good sources of folic acid by consuming leafy green vegetables, by drinking orange juice, and by using brewer’s yeast in baking or also by eating avocado, beets, and broccoli.

Animal foods such as fish, poultry, dairy beverages and foods as well as eggs contain the vitamin B12 so make sure that your diet contains these items if you fear that your hair loss may be associated with poor diet.

If you suspect that your diet may be contributing to your hair loss issues, seek the advice of a registered dietician or a nutritionist. Your doctor can recommend these dietary professionals in your area to you when you visit the doctor to discuss your hair loss.

Tags: diet causing hair loss, hair loss, vitamin a

Getting a Diagnosis and Treating Your Hair Loss Problem

Hair loss can be an embarrassing problem. It can happen for many different reasons. Hair loss can be the result of incorrect hair grooming habits or from harsh chemicals being put on your scalp, to the medications that are taken to treat an illness or condition. Hair loss can also happen when we are really stressed out about something of an emotional, or mentally stressing situation. We can also experience physical stress such as major surgery and hair loss can occur. Hair loss can be a big problem for many people children, men and women alike.

There are many treatments and ways to cope with temporary or permanent hair loss and the way to find out what the best treatments might be is to first get a diagnosis for your problem. A doctor can examine your scalp, access your general health, perhaps run a few tests like blood or urine tests or by taking a small sample of your scalp skin and or hair follicles in order to come up with the diagnosis or cause(s) of your hair loss. With this information in hand, the doctor can help you to make good decisions about how to cope with or treat your hair loss.

If your hair loss is due to another illness or condition, getting that condition or illness under control can result in a solution for your hair loss. Scalp infections can usually be treated with medications and are usually temporary. Hormonal imbalances can usually resolve themselves (if caused by pregnancy or birth control pill usage or hormonal replacement therapy) or if the situation can be addressed by solving the imbalance.

If stress is causing the hair loss, improving the situation that is causing the stress often results in the ability of the hair to regrow.

The key to treating your hair loss problem is to get an accurate diagnosis so that the best treatment can be determined. A medical doctor or dermatologist can make the diagnosis and advise you on what your treatment options are.

Treatments can vary and will depend on what is causing the hair loss but common treatments include:

· Medications to prevent further hair loss by improving blood circulation to the scalp or medications that stimulate new hair growth

· You can color your hair to try to hide the hairless scalp

· Improve your diet if poor nutrition is contributing to your hair loss

· Wear hairpieces such as wigs, toupees or hair extensions

· Stop taking birth control pills or replacement hormone therapy medications if they are found to be causing hormonal imbalances that can contribute to hair loss

· Use hair transplant surgery to put hair plugs into areas of the scalp that have suffered permanent hair loss 

Tags: treating hair loss problem, hair loss, scalp infection