Address Hair Fall: Getting at the Root of the Problem
Just like skin, hair fall and regrowth form part of a natural cycle. According to dermatologists, losing anywhere between 50 to 100 strands of hair a day is normal. Age, certain medications, illness, and exposure to chemicals, however, can have serious impact on hair, causing it to thin or fall at a higher rate.
There are ways of knowing that this is happening: hair on your pillow every morning; clumps of hair in the drain after a shower; or hair stuck to your comb or hairbrush after styling.
Some causes of hair fall and eventual hair loss are hereditary or influenced by a health condition; others are controllable with the help of an able medical specialist or dermatologist. Let’s learn a bit more about these causes and what you can do to address them.
Iron Deficiency
Iron is important for transporting oxygen to different parts of the body through our red blood cell. A lack of iron nutrients will make you feel weak, lethargic, and unable to focus – and interfere with the hair’s natural regrowth cycle.
What to do: If you suspect this is your case, address the iron deficiency with multivitamins enriched with iron. Check for correct dosage to prevent any unwanted side effects.
Hypothyroidism
The thyroid hormone is responsible for many bodily functions, including skin turnover, nail, and hair regrowth. When the body produces an insufficient amount, the body finds ways of telling you. Excessive hair fall is one of them.
What to do: Visit your primary care doctor or an endocrinologist, who may ask you to take some tests (T3, T4, TSH) to check on your thyroid levels.
Telogen Effluvium
Telogen effluvium refers to excessive hair fall for more than 3 to 6 months after extreme stress caused by conditions such as pregnancy, menopause, or drastic weight loss. It also occurs as a side effect to certain medications. This condition causes hair to speed through all phases of the hair cycle: follicle growth, resting, and shedding, causing you to lose more hair faster than is being replaced.
What to do: It depends on what appears to be causing the hair loss. Diet changes might help if nutritional deficiencies are the reason. For menopause, hormone replacement therapy may be necessary. If hair loss is truly severe, hair replacement treatments may become an option.
Hereditary Hair Loss
Unfortunately, hair fall can be inherited from your parents or grandparents. The condition, known as androgenetic alopecia, may start as early in your 20’s and affect both men and women. For women, an obvious symptom is a thinning hairline behind the bangs.
What to do: Hereditary hair loss cannot be reversed, but there are some treatments today are known to slow or halt hair loss. Seek medical help for doctors who might recommend topical lotions to apply daily, or prescription-only medication like finasteride, which is intended for men with male pattern baldness.
Unhealthy Scalp
Certain scalp conditions such as psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis can make it difficult for hair to grow back strong and healthy after falling out. Sometimes, however, the cause is exposure to harsh and unnatural chemicals in your shampoo and hair care products, leading to scalp dryness and hair fall.
What to do: People suffering from delicate skin conditions will do well to switch to gently formulated shampoo for hair and scalp. Read shampoo labels carefully and look for moisturizing nutrient ingredients (like olive or argan oil, for instance), and antioxidant vitamins C and E.
There’s nothing like a good hair care regimen to look after your scalp and hair. Help control hair fall with an all-natural anti-hair loss shampoo that contains malunggay, olive oil, omega sunflower oil, and argan oil to help nourish scalp – and restore your hair’s natural thickness and shine.