Sunil Punjabi asked:


Some individuals may lose a small amount of hair everyday while combing or brushing, but if there is excessive Hair Loss in clumps, or thinning hair, a dermatologist should be consulted and the individual should not resort to experimenting with different Hair Loss Shampoos, Cures, Pills, and treatments.

Consulting a dermatologist will ensure that you get the proper advice as to the cause and solution for the excessive hair loss or thinning hair. You should also read available material on the reasons for hair fall and thinning hair. If you do intend to use shampoos, cures, pills, and treatments, do read some Hair Loss Reviews about available products and treatments. Understanding the reasons for loss of hair and receding hairline or thinning hair is essential to understand the different solutions offered by numerous companies.

An individual’s hair grows all the time and almost ninety percent of hair is in growth mode at a time. This phase of hair growth lasts from two to six years. The balance ten percent is in temporary resting stage of about two to three months and then the hair is shed. When some hairs are shed, new hairs take their place and the cycle starts all over. A human hair can grow about one and a half inch every month, but growth slows down with age. Most of the Hair Loss experienced while combing or brushing hair is due to the normal hair growth cycle and a human can lose almost fifty to hundred hairs every day and is not a cause for worrying.
Excessive loss of hair can be due to many different reasons and causes. In some cases, hair regrowth is spontaneous, while in other cases it can be treated successfully. For many forms and causes of loss of hair, there are solutions and cures available, but for some other causes, there is no cure or solution, but research is going on. One of the most common causes of hair loss in individuals is the use of chemical treatments on hair by using dyes, tints, bleaches, strengtheners, etc. Regular use of these products can make hair week and result in excessive loss of hair after some time. If you do have to use these products, then do not use them regularly and do read some Hair Loss Reviews about these products.

Hair Loss can also be due to hereditary reasons and is referred to as androgenetic alopecia. This condition can occur due to inheriting baldness genes, either from the mothers or fathers side of the family. Hereditary loss of hair can start in any age and while there is no available cure, there are treatments that help in some cases. Another reason could be that individuals own body creates antibodies to fight hair growth. In these cases, the body’s autoimmune system rejects the hair growth. This condition is known as alopecia areata and may affect children and adults of all ages. There are many such causes of excessive loss of hair and just resorting to using Hair Loss Shampoos, cures, treatments, and pills, without understanding the causes should be avoided. If you do use some shampoos, pills, and treatments, do read up on Hair Loss Reviews of these products.

Katie asked:


Hair loss is one of the most common and bothersome conditions for people. Tension sets in as soon as one notices thinning of hair or excessive hair loss and everyone starts advising all types of treatment plans. But before you decide for any expensive treatment plan or hair loss treatment medication, it is advisable to understand what hair loss is and the types and benefits of medication available for hair loss treatment to ensure effective and desirable results.

Hair loss

Hair loss and male pattern baldness are embarrassing conditions for men. Before you go for any other hair loss treatment medication it is important to know about the process of hair loss.

The scalp hairs are divided into two phases, growth phase and resting phase. Almost 90% of our hairs are in growth phase, which lasts for approximately four to five years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimeter per month during this phase. Once the hairs are fully grown, the resting phase starts, which lasts for up to four months. After this period, the hairs fall out naturally and are replaced by new hair in its place. This is an ongoing process and as a result of which we can lose up to 100 hairs daily. However, this is a normal occurrence and is not deemed as hair loss.

Hair loss process starts if the rate of hair fall increases at an alarming rate. Moreover, if the new hairs that replace the old one come slowly or are thin, it may be onset of hair loss. Male pattern hair loss (male pattern baldness) is the most common cause of hair loss but there could be some other reason behind your hair loss. Hence it is important to discuss your particular hair loss with your doctor before you buy Propecia or begin any other hair loss treatment.

Benefits of medication over other types of treatments

With hair loss becoming a common cause of concern amongst millions of people across the world, every year a large number of medications, herbs, spices, nutritional supplements, oils, shampoos etc comes up in the market each claiming itself to be the panacea for hair loss. Each year, men suffering from hair loss spend billions of dollars in an attempt to treat their hair loss. Unfortunately, 99% of all products being marketed in the less than ethical hair loss treatment industry are completely ineffective for the majority of those who use them.

If you are going bald you should seriously consider hair loss medication treatments to halt or even reverse your hair loss. While there is no “Hair Loss Cure”, hair loss drugs can often stop or even reverse alopecia aerate in most people. Medication for treating hair loss slows thinning of the hair and increases coverage of the scalp by growing new hair and enlarging existing hairs.

Types of Medications for Hair loss Treatment

Today there are two FDA approved medications for hair growth – minoxidil which is sold over the counter as Rogaine, for both men and women, and Finasteride, a prescription pill sold as Propecia, for men only. Two other drugs have been recently approved for hair growth and include a high-estrogen oral contraceptive and Aldactone (spironolactone). However, these two medications are only for women due to their feminizing side effects.

Both these medications slow thinning of the hair and increase coverage of the scalp by growing new hair and enlarging existing hairs. However, the effectiveness of finasteride or minoxidil depends on your age and the location of hair loss. These medications do not work for everyone, and you should not expect to re-grow a full head of hair.

Propecia as Hair Loss Treatment Medicine

Propecia (Finasteride) is proven to be the most effective hair loss treatment medicine to treat male pattern baldness. Propecia is for men only, and is not approved by the FDA as a hair loss treatment for women or children.

Propecia works by blocking the enzyme, Type II 5 alpha-reductase from converting testosterone to its active form DHT (dihydrotestosterone) in the body. DHT plays a major role in inherited male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia). In this process, it reduces the level of the hormone in the scalp which shortens the hair growth cycle and allows hairs to revert to a normal growth cycle. This can result in stopping further hair loss and increasing new hair growth in men with male pattern baldness.

A single 1mg Propecia tablet is to be taken everyday continuously for 3-6 months before benefit is seen. When Propecia is discontinued, the hair loss process resumes so continuous use is recommended to sustain benefit.

Also remember that Propecia is a prescription only medicine with certain side effects and should be taken after consultation with the doctor.

Marlene Affeld asked:


Have you noticed a gradual and progressive increase in the number of hairs lost when combing or brushing? Perhaps after months or years of vain denial, you have realized that the mirror does not lie, visible thinning has occurred. You’re not alone if you’re experiencing breakage, increased hair shedding or significant hair loss.

Many women may cover it up with wigs, hair extensions, hats or scarves. Others choose one of the several approved medications or surgical procedures that are available to treat baldness.

Excessive hair loss or balding is mistakenly perceived as a strictly something that happens to men although women actually make up to forty percent of American hair loss sufferers. In America, one in four, or over 30 million women will seek solutions and treatment for hair loss annually.

First of all, don’t panic! Hair loss or hair shedding is consistent within the hair growth cycle and it is normal to lose some scalp hair each day. The average human scalp has roughly 100,000 to 150,000 individual hairs and the normal hair growth cycle results in the loosening or shedding of about 100 to 150 hairs on a daily basis. New hair growth then emerges from these same previous dormant hair follicles, growing at the average rate of about half an inch per month.

Hair is composed of two separate parts: the follicle and the hair shaft. The follicle lies below the scalp and produces the hair strands that we see growing out of our head. The follicle is alive, however the hair strand is simply composed of dead cells that have no regenerative ability.

For most people, 90% of our scalp hair is always in a to six year growth phase (anagen) while the remaining 10% is in a dormant period (telogen), which lasts about three months. When the dormant period ends the hair is shed; these are the worrisome hairs we obsess over in our comb, hairbrush, on our pillow or down the shower drain. Relax, some hair loss is perfectly normal.

Baldness or Alopecia happens when the normal pattern of hair growth is disrupted. The normal pattern of human hair growth is growing, resting, shedding and growing again. If the growth pattern is out of balance, hair does not grow back as readily as it falls out. A family history of androgenetic alopecia increases your risk of balding. Heredity also affects the age at which you begin to lose hair and the development, pattern and extent of your baldness.

What concerns us is not these normally shed hairs, but the noticeable thinning we confront in the mirror. For a woman, thick, vibrant hair is our crowning glory, our vanity visible. A luxuriant full mane epitomizes the beauty of a woman and is integrally woven into our self image. Our culture strongly identifies femininity with a thick, silky head of hair. Throughout recorded history, images of shining, full bodied hair are associated with female beauty, youth, desirability and good health. Society unfairly identifies dry, lack luster and thinning hair with old age, sickness and poverty.

A dramatic decrease in self esteem is evident in women when their hair begins to fall out. Hair shedding is not physically painful, however it often causes severe emotional distress. We obsess over our thin tresses as we battle depression and self loathing. Women frequently become introverted and withdraw from the world. We avoid intimate contact and make futile attempts to disguise the quality and quantity of our hair.

Hair loss is especially injurious to those who have professions or careers where physical appearance plays a significant role. A young woman is especially vulnerable to the stigma of balding. Not until we are confronted with the loss of our hair do we fully realize how essential hair is to our overall perception of ourselves.

A woman’s hair is at its thickest by age 20. Once we pass 20, however, our hair gradually begins to thin, shedding more than the normal 100-150 hairs a day. With aging, hair strands hold less pigment and become smaller so that what was once the luxuriant and thick hair of our youth becomes thin, fine and lighter in color. For even the elderly woman, significant hair loss can threaten self image. A woman’s sense of sexuality and femininity as well as her establish place in family and society are often undermined by hair loss.

It is hardly surprising when a man starts balding. By the age of thirty-five about 25 percent of American men will experience some degree of appreciable hair loss and about 75 percent are either bald or have a balding pattern by age 60.

In men, hair loss is often perceived as a sign of virility, a demonstrable sign that his male hormones are functioning at maximum capacity. To project strength and masculinity, men often choose to shave their heads.

Although many men are quite dismayed by a receding hairline, research indicates that the phycological pain of hair loss does not affect men as adversely as it impacts women. What makes coping with hair loss so difficult is the frightening lack of control, the feeling of the inability to do anything to make our hair stop falling out.

Causes Of Hair Loss In Women

As we age, women face a multitude of changes and challenges: wrinkles, a widening waist, cellulite deposits and thickening ankles. It does not seem fair that for many of us hair loss is yet another blow to our self esteem.

Female pattern baldness or Androgenetic Alopecia is the most common type of hair loss in women and is genetic in nature. This type of female balding is caused by the chemical Dihydrotestosterone or DHT which builds up around the air follicle and over time destroys both the hair shaft and the hair follicle. Pregnancy or the onset of menopause may cause a fluctuation in the production of estrogen. Lacking sufficient estrogen to produce testosterone-blocking enzymes, testosterone is then converted to DHT on the scalp. The result is a shorter hair growth cycle, finer hair and excessive hair loss from shedding and breakage. Some women experience an increase in hair loss several months after delivering a baby.

Genetics aside, there are many other reasons why women lose hair. Surgery, extreme physical or emotional stress, hormonal imbalances, chemotherapy and scalp infections are but a few. Female hair loss can also be triggered by birth control medications, certain prescription drugs or result from the use of harsh chemicals or aggressive styling that can cause permanent damage to the fragile hair follicle. Excessive hair shedding may also be symptomatic of rapid weight loss from dangerous fad-dieting or an eating disorder such as anorexia. The use of street drugs such as cocaine will also exhibit sudden and severe hair shedding.

When To Contact A Medical Professional

Reacting intensely to the physical state of our thinning hair may seem like excessive vanity, but it is not. Baldness is not usually caused by disease, but is more commonly related to heredity, aging and hormone function. However, changes in hair appearance, texture and growth patterns may indicate serious health concerns. Hair is one of the first areas, along with skin and nails, to reflect nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalance and illness. It is wise to pay attention.

Women’s hair seems to be particularly sensitive to underlying medical conditions so it is important that women with undiagnosed hair loss be properly evaluated by a physician. If your thinning hair is a result of a medical condition, your doctor will treat these ailments and as a result you may experience significant growth of new hair.

Once you and your doctor have identified the cause of your hair loss you may be referred to a hair specialist or implant surgeon to learn about the treatment options available such as or hair transplant procedures to promote growth or hide loss. For some types of alopecia, hair may resume normal growth without any treatment.

A healthy balanced diet, regular exercise, hydration and rest can go a long way towards preventing hair loss and maximizing the potential of your hair growth cycle.

Although medical research is on going, the following have proved beneficial in growing and maintaining a healthy head of hair.

Nutrition

Poor nutrition is often an underlying cause of hair loss as the hair is a reliable indicator of nutritional well being. Discuss with your health care provider your diet, all medications and any supplements you may be taking. Dull hair color or dry and brittle hair may be indicators of a deficiency in essential fats in the diet, oily hair may be a sign of a B vitamin deficiency.

Recent medical studies have found that a high percentage of women with thinning hair are deficient in iron and the amino acid lysine. It is difficult to obtain sufficient lysine through diet alone. Lysine is important in the transport of iron and necessary to support hair growth. Lysine is found in eggs and red meat so vegetarians needs to be aware of this potential shortfall in their diets.

The amino acids L-Cysteine and L-Methionine are believed to improve hair texture, quality and growth.

Low-fat foods that rank high in protein, low in carbohydrates, can play a vital role in sustaining healthy hair growth and aid in preventing hair loss. Important essential fatty acids for maintaining hair health are found in walnuts, sunflower seeds, sardines, spinach, soy and canola oil. Omega 3 and Omega 6 Oils protect the heart as well as your hair so include salmon in your diet on a regular basis.

Herbal Remedies Offer Hope For Hair Loss

Discuss with your nutritional advisor or medical professional the benefits of herbs. The following natural plant derivatives have properties to encourage a healthy head of hair.

Aloe

Arnica

Birch

Burdock

Catmint

Chamomile

Horsetail

Licorice

Marigold

Nettles

Parsley

Rosemary

Sage

Hair Care

Always choose organic natural products to avoid the chemicals and toxins found in many hair care products. Harsh chemicals may strip the natural oils from your hair and lead to breakage and poor hair growth. Dye, hair straightening and permanent solutions are highly destructive to the hair shaft and follicle as well as the delicate sebum balance of the scalp.

Be gentle with your hair. Allow hair to dry naturally rather than using a hair dryer. A natural bristle brush is helpful in preventing damage. Do not style until completely dry. Wet hair is weak hair so handle with care.

Avoid or break any bad habits you may have that pull or twist the hair. Try not to constantly run your fingers through your hair, tug at the hair and avoid hair clips or rubber bands that pull at and break off the hair. Minimize the usage of mousse, gels and hair sprays. These products dry and weigh down the hair shaft and dull the natural luster of your hair.

Avoid salt and chlorinated water when swimming. If exposed, always wash the hair with cool water and an organic gentle shampoo and apply a mild conditioner. Sun worshippers should make sure that hair care products have sunscreen properties to protect hair from the damaging affects of UV rays. Remember to wear a hat to prevent sunburn of the scalp.

Healthy Lifestyle

Hair loss is traumatic, however our hair is only part of who we are. I remind myself to keep my obsession with my hair loss in perspective and be happy with all the other areas of my life that are going right and in balance. Focus on the positive, eat well, rest well and be at peace with who you are. Remember, that for some, hair grows back as mysteriously as it disappeared.