Can Hair Grow Back After Thinning
That totally depends on whats causing your thinning in the first place . And, like, not to sound like a broken record here, but this is just another reason why you should always, always see a professional to diagnose your hair loss before you make any decisions. At the end of the day, early prevention is key with any form of hair loss, so book an appointment if youve noticed thinning and want to get ahead of it.
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What Causes Hair To Thin
Any number of lifestyle factors, genetics, recent life events , or medical conditions can cause your hair to thin.
Lifestyle factors could include using certain hair products, wearing your hair up too tightly, experiencing high stress levels, or not getting enough of certain vitamins and minerals in your diet.
People who have immune system deficiencies could also have thinning hair.
Which Hair Type Is A Cause For Concern
Now that you know what the difference is between the two hair types, you may be able to guess which hair type sounds the alarm.
Since thinning hair points to the loss of hair density on the scalp, it means that existing hair follicles are becoming smaller, which results in less hair overall.
One way to tell if you have thinning hair is if you notice that your part has gotten wider. Or if you have longer hair, you may have to wrap your hair tie around more times when you put your tresses into a ponytail, indicating less hair.
Some may also notice an increase in shedding. Of course, we naturally shed up to 150 hairs a day, but when it becomes excessive and prolonged, it can be concerning.
Besides our age and genetics, thinning hair can also result from chronic shedding, also known medically as telogen effluvium. This refers to hair shedding thats triggered by a stressor, whether its emotional or physical.
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Ready To Get Your Hair Back
Youre a special, unique individual, and the underlying factors that are contributing to your hair thinning are unlike anyone elses. In order to suggest treatments that may work, our provider performs a thorough evaluation and talks to you in-depth about your health, your life, and your goals.
If youre ready to find out how we might help, book an appointment at our office in Rockville, Maryland.
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Topical Products For Hair Loss/thinning Hair
In the realm of topical products, those containing minoxidil or growth factors will be the most likely to reverse hair thinning, says Dr. Ziering. Minoxidil and some types of growth factors each have the potential to initiate the growth phase of the hair growth cycle. Some of these products are available over the counter while others require a prescription.
Other hair growth products that don’t contain these ingredients can help hair look thicker, but are unlikely to affect growth, says Dr. Ziering. “There are cosmetic aids such as thickening serums that actually just add water to the hair shaft to make them become engorged, so that’s just temporary smoke and mirrors to some extent,” he says. “There are also protein fibers that people can use to add volume to the hair. And then you can pigment the scalp to minimize the contrast between the scalp and the hair.”
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Thinning Hair In Women: Why It Happens And What Helps
- By Kelly Bilodeau, Former Executive Editor, Harvard Women’s Health Watch
Many people think of hair loss as a male problem, but it also affects at least a third of women. But unlike men, women typically experience thinning hair without going bald, and there can be a number of different underlying causes for the problem.
Some are associated with inflammation in the body. Some are female-pattern hair loss, says Dr. Deborah Scott, assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Hair Loss Clinic at Brigham and Womens Hospital. But the good news is that in many cases this hair loss can be stabilized with treatment, and it may be reversible. When its not, there are a number of new cosmetic approaches that can help.
What Are The Common Causes Of Hair Loss In Women
What causes hair loss?
- Hair style: Your style of hair can cause hair loss when your hair is arranged in ways that pull on your roots, like tight ponytails, braids, or corn rows. This type of hair loss is called traction alopecia. If hair follicles are damaged, the loss can be permanent.
- Vitamin deficiency.
- Over processed scalp hair .
What causes anagen effluvium hair loss?
- Toxic substances, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy and some medications. These cause sudden hair loss that can occur anywhere on your body. It happens to hair in the growth stage. Sometimes, this type of hair loss can be permanent if your hair follicles are damaged.
What causes telogen effluvium hair loss?
- Extreme physical stress or shock to your body: This causes temporary hair loss. This category includes events like losing a lot of weight, surgery, anemia, illness and having a baby.
- Extreme emotional stress: mental illness, the death of a loved one, etc.
- An abnormal thyroid.
- Medications and supplements: blood pressure medicines, gout medicines and high doses of Vitamin A.
- Hormone changes caused by pregnancy, menopause or birth control pills.
What causes FPHL ?
- Genes: Your familys genes can cause thinning of hair along the top of your head.
- Aging: Hormone changes as you age can cause balding.
- Menopause: This type of hair loss often gets worse when estrogen is lost during menopause.
There are also some conditions that affect hair loss:
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What Are The Causes Of Fine Thin Hair
Whether you’re male or female, fine, thinning hair can be a source of embarrassment. When your scalp beings to peek through the strands of your hair, you may need to investigate the source of your thinning hair, especially if it’s a sudden occurrence. Together with your doctor you can find the source of your thinning hair and explore options to remedy the situation.
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There Are Things You Can Do To Prevent Hair Loss
If you notice your hair is thinning and it bothers you, there are some easy ways to make it appear fuller and simultaneously help prevent more hair loss or breakage. For instance, as SELF explained previously, its important to:
Wash as often as you need tobut no more. Both under- and overwashing can affect the volume and feel of your hair. Not washing enough causes a buildup of product and oil that can weight your hair down. But washing too frequently can strip the hair of its natural oils, making it more dry and prone to breakage. Experts recommend sticking to washing about two or three times per week and adjusting as needed for your particular situation.
Always use conditioner after shampooing. Conditioner makes your hair shinier and helps reduce static electricity, both of which helps thinning hair look fuller and glossier. But remember: A little goes a long way, and too much will weigh hair down.
Try leave-on products. Leave-in conditioners and detanglers help keep your hair moisturized throughout the day and protect against the effects of heat styling that otherwise can cause thinning and breakage.
Use hair masks for deep conditioning. If your hair tends to be dry and brittle, an occasional deep-conditioning mask may be just what it needs to regain some life and strength. These can also help hair look shinier.
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What Are The Myths About Hair Loss
Myths about hair loss are widespread. Nothing in the following list is true:
- Youre losing hair because you shampoo it too much, or because youve colored it or gotten a perm.
- Dandruff causes permanent hair loss in women.
- Stress causes permanent hair loss in women.
- If you shave your head, your hair will grow back twice as thick.
- If you stand on your head youll increase circulation, stimulating hair growth.
- If you brush your hair 100 strokes a day that will make your hair healthier.
- Hats and wigs cause hair loss in women.
- Hair loss only affects intellectual women.
You Have Female Or Malepattern Baldness
You might already know about malepattern baldness, a type of hair loss caused by a combo of genes and male sex hormones that usually makes the hair on a man’s head recede at the temples, leaving an Mshaped hairline.
But hormone-related hairloss for femalesor femalepattern baldnessis also a thing, according to the US National Institute of Health. This type of hair loss occurs when the hair follicle shrinks so much over time that it doesn’t grow new hair. In women, the symptoms of femalepattern baldness includes a widening of the center hair part, and, sometimes, coarser hair on the face.
The only FDAapproved treatment for female and malepattern hair is minoxidil , but if that doesn’t work, your doctor may prescribe oral medications such as finasteride that can halt hair loss or even cause some to grow surgery to transplant or graft hair is also an option.
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How Will A Healthcare Provider Diagnose Hair Loss In Women What Tests Are Done
The tests performed to diagnose hair loss in women can be simple or complicated:
- Gently pulling on your hair to see how many hairs come out.
- Blood tests. These check for vitamin and mineral levels and hormone levels .
- Scalp examination under a microscope and trichoscopy.
- Scalp biopsy to remove and examine a very small piece of scalp skin.
What Are The Roots Of Hair Loss
Thereâs no single cause. Triggers range from medical conditions as many as 30 to stress and lifestyle factors, like what you eat. Your genes play a role, too. Sometimes doctors canât find a specific reason. As a starting point, hair loss experts suggest you get tested for thyroid problems and hormone imbalances. Hair often grows back once the cause is addressed.
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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.
Where Is The Hair Loss
If you are noticing a receding hairline or loss specifically in the crown area, these can be signs of balding. A more random pattern or evenly spread loss of hair is usually an indicator of hair thinning.
If your hair seems to be falling out in patches, you could have alopecia, a condition that causes a person to lose patches of hair. Consult a doctor if you think this to be the case.
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Make An Appointment With Your Doctor
If you cant easily explain your hair thinning with the answers to the questions above, your doctor can run several tests to figure out what is going on. They will likely order a blood test to see if you have hormone imbalances or underlying medical conditions.
Your doctor may perform a pull test where they gently pull on a section of hair to see how many strands come out from the roots. This test will let them know your current stage in the shedding process. They may perform a scalp biopsy to check for skin infections and also examine your hair roots under a microscope to determine hair shaft abnormalities.
If your hair thinning has a medical cause, your doctor can prescribe medication to treat it. For conditions that arent treatable with a prescription, there are sometimes surgical options that can help.
Vitamins For Hair Growth
If youre hoping to grow back healthy locks after experiencing hair loss due to a certain deficiency, vitamins can help. Parks recommends Ducray Anacaps Dietary Supplements and Shah suggests iron, vitamin D and zinc if youre deficient in them.
At the same time, vitamins arent a miracle cure for hair loss. Nutritional supplements can be very beneficial if you are losing your hair due to a nutritional deficiency, Kingsley said. However, if your hair loss is unrelated to diet, nutritional supplements will not remedy it.
The bottom line? Vitamins wont hurt, but dont rely on them to treat all types of hair loss.
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Does It Run In The Family
Look into your family’s history with hair loss. Male Pattern Baldness is typically a genetic condition, so your first step in determining if you are balding is finding out if you are genetically prone to baldness.
In the event you have a family history of male pattern baldness, then there is a good chance your hair loss is not the result of stress or another factor. It may come down to genetics, and there is not much you can do about that.
At this point, you should speak with a dermatologist to go over your hair restoration options. There is a lot of information you can find online, but the internet is also filled with half-truths and myths. The only way to get good information you can trust is to go directly to a medical professional who can review your hair loss.
Diet Deficiencies: Your Hair Is What You Eat
The essential vitamins and nutrients, like protein, that you get from a healthy, varied, and well-balanced diet ensure good health all throughout your body, making sure all your organs and internal systems are working just as they should. Poor nutrition or following a severely restrictive crash or fad diet can lead to all kinds of nutrient deficiencies, which in turn can result in hair loss, from thinning hair to patches of baldness.
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Why Is My Hair Thinning
Many types of hair loss could be contributing to your strands thinning. First, identify the most likely culprit to determine the best treatment. In many cases, you can reverse or prevent the following conditions from progressing:
Androgenetic Alopecia: This condition is the most common cause of hair thinning, and it is hereditary. In many cases, hormonal changes are the culprit, and you will notice newer fine hairs lacking pigment before growth halts entirely.
Telogen Effluvium: This condition is caused by many hair follicles entering the resting phase at once without moving on to the growth phase. This condition is often triggered three months after a medical event and can resolve six months after recovery.
Anagen Effluvium: Medical treatment, such as chemotherapy, causes this type of hair loss, such as chemotherapy. Any lost hair should begin to return once the treatment is over.
AlopeciaAreata: Hair loss leaves behind small, painless patches. Underlying autoimmune conditions or severe stress responses can cause this condition.
Cicatricial Alopecia: This rare condition causes hair follicle inflammation that leaves scar tissue behind.
Traction Alopecia: Damage to hair from tension or pressure causes hairs to fall out.
Although this list isnt exhaustive, these conditions can pinpoint the cause of your hair loss. Knowing the answer to the question, why is my hair thinning? lets you take action and improve hair thickness.
Your Mom Lost Her Hair Too
“If you come from a family where women started to have hair loss at a certain age, then you might be more prone to it,” says Dr. Glashofer. Unlike men, women don’t tend to have a receding hairline, instead their part may widen and they may have noticeable thinning of hair. This is also known as femalepattern baldness.
Women may benefit from minoxidil to help grow hair, or at least, maintain the hair you have, Dr. Glashofer says. Rogaine is available over-the-counter and is approved for women with this type of hair loss.
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Understanding The Difference Between Hair Loss & Hair Breakage
Friend 1 Dont know whats wrong with my hair, but it has started breaking a lot.
Friend 2 Ya, mine too! I have been experiencing hair loss lately!
Deja vu? Been a part of such a conversation or overheard one? Little did you notice that the two friends above are wanting to express the same emotion but talking about two different types of hair problems! Re-read it again? Yes, the two hair problems are HAIR BREAKAGE & HAIR LOSS.
Both these terms are commonly heard, discussed and used interchangeably. As you have figured our point of discussion here by now, they arent the same. Lets understand this difference better to help you tackle the concern right.
But before we do that, lets first understand our Hairs strength
Human hair is as strong as a wire of iron. It can stretch and bounce back. The average persons head has 1,00,000 to 1,50,000 strands of hair. And a single hair can support up to 100 grams in weight and a whole head of hair could support up to 12 tonnes the equivalent of two African elephants!
These conditions discussed above clubbed with improper hair care routines over time lead to hair breakage and hair loss. Lets delve deeper here
What is Hair Loss?
Common Causes of Hair Loss
If you are someone who follows our blogs, you may have read the one on common causes of hair loss. If not, do catch up on it! For now, we will give a brief on the most predominant causes of hair loss, apart from your genes.
Dietary Imbalance