One common condition that affects quite a large number of people at a certain point in their lives is hair loss.
Women especially find it very intimidating when losing just a strand of hair, not to mention a dealing with more strands. Dealing with hair loss can be upsetting and will present some style challenges to most individuals. Many become depressed and anti-social as a result of losing their hair. In this post, we would highlight the major causes and how to deal with them.
What is Hair Loss?
Hair loss as the name implies is the loss of hair from the head or the body. Hair loss could either be partial or complete, and this is also known as alopecia or baldness. This could be a major cause of concern for both men and women.
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Causes
Ageing & Heredity: Hair loss could be hereditary as both men and women tend to lose a certain amount of hair as they grow older. This type of situation is not usually caused by any disease. When ageing it is normal that one begins to experience hair loss as his/her parents were also victims and this is hereditary.
Use of Fake Hair Products: Certain hair products contain very toxic chemicals that could affect the hair. Expired products also could cause hair loss.
Drugs: The side effect of some medications or therapy is hair loss. Cancer chemotherapy and some other immunosuppressive medications may cause you to lose your hair.
Stress: Stress, either physical or emotional may cause hair loss. Hair tends to come out in large quantities when brushing, combing or washing the hair.
Improper Nutrition: Eating meals that are not benefiting to health could be a major cause of hair loss. Most people consume foods which unknown to them could trigger hair loss, especially those that do not contain enough protein.
Other causes also include:
- Hormonal changes
- Burns
- Anaemia
- Severe infections
Prevention and Care
Although in most situations, no treatment is needed as the hair tends to grow back when the therapy or illness ends. Certain measures that can be utilized to care for the hair so as to prevent or minimize hair breakage/loss have been briefly discussed beneath:
Good hygiene – it is recommended that very good hair hygiene is maintained. Which entails regular shampooing and conditioning, gentle combing and oiling, steaming and whatever type of hair care that is appropriate and recommended for your hair type.
Good nutrition – We are what we eat. Having known this, it is advised that we consume foods that are beneficial to our health. Certain foods containing protein and vitamins are good and could help when losing your hair.
Regular shampooing – it is good to stick with natural shampoos when washing your hair. Avoid using unknown or expired products.
Use only known and recommended hair products. Hair products containing olive oil could also be used to treat this condition.
Beware of the drugs you take: Most medications indicate whether or not hair loss is a side effect. Ensure you read the accompanying instructions properly and know the common and rare side effects of each of the medications prescribed to you by your physician.
Visit a dermatologist when you notice that you are losing hair in an unusual pattern.
Certain medications such as minoxidil and finasteride may be recommended for hair loss.
In some cases, hair surgery or transplant may be recommended by your therapist.
