hair loss
So You Want To Know All You Can About Hair Loss
Hair loss has become something that people have come to expect from age 30 on, so much so, that it is no longer thought of as something that is "not normal". There are more than one type of hair loss that a person can suffer from including androgenic alopecia which is also called male pattern baldness, traumatic alopecia which is when the hair is loss due to it being torn out, hair loss caused by medication, and alopecia areata which is when the hair is lost in patches.
Individual ethnic groups vary regarding the occurrence rate of hair loss. Males of Japanese descent tend to develop balding 10 years later than males of Caucasian ethnic background, they are also less likely to have hair loss. Males with darker skin tones are less likely than those of lighter skin tones to develop hair loss.
Females also experience hair loss with the same frequency but they tend to have thinning hair instead of going bald. Women tend to have longer hairstyles, which also give them greater flexibility when it comes to styling the hair to cover thinning areas of hair.
Hair loss can be a symptom of a medical condition so in that respect the presence of hair loss should be discussed with your doctor.
Each hair on our head goes through cycles (growth, resting, and then shedding). Everyone sheds hair and then starts the process of growing new hair every day. The balance that makes up this cycle can be disturbed by various factors which results in more hair being shed than grown. This results in hair loss that becomes noticeable as thinning hair or if it continues as balding. The common reasons the balance can be disturbed might be by the hair products we use that cause inflammation of the scalp, or by poor diet, stress, medication or even by certain illnesses such as being diabetic. Medications used in chemotherapy can also cause hair loss. The more uncommon reasons for hair loss would be poor blood circulation, infections such as fungal scalp infections or syphilis or medical skin conditions such as lupus. Certain cancers and hormone imbalance can also contribute to hair loss. It is also possible to experience hair loss when you suffer from liver or kidney failure.
Hair loss is usually noticed when more hair than normal appears on your brush or in your comb, or found on your pillow. There may also be more hair found in the shower drain. The real clincher is when you look in the mirror and notice a real difference in the thinning appearance of your hair or in the look of your receding hairline.
At this time, when the realization hits you that you are having a hair loss problem, this is the time to make an appointment to see your doctor to discuss what this means and find the cause for your hair loss. Hair loss can be stopped with treatment, future hair loss may even be preventable. Your doctor will be able to discuss the possibilities with you after examining you, running some tests and taking a medical history that includes recent and current medications and illnesses.
Tags: know about hair loss, hair loss, alopecia
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
