Why Is My Hair Thinning The Top Causes Of Thinning Hair
Unfortunately, theres no one definitive answer for what causes thinning hair, as there are a number of different contributing factors that can come into play and itll differ from person to person. It may be just one of these things thats affecting you or it could be a combination of a few.
Ageing Just like our skin, our hair also goes through changes as we get older. The rate of hair growth slows down over time, meaning less new hairs are growing to replace those that are lost.
Next read: 5 things that happen to your hair as you get older
Hereditary Genetic factors can play a big part in hair loss, so looking at whether or not your parents suffer from thinning hair can sometimes be a pretty telling indicator! Medical conditions like diabetes are also known to make a person more prone to issues with thinning hair.
Hormonal changes Major bodily changes such as the menopause and pregnancy can wreak havoc with our hormones, leading to increased hair loss.
Stress Theres a reason we say were losing our hair over a stressful situation! Stress and trauma can have a negative impact on not only our mental health, but also physical health, including our hair.
Diet Our hair is one of the most visible signs of a poor diet and vitamin deficiencies. Have you read about the 9 foods to eat to get gorgeous locks?
How To Make Your Hair Thicker
- Try to identify and eliminate the cause of your hair loss.
- Drink more water and increase your intake of protein, Omega 3, and vitamin C.
- Select a haircut and hairstyle that will make your thin hair appear thicker.
- Use shampoos that are designed for thinning hair.
- Consider hair regrowth treatments and transplants if no other thickening methods work.
Hair Loss Trigger: Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata causes hair to fall out in big patches. The culprit is your own immune system, which attacks healthy hair follicles by mistake. In most cases, the damage isnât permanent. The missing locks should grow back in 6 months to a year. Some people lose all the hair on their scalp and body, but thatâs rare.
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Hair Loss Trigger: The Pill
The hormones that suppress ovulation could cause your hair to thin. Itâs more likely if you have a family history of hair loss. It might happen when you stop taking the pill. Other drugs linked to hair loss include blood thinners and medicines that treat high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, and depression.
Follow This Healthy Hair Lifestyle Checklist
- Avoid excess stress.
- Stimulate the circulation to your scalp with a daily finger massage. Also take handfuls of hair and gentle move the scalp to and fro, and side to side, to loosen tension and promote blood flow.
- Use a shampoo containing green tea caffeine which blocks DHT production and stimulates hair growth. Caffeine also reduces smooth muscle constriction around hair follicles to improve blood flow and nutrient delivery.
- Ask your doctor if you need any tests to assess your thyroid function, to measure your serum ferritin levels to look for iron deficiency, or if any other hormone imbalances are likely.
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Hair Concerns: Thin Frizzy Lifeless Curls
Aging curls experience the same signs of aging as other hair textureand more. This means that in addition to becoming thinner, duller, more brittle and frizzier, they also are affected by gravity, which makes them droop more quickly due to the weakened state of the strands. The shape of the curl can also become altered because of hormonal changes.
Signs Of Balding Men Should Watch For In Their 20s
Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP
Hair loss is something that happens to many men at some point. Despite the fact that most of us have a slim chance of keeping the same head of hair throughout our lives, we still cling to the idea that hair loss wont happen to us.
Unfortunately, this denial makes it more difficult to stop male pattern baldness from claiming most of our hair.
We refuse to accept the signs of thinning hair until that critical moment comes were looking in the mirror one morning and notice that half our hair is gone.
Want to know why its hard to treat the average guy in his 20s for hair loss? Because most people have a hard time believing that male pattern baldness affects young adults.
The notion that only middle-aged men experience baldness isnt not only false its damaging. It causes 20-year-old men to feel self-conscious about their hair loss, meaning that most of them refuse to confront the reality that their hair is thinning.
Accepting this reality is the first step towards preventing hair loss from accelerating and getting worse.
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When To See A Doctor
In most cases, thinning hair is not linked with overall health problems. If a person is concerned about hair loss, or if it affects their mental well-being, they can see a doctor.
If a person loses a lot of hair with no known cause, they should see their doctor. This is especially important if they have recently made dietary changes or started taking supplements.
The doctor may recommend that a person sees a skin specialist, or dermatologist, to determine the best ways to treat thinning hair.
Consider These Useful Supplements For Healthy Hair
- A multivitamin and mineral to guard against deficiencies .
- Soy isoflavones . If you have a medical history of a hormone dependent condition check with your doctor before taking them although evidence suggests they are beneficial in these cases, too.
- A probiotic will supply beneficial digestive bacteria which may help to increase conversion of soy isoflavones to a stronger oestrogenic version called equol.
- Flaxseed oil is one of the richest dietary sources of lignans.
- Some nutritionists may recommend l-lysine amino acid supplements.
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Underlying Causes For Hair Loss
Numerous problems can trigger female hair loss. Some are external, such as taking certain medications, frequently wearing hairstyles that pull the hair too tight, or even a stressful event such as surgery. In other cases, thinning hair is triggered by something going on inside the body for instance, a thyroid problem, a shift in hormones, a recent pregnancy, or an inflammatory condition.
Hair loss may also be genetic. The most common genetic condition is known as female-pattern hair loss, or androgenic alopecia. Women with this condition might notice a widening of the part at the top of the head, often beginning when a woman is in her 40s or 50s. You might experience this if you inherit certain genes from one or both parents. Hormonal shifts that occur during menopause may also spur it.
Another trigger for hair loss in women is an inflammatory condition affecting the scalp. That might be eczema, psoriasis, or a condition called frontal fibrosing alopecia, which typically causes scarring and hair loss sometimes permanent at the front of the scalp above the forehead.
Other common causes of hair loss include overuse of damaging hair products, or tools such as dryers and other devices that heat the hair. Underlying illness, autoimmune conditions such as lupus, nutritional deficiencies, or hormonal imbalances may also cause hair to shed.
Bonus Tip For Curly Hair
Knowing the right hairstyling and hair-care tips for achieving your most voluminous and lustrous curls is the other half of the battle. Weve got all the secrets you need right here! Plus, achieve up to 24 hours of definition and frizz control when you use this shampoo as part of our 3-step curly hair regimen.
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What Are The Types Of Hair Loss
There are three: anagen effluvium, telogen effluvium and FPHL.
- Anagen effluvium: This is caused by medications that poison a growing hair follicle .
- Telogen effluvium: This is caused by an increased number of hair follicles reaching the telogen phase, which is the stage where hair falls out.
- Androgenetic alopecia/female pattern alopecia/female pattern hair loss /baldness: This type is the most common. Hair thins over the top of the head and on the sides.
Consider Using A Caffeinated Shampoo
If you dont already use a caffeinated shampoo, consider switching to one. Caffeine applied directly to the scalp has two beneficial effects. It relaxes smooth muscle fibres surrounding the hair to improve blood flow. More importantly, it also inhibits the enzyme, 5–reductase, which converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone within scalp hair follicles and which is associated with male and female pattern hair loss.
A growing body of evidence supports the effects of caffeinated shampoos in stimulating hair follicles, and Ive certainly noticed a dramatic improvement in hair thickness since starting to use one. Just two minutes contact with the scalp during shampooing allows the caffeine to penetrate into hair follicles, where it remains for up to 48 hours after washing.
Leave-on caffeine solutions are also available and have been shown to increase the cross-sectional area of scalp hairs by 10%.
Drinking caffeinated beverages such as tea or coffee does not have the same effect, as the caffeine must penetrate into the hair follicles itself to inhibit 5- -reductase.
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Why Is My Hair Thinning The Non
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Thinning hair is one kind of hair loss but on a less serious level. Thinning hair is not the root of baldness like widespread hair loss. But have you ever wondered why my hair is thinning?
When people get older, their hair no longer maintains softness and thickness. Sometimes, because of your diet, nutrient deficiencies or hair treatment can cause thinning hair. However, in general, thinning hair does not affect your overall health, it can influence your appearance and self-esteem. There are available and effective treatments to improve this situation. In this writing, LaylaHair will help you understand more about the causes and suggest some workable treatments you can apply at home. Keep reading!
Why Is My Hair Thinning Out
Lets take a look at the first reason: genes. Yes, because some of your hair follicles are too sensitive to male hormones that produce thinner and finer hairs and make your hair fall out easily.
Hair thinning genes are passed out from generations, so, if all your family members hair is thick and does not suffer baldness, there could be other causes for your thinning hair.
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How Common Is Hair Loss In Women
Many people think that hair loss only affects men. However, it is estimated that more than 50% of women will experience noticeable hair loss. The most significant cause of hair loss in women is female-pattern hair loss , which affects about one-third of susceptible women, which equals out to some 30 million women in the United States.
What Does Thinning Hair Look Like
Hair loss can affect men of all ages. As such, its important to know the signs of thinning hair so that you can tackle the problem as it develops. Hair loss in men typically begins around the forehead and on top of the head. Therefore, many men experience a receding hairline as part of the early stages of their hair loss. To determine whether your hairline is receding, try comparing your current hair to a photo from two years ago. Thinning hair on top of the head, on the other hand, can be identified by regularly parting your hair down the middle and seeing how much scalp is revealed.
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Hair Loss From Thyroid Problems
Either an underactive thyroid, a medical condition called hypothyroidism, or an overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism, can result in hair loss because each condition causes a hormonal imbalance. Hormones help to regulate nearly every function in the body, including hair growth. Getting the right treatment to control either of these thyroid conditions will get hormones under control, stop hair loss, and allow your hair to starting grow back.
Is There Anything I Can Do To Stop My Hair From Falling Out Naturally
Everyone loses hair naturally and it is normal for hair to thin somewhat when you get older. But the truth is that male pattern hair loss is a genetic condition that cannot be stopped entirely.
There is a condition called Traction Alopecia, which is caused by constant pulling or tension of your hairs over a long period. You dont have to be dragged around the floor by your head to suffer from this either if you often wear tight braids, particularly cornrows, or tight ponytails, you are more likely to get Traction Alopecia. So try not to pull your hair tight excessively. Some experts also recommend exercise as a good way to maintain a healthy head of hair.
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Will I Suffer Any Psychological Problems As A Result Of Going/being Bald
Some men have a genuine fear of going bald and it can cause high stress levels, low self-esteem, reduced sex drive and even depression. But if you understand the causes and accept them you are much more likely to conquer these fears. Most men feel a momentary loss of confidence when they realise they are losing hair but this is often overcome quickly. The only way to ensure you wont suffer psychological problems is to face up to the realities of baldness and either accept it or seek treatment that works for you.
Hair Loss Trigger: Cancer Treatment
Chemo and radiation therapy, two of the most widely used therapies, can take a toll on your hair. In their quest to kill cancer cells, both can harm hair follicles and trigger dramatic hair loss. But the damage is almost always short-lived. Once your treatment is finished, hair usually grows back.
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Different Types Of Alopecia
Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss, and there are two main types: alopecia areata and androgenic alopecia. Alopecia may cause hair loss only on the scalp or all over the body. It may result in thinning hair, patches of hair loss, some balding, or total baldness, and it may be permanent or temporary. There are numerous causes, including genetics. Talk to your doctor about possible treatments.