Hair loss in general can be a very devastating thing to happen, and even more so with women. Women regard their hair as their crowning glory, something that makes them beautiful and confident at the same time.  

With all the stress of today’s  society, all the unhealthy food in the grocery stores and the restaurants, combined with the stress of being a wife and a mother, hair loss in women is more noticeable now than ever before.  All the hair-care products available in the market, coupled with women keeping up with fashion by using hair dryers and different hair products that harm our hair, it is actually inevitable that hair loss in women can happen so easily.

All about hair

• 90% of the hair is in “Anagen” phase or the growing phase lasting 2 to 8 years.

• “Catagen” cycle is the transition phase that lasts 2 to 3 weeks in which the hair follicles shrink.

• Majority of the time, the hair on our scalp is growing, only 10% of the strands are in transition or resting.  The strand of hair that rests is in “telogen” cycle, this lasts around 2 to 4 months.

• For most people, hair grows about 6 inches per year.

• People normally shed 50 to 100 strands of hair every day.  When you wash your hair, you can lose up to 250 strands of hair.  Each time a hair follicle is shed, it is usually replaced by hair that is equal in size.    

Why does hair loss in women occur?

• GENES - This can be a hereditary condition for millions of women.  It is the most common kind of hair loss, it happens to 50 % of women with hair loss.  It commonly happens with women who are older but some teenagers may also suffer from this condition.  Women with this condition, after a hair follicle is shed, the new hair is finer and thinner, smaller compared to the onse that just shed.  The hair follicle shrinks and eventually quit growing.

• HORMONES – hair loss in women can also be attributed to any hormonal imbalance.  Some health conditions that can cause a hormonal imbalance are thyroid irregularities, menopause or pregnancy.    Sometimes beginning or ending the use of contraceptive pills can also cause this.

• ANEMIA – iron deficiency can also lead to hair loss.  Eat sensibly, eat food that is rich in iron and avoid sleeping too late or at least have 8 hours of sleep.  Anemia can lead to more serious symptoms.  Any diet insufficiency and poor nutrition can cause hair loss as well.

• ANY PHYSICAL TRAUMA OR ILLNESS – extreme stress, dramatic weight loss, surgeries, an intense illness or too much Vitamin A have all been attributed to sudden hair loss.  It might not show right away but starts shedding in big clumps after a week or 2.

• HAIRSTYLE – this is self inflicted and can be avoided.  Tight braids, too much pulling of hair from hair styling or blow drying, chemical treatments, flat irons and other things that can stress your hair can and will lead to eventual hair breakage and hair loss.

• Skin Diseases – Psoriasis, ring worm or a fungal infection can cause hair loss too.  It can cause small patches of scaling skin that makes your hair fall.

• DHT – this is the aging hormone that is responsible for hair loss.  The extra development of estrogen results to excessive growth of DHT.  The DHT starts to assault hair follicles leading to hair loss and then eventually baldness.  This can also be because of the pollutants in our environment, even artificial flavorings of food can increase the growth of DHT.

How can you prevent any type of hair loss?

• HAIR CARE – Stay away from harsh shampoos and conditioners.  Avoid too much hair styling especially the ones when you have to expose your hair to heat and other chemicals.   Try not to shampoo your hair everyday to maintain the natural oils in your scalp.  Use mild or natural hair cleansing and conditioning products.  There are a lot of organic and natural solutions for your hair; always go for the bottle that reads fewer chemicals, go for the ones that come from plants and flowers.  These were used by women in the past, so why shouldn’t you?

• VITAMINS – keeping our body healthy and balanced is not only good for our bodies, it can also promote good and healthy hair.  Better blood flow from vitamin E can help the scalp and continuous construction of hair follicles.  Try other natural supplements such as the saw palmetto and nettle root.  These are anti oxidants that can obstruct the development of chemical leading to DHT production.  Magnesium is good for your hair too.

• PROPER DIET -  Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, avoid drinking too much caffeine and alcohol.  Drink lots of water daily.  Proper diet not only keeps your body healthy, but also your scalp and hair.  Eating the right amount of protein and nuts are good too.  Tuna is believed to promote healthy hair, even almonds that are very rich in magnesium.

What are the treatments available for hair loss?

• Minoxidil or Rogaine – these are sold over the counter and may help in stopping hair loss.  This product needs to be applied several times a day, therefore effectiveness varies for everyone.

• Hair transplants – there is a new method called micro-graft hair transplantation.  Ask your doctor about this.

Hair loss in women is very common and if you did everything to prevent it, you may have a condition that needs to be seen and checked out by a physician.  They usually give a preliminary blood test to check for any medical conditions.  Don’t lose hope if you have this hair loss condition, there are a lot of treatments and ways to address this problem.  Research or see your doctor!