Archive for the 'Hair Loss' Category

Nurses Guide To Hair Loss Facts Tips And Treatments

First some interesting bits of trivia: the word alopecia originated from the Greek word meaning fox; the origin comes from the fact that the fox sheds its coat twice a year. And statistics show that most men have a 50% chance of experiencing hereditary hair loss by their 50th birthday .The typical average hair loss actually amounts to about 100 strands a day.

Some causes of hair loss include mycotic infections causing massive hair loss, hypothyroidism, especially thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows and some drugs or medications, which improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medications that can cause hair loss include blood thinners, gout medicines, chemotherapy drugs used for cancer, supplementing with too much vitamin A, birth control pills and antidepressants.

Wearing a hat generally should not cause baldness, though it’s a good idea to give your scalp a rest and let it breathe for several hours every day. Temporary loss of hair can occur in areas where sebaceous cysts are present for one to several weeks. Poor digestion, parasites and nutrient deficiencies such as iron or biotin deficiency shouldn’t be overlooked as possible causes also.

Now tumors and skin growths can also induce localized baldness. If the thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, hair may fall out so treating the underlying thyroid disease will help remedy this. And alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder also known as “spot baldness” that can result in hair loss that ranges from just one area to every hair on the body.

Propecia (Finasteride) and Minoxidil (called Rogaine in the U.S and elsewhere known as Regaine) are drugs that have reportedly shown some success in partially reversing loss but one really has to consider the side effects. Propecia is available with a prescription only comes in pill form, is only for men, may take up to six months before you can tell if it is working and you have to keep taking it. Immunosuppressants applied to the scalp have been shown to temporarily reverse alopecia areata, though the side effects of some of these drugs make this type of therapy very questionable.

Surgery is another method but extreme method of reversing hair loss and baldness. Hair loss remedies like treatments with prescription drugs are long term commitments. Minoxidil is available without a prescription and is for topical application, but one needs to consider its side effects.

Hair loss treatments and remedies range widely in price from free to expensive. Regular aerobic exercise can help keep the hormone androgen levels naturally lower while maintaining overall health, lowering stress and increasing SHBG. Studies done on subjects of various ages suggest that weight training alone may increase testosterone in those studies where aerobic exercise only was compared to either weight training or a somewhat sedentary life.

Massage the scalp with slight pressure with the fingers daily. One patient reported that he had used coconut oil on his hair and scalp for about a year and during that time his hair became thicker and he had more of it on the top of his head where he had been receding a little bit. Coconut oil is good as a hair gel too. Make sure that you test remedies on a small area first and check with your hair loss doctor or skin doctor before trying any natural home remedy, especially if it includes any irritating ingredients.

One home remedy is to massage the scalp nightly with a mixture made of one part rosemary oil and two parts almond oil. Then there is the olive oil and rosemary remedy for hair loss – before bedtime use equal amounts of olive oil and oil of rosemary; combine them in a bottle, shake vigorously, massage into the scalp, put on a shower cap and shampoo in the morning. Saw Palmetto is an herbal DHT inhibitor often claimed to be cheaper and have far fewer side effects than finasteride and dutasteride.

Beta Sitosterol, which is a constituent of many seed oils, can help to treat BHP (benign prostatic hypertrophy) by lowering cholesterol however consuming large amounts to get at small quantities of beta sitosterol is likely to exacerbate male pattern baldness. Russian cure with honey and vodka remedy – combine one tablespoon honey with one jigger of vodka and the juice of a medium-size onion, then rub the mixture into the scalp every night, cover with a cap and shampoo in the morning.

The onion juice and honey remedy: prepare a hair-growing mixture by combining 1/4 cup of onion juice with one tablespoon of honey then massage the scalp with it every day. For something strange try the fingernail buffer three times a day or so, for about five minutes. Buff your right fingernails with the fingernails of your left hand; this is supposed to stop hair loss, encourage hair growth and prevent hair from graying. And polygonum multiflorum is a traditional Chinese cure. Whether or not the plant itself is useful, the general safety and quality control of herbs imported from China can be quite questionable.

If you have any form of hair loss that causes you concern, make an appointment with your doctor to discuss the treatment options available to you for your particular condition and research natural remedies. Treatment for alopecia can be slow and sometimes not very successful. The more hair that’s lost, the more you may have to work to get it back and in some cases may not be able to, but try as many natural non-invasive treatments and remedies as you possibly can. With extensive research, reading ratings and reviews and reading testimonials from real people, not paid actors, you may be able to find the right hair loss product, treatment or remedy that’ll work for you.

4 Causes of Female Hair Loss

A woman’s hair is her crowning glory. While baldness is often perceived as a man’s problem, it affects women too. It is even possible for teenage girls to experience hair growth problems. There are various reasons why this occurs. In this article we will examine four causes of female hair loss and what can be done.

1. Genetics

One of the most common causes of hair thinning in women is genetics. If your mother and grandmother experienced thinning or balding hair, you are likely to do so as well. By understanding your genetics you can prepare for the possibility of premature baldness. This may include using products that contain monoxodil, such as Rogaine for Women. You may want to speak to your dermatologist or physician to learn the newest and most effective ways of fighting genetic hair loss.

2. Hormonal Imbalances

Hormones can cause a lot of things to happen in the body. For example, certain hormonal fluctations can cause hair to fall out. One of the most common examples of this is following pregnancy. A woman will find she loses a noticeable amount of hair after giving birth. This is simply a result of hormonal changes. Once the hormones are balanced, the hair will regrow.

If you feel your hair growth problems are caused by an hormonal issue, talk to your doctor. He or she can evaluate your condition and help you devise the best plan of action.

3. Nutritional Deficiency

Another reason women may lose hair is nutritional deficiency. Although hair loss is a tell-tale side effect of anorexia, you don’t have to be anorexic to lose hair due to deficiency. For some women, even a small nutritional imbalance can cause thinning or balding hair. Luckily, the solution is as easy as changing your diet for the better and adding a vitamin supplement.

4. Harsh Styling

Harsh styling can also cause hair loss in women. In this case, hair is broken off close to the root causing the illusion of less hair. Perms and hair coloring products can cause breakage. Curlers may also snag and break the hair. The solution here is to stop using harsh styling products and treat your hair more gently.

Use a deep conditioning treatment once a week to encourage hair strength. You may also want to take a vitamin supplement designed to improve hair health. When detangling, use a wide-tooth comb and a detangling spray. If coloring treatments and perms are to blame for your hair breakage, avoid them until your hair is stronger.

Hair Loss Women May Also Experience It

Hair loss in women at a regular daily rate is considered a normal pattern, but if you’d take a closer look at it, it should not be something you should shrug off nonchalantly. Hair loss is serious problem and, like all problems, there are several tested solutions to hair loss, women too ought to know. Being aware of the type and cause of hair loss is the efficient road to getting the proper treatment for it.

There are four more prominent types of hair loss: androgenetic alopecia, traction alopecia, alopecia areata and telogen effluvium. Also referred to as women who suffer from “pattern hair loss,” women who experience androgenetic alopecia are perhaps the most numerous. This condition belies a tendency to produce very little volume or an abundant volume of the weak type of androgens in her body, which often causes the hair to thin in a specific area of a woman’s scalp. It is characterized by excessive thinning of scalp hair at the onset while retaining a thick hair density on the front and side crown of the head. Hair does not shed; more often, thinning just occurs in the middle area of the scalp and this worsens through the years. There are solutions to this hair loss problem in women, and hair transplant or laser treatment are, by far, the most popular ones.

Traction alopecia, on the other hand, is caused by the woman’s choice of wearing her hair pulled back in tight ponytail, pigtail or bun. This is, therefore, controllable by merely changing the hair style to something that is looser but equally fashionable and trendy. If she wears her hair loose, and she gives her scalp the gentle massage by brushing it in the manner prescribed in the proverbial “hundred strokes at night” with a blunt-tipped hairbrush, her thinning hair will stop shedding and go back to its normal luxurious growth.

Alopecia areata is characterized by round patches of balding spots on random areas of the scalp, surrounded by an otherwise thick growth of hair. This occurs when the body system fails to recognize the hair follicles in those areas and attacks these with inflammatory cells, causing the hair in those patches to fall off. Since women with alopecia areata are not sick at all, the body system does not find any necessity to produce compromising immune system for these attacks. Topical ointments and injectable steroidal solutions to reduce inflammation and synthesize the scalp are very effective solution to this particular problem; when applied regularly over a specific period of time, these applications send electric signals to the immune system to trigger it to allow hair to grow back in those bald patches.

Telogen effluvium is shedding of hair at the stage when it is already fully developed. This is not genetic in nature of origin; this occurs when there is massive thyroid imbalance caused by a lot of factors, including chronic illnesses like cancer, diseased liver, common physical and emotional stress. This type of falling hair could also occur as a side effect of drastic treatments to combat the aforesaid chronic diseases, like chemotherapy, cobalt radiation, oral contraceptives, heart pills and other medications intended to correct the thyroidal imbalance. For solutions to this type of hair loss, women need to find the cause of its occurrence. Other topical or injectable steroidal treatment are very seldom necessary – when the diseased organs are properly addressed and eventually treated, the hair grows back as effusively as before, sometimes even more luxuriously.