Eat A Complete Protein
You cant control healthy locks by genetics or age, but you can help your hair through eating healthy. The old adage says you are what you eat and this is definitely true when it comes to your hair. Dr. Bergfeld says first, be sure youre eating enough overall. As you age, you start to eat smaller portions because your taste level goes down, and you become nutritionally deficient. She says, Usually, when a person says, Im on a healthy diet, theyre on a restricted diet. Include a variety of foods in your diet.
Because hair follicles are made of mostly protein, dont skip this vital nutrient. A lack of protein has been linked to hair loss. Dr Bergfeld suggests women eat a little bit of low-fat, red meat a couple times a week. This captures your protein and other vital nutrients. Whats more, she says with age, your thyroid slows down. Patients get a little tired and think its old age, but they have mild iron storage anemia. Eating low-fat red meat alleviates this iron shortage
Other nutrient-rich foods for lush locks include:
How Do You Get Thin Hair
Aloe vera gel or extract is also a good hair loss remedy and is known to promote natural hair growth. Just take the juice of one or two leaves of the aloe vera plant and rub this sticky liquid on your scalp. Leave it on the scalp and hair for 30 minutes and then wash off with a mild shampoo and clean water.
What Vitamins Are Good For Thinning Hair
Zinc: Without enough zinc, hair can break or fall out. Selenium – Low levels of selenium can cause hair loss, but Armani says it’s a relatively rare cause of hair loss. Gary Linkov, MD, a hair loss expert and plastic surgeon, says that biotin, which is part of the B vitamins, can also promote stronger hair growth.
Also Check: What Is The Best Nioxin Product For Thinning Hair
How To Apply Conditioner
Hair must be damp when applying conditioner, so before that, squeeze out the water. If you dont do so, the excess water stops the conditioner from staying on, hydrating it less, and making it prone to break when you comb it. Leave the conditioner on for up to 5 minutes while you wash your body, then rinse thoroughly with warm luke water.
> > > Best Hair Loss Solution Available
Another way to treat hair loss is to undergo a surgical procedure. This is a surgery that uses a small piece of scalp, which contains hair follicles. The procedure is expensive and is not covered by insurance. If the balding area is large, it may not be possible to find sufficient hair for transplant. This method requires two surgeries, so the cost can vary from person to person. The surgery can be covered by your insurance provider, but it is not cheap.
Surgical procedures to correct the underlying problem are available as well. In some cases, doctors may use birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, or antiandrogen medications to correct the hormonal imbalances. If the cause of your hair loss is a psychiatric disorder, you will need to consult with a doctor to determine the best treatment options for you. Sometimes, you may need to undergo more than one surgery, so it is best to seek help from a dermatologist.
The first step in treating hair loss is to see a doctor. Your physician will run a blood test to determine the cause of your hair loss. This will help you choose the most effective treatment. Your doctor may prescribe a medication to stop your hair growth. Patients with psychiatric problems may also require special consultations and treatments. A therapist will be able to help you deal with your underlying psychiatric condition.
Read Also: How To Replace Hair Loss
Other Deficiencies And Causes Of Hair Thinning
Many deficiencies can potentially cause hair loss. For example, low Iron and Ferritin levels are linked to Anemia which in turn can cause hair loss or thinning. Deficiencies in Biotin or other B vitamins have been know to be culprits as well causing hair loss and thinning but also can contribute to weak nails and skin problems.
Physical Trauma: A Shock To Hair Follicles
When your body is under serious physical stress, the natural cycle of hair growth and resting can be disrupted, resulting in hair loss, often in the form of thinning hair strands may come out in clumps. Any shock to the system, such as being in a severe accident, undergoing surgery, experiencing burns, or becoming very ill, can also shock the hair follicles, resulting in up to 75 percent of your hair falling out, sometimes months after the fact.
Recommended Reading: Can Stress Cause Hair Loss In Females
Hormonal Causes Of Hair Loss Or Thinning
Women produce less Estrogen with age, which can lead to hair loss or thinning for women in their late 30s to mid 50s or commonly during menopause. Other sex hormone imbalances can also occur in other instances. For example, in those with PCOS they may experience higher levels of the androgen Testosterone and DHEA which can then turn into DHT, which is a hormone that is known to contribute to pattern baldness.
Treatments For Hair Loss
Are there effective preventative measures that can be taken?
Treating hair loss in its early stages can help minimise overall hair loss and increase the treatments efficacy. There are a few ways to control hair loss, but what to do depends on the cause of why you are losing your hair.
Some hair loss conditions such as hair loss experienced after pregnancy are temporary and may resolve on their own. However if your hair loss is persistent you may want to schedule an appointment with your local dermatologist so as to diagnose if your hair loss is caused by conditions such as male pattern baldness, thyroid issues, scalp infections, nutrient deficiencies, stress or simply ageing.
I would recommend four main hair-loss prevention treatments to consider, all of which work to stimulate regrowth on dormant follicles.
1. Finasteride
Finasteride, also sold under the brand name Propecia®, is an FDA-approved prescription medication for hair loss prevention in men. Finasteride can be an effective way to prevent your hair from thinning because it prohibits the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone . DHT is a powerful hormone that is thought to cause hair follicles to miniaturise and eventually stop growing hair. To get this benefit of finasteride, you need to take it properly and consistently as prescribed by your doctor.
2. Minoxidil
3. PRP
4. LLLT or LED Light Therapy
Can hair grow back after it falls out?
Improve blood supply to the scalp
Promote hair strengthening
Read Also: How Long Will Postpartum Hair Loss Last
Can Thinning Hair Grow Back
Thinning hair can grow back depending on what caused it to thin in the first place. Individuals who experience thinning hair due to nutrient deficiencies, stress, pregnancy, and other non-genetic reasons could experience regrowth.
If youre experiencing new hair loss or hair thinning, its best to consult your doctor. Some medical conditions can be associated with thinning hair.
Is Hair Loss In Women Different Than Men
Female-pattern baldness
Women lose hair on an inherited basis, too, but female pattern hair loss tends to be more diffuse, with less likelihood of the crown and frontal hairline being lost.
- Although some women may notice hair thinning as early as their 20s, the pace of hair loss tends to be gradual, often taking years to become obvious to others.
- There seems to be a normal physiologic thinning that comes with age and occurs in many women in their early to mid-30s.
- More women have underlying causes of hair loss than men. These include treatable conditions like anemia and thyroid disease and polycystic ovary syndrome .
- These conditions are diagnosed by blood tests along with historical and physical evidence.
While stories about hats choking off follicles or long hair pulling on the roots may be more folklore, repeat hair trauma like tightly woven hair pulled back and consistent friction can potentially worsen or cause localized hair loss in some individuals. Individuals who pull their hair tightly back in a rubber band can develop a localized hair loss at the front of the scalp.
Hair loss “myths” of special concern to women
Read Also: Do Chemo Pills Cause Hair Loss
What Women Can Do To Stop Hair Loss
Q: Iâm in my early 40s and Iâve noticed sudden hair loss. Iâm devastated. Why is this happening and what can I do?
A: Women donât expect to lose their hair , so when it happens its extraordinarily traumatic.
We normally have, on average, 100,000 hairs on our scalp. And as evinced by our changing hair lengths, roots and visits to our hairdressers, those hairs grow in fact, 90 percent of our hair is actively growing at any given time. Hair is the second fastest growing tissue in our body after bone marrow. To keep its place on your head, your hair needs the right conditions. You may find that youâre unexpectedly losing hair if you impose restrictions on hair growth or if your genes are such that continued hair growth is not in your destiny.
Thereâs a simple test you can do to help determine whether you are losing hair, its just thinning or you are damaging it by abusive hair products or pulling it too tight . Pull on several strands of your hair do they come out easily at the root? If so, it suggests that the hairs are indeed shedding and have gone into what we call an excess telogen phase.
Then thereâs the hair loss effect of taking certain medications, rather than stopping them. There is a long list of drugs associated with hair loss, but here are the most common ones :
- Heparin, interferon, Accutane , Altace, certain anticonvulsant drugs such as Klonopin and valproic acid
Drugs that less commonly lead to hair loss include:
Beware Of Big Promises
There are numerous devices and products that are marketed as effective hair loss treatments, but many of them do not work. Beware of all of the false advertising associated with these products. If a cure for hair loss in women sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Before-and-after pictures may have been doctored to be misleading. How do you know if a hair loss treatment really works? Ask your dermatologist about any treatment you are considering. Look on the FDA and Federal Trade Commission websites to search for approved medical devices and drugs.
Read Also: How To Fix Hair Loss From Pcos
Choose The Right Products
If you decide to color-treat your tresses, its best to opt for a stylist to color your hair. A professional can help determine the safest dye to use for your hair type, and can provide tips on shampoos, conditioners and other hair products made specifically for color-treated hair.
Its also wise to forego daily heat styling, such as with blow dryers, curling wands and flat irons. We all want to look our best, but cutting back on intense heat styling tools one or two days a week will help hair bounce back from the damage they inflict.
If you must use heat-styling products, apply a heat protectant to hair prior to use. A heat protectant provides a protective coating between heated styling products and hair, and adds moisture to protect against damage during heat styling.
Avoid hair products that contain hormone-disrupting chemicals like parabens and phthalates commonly found in many hair products. Dr. Bergfeld adds, Having said that, the science does not substantiate that these cosmetic chemicals you at any risk since the natural environment and foods have a greater risk.
Treatment For Hair Loss
Most hair loss does not need treatment and is either:
- temporary and it’ll grow back
- a normal part of getting older
Hair loss caused by a medical condition usually stops or grows back once you’ve recovered.
There are things you can try if your hair loss is causing you distress. But most treatments are not available on the NHS, so you’ll have to pay for them.
No treatment is 100% effective.
You May Like: Does Rogaine Reverse Hair Loss
Solution: Control The Heat
“I highly recommend everyone uses heated hair tools that have a temperature gauge, so you can lower it,” says the hair stylist Neil Moodie. “This will cause less stress to the hair shaft.” Ghds Helios Hairdryer and Dyson’s Supersonic are two great examples, while avoiding going over the same section of hair with a temperature-controlled pair of straighteners or curling iron can help minimise the damage too. You should also double the protection by using a heat defence spray and towel dry your hair gently but thoroughly before picking up your tools to minimise the time spent using them.
How Do I Stop My Hair From Thinning Advice For Both Women And Men
I often get emails from both men and women who are concerned about thinning hair. Although the causes and treatments of the hair loss for men and women are sometimes different, the concern is still the same. Itâs not always true that a man can just shave his head and a women can just a wear a wig with no problems. Thinning hair can be painful both physically and emotionally. And, since there are things that you can do to slow or stop it, thereâs no reason to just accept it with a heavy heart.
Thinning Hair In Men : Although scalp, medical, and dermatological issues are possible with male hair loss, by far the most common culprit is genetic or hereditary hair loss. Some people mistakenly think that you should look to your motherâs father to see your genetic destiny. This really isnât true. Genetic hair loss can come from any family member and in some cases, there is no genetic history
Youâll also need to focus heavily on regrowth. The thin, miniaturized hairs that regrow with genetic hair loss often donât provide enough decent coverage to make a difference.
Again, treatment is geared toward fixing the problem without kicking off another round of loss. And, once you address the underlying problem, youâll need to successfully stimulate your scalp to produce thick, healthy, high quality hairs that are properly nourished and are not miniaturized.
You May Like: Can Finasteride Cause Hair Loss
Also Check: Does Bariatric Surgery Cause Hair Loss
Heres How The Hair Growth Cycle Works:
Ok, its science-y but very cool, basically each hair follicle on our scalp undergoes three stages of a life cycle, explains Dr Wong.
AnagenThis is the active growing phase, which can last between 2-7 years during which the hair becomes longer and thicker.
CatagenAfter anagen, the hair follicle moves into the short transitional phase called catagen when the hair fibre stops growing, followed by the resting phase telogen which lasts around 3 months.
TelogenDuring telogen the old hair is gradually pushed up towards the skin surface before it is then shed naturally and replaced with a new emerging anagen hair.
On a typical head of hair each follicle is at a different stage at different times so you probably wont notice it happening. Very cool. This cycle continues repeatedly throughout our lifetime and each hair follicle is cycling independently of neighbouring follicles meaning that human hair growth is asynchronised, says Dr Wong.
Its important to note that hair loss is a very common problem for women much more so that people realise. “Research shows that at least 1 in 3 women will suffer from hair loss or reduced hair volume at some point in their lifetime,” says Anabel Kingsley. So, if you are losing strands, it’s important not to freak out, your mane willrecover. In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know…