The Truth about Hair Loss

As leaves fall down during autumn, our hair also shed some of its strands that are sometimes referred as hair loss. Truth is, hair loss can be natural to a certain degree. A hundred and 125 hair strands are still considered a normal number for hair loss and should not be a cause of panic. Our hair also has its natural growth cycle and after completing the cycle of growing new follicles until they mature, 10 percent of our hair is now ready to undergo its resting phase in a period of two or three months.

However, if there are already balding and thinning spots in your hair, then maybe, it is a different thing already and you have to investigate further on your hair loss problem. If you are nearing your forties or fifties, hair loss is a normal phenomenon. It is, in fact, part of the maturity process of an individual. Yet, Androgenetic Alcopecia is another case. This is a hereditary illness that attacks family members from one generation to the next. This is more commonly-known as Male Pattern Baldness because a son of a balding father may also experience the same thing if his time comes.

In Androgenetic Alcopecia, the male testosterone hormone is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). If DHT is activated, a person’s scalp changes as it becomes inelastic. If this happens, oxygen exchange will stop and hair follicles will stop growing. Thus, after the so-called resting phase of the hair, there are no new follicles to replace the old ones.

Aside from Androgenetic Alcopecia, there are other diseases that may hit the scalp and may cause temporary or permanent baldness. Ringworms and fungal infections may just be a small thing to you but it does matter to your hair. There is also a disorder called hypothyroidism where a hormonal imbalance happens.

There are also medications like blood thinners, gout medications and birth control pills that cause hair loss. Being vain on oneself and subjecting oneself to crash dieting and taking too much Vitamin A for one’s skin may also pose a danger to your hair. Pregnant women who are subject to hormonal change are also prone to hair loss. This may be sad but cancer patients who are subjected to intense radiation and chemotherapy may feel insecure with their balding scalp. Aside from the radiation and hormonal change that pregnant women experience, these people are also prone to emotional stress, another factor that leads to hair loss.

Hair can also be damaged if exposed to mechanical stressors. Teens who are used to wearing pigtails, corn rows and rollers may loss their hair unintentionally. Exposure to heat, radiation and chemicals during hair rebonding and hot oil treatments also do negative things to your hair.