What Really Happens During Hair Loss?
Do you really know what your hair is all about? The Hair is a thread-like structure, a protein filament (a tough protein called keratin) that develops on your skin’s dermis and protrude out through the hair follicle to the epidermis. Having hair on your skin is favorable evidence and characteristics that you are a mammal. Hair getting loss from the head is not a good omen, and it can be caused by so many things. The hair beautifies your face and helps you to regulate body temperature to any environment you find yourself.
Phases of Hair Growth
Your hair growth follows a cycle. When growing, it undergoes three different phases, namely, anagen, catagen, and telogen. These three phases are dependent on the length of your hair. Your hair growth reveals which stage you belong to. Your hair growth is at a different speed and different size. In the process of growth, your hair’s composition determines the color and texture.
Anagen: this is the first phase of your hair growth and the active phase of your hair. Its growth is always around 2 to 7 years before it is totally independent of the hair follicle. At this time, your hair can grow within the range of 18 to 30 inches. Each of your hair strands grows by 1cm in 28 days.
At this active stage, your hair growth might be slow or fast. Either fast growth or slow growth depends on your age, gender, gene, diet, and lifestyle.
Catagen: this is the second phase of your hair growth; it only takes your hair 2 to 3 weeks. It is the shortest period of all the 3 phases. This phase can also be referred to as the transitional phase. It removes itself from the blood supply, and the formation is called bulb hair. After 3 months, the hair falls out to enable the growth of another new hair at this phase.
Telogen: this phase is a natural process and a resting phase that must be undergone by every individual. Your hair must go through this phase to avoid losing a lot of hair. 50 to 100 of your hairs are usually shed each precious day, and the remaining hair at the percentage of 70 to 90 will be in the anagen phase. At this phase, if you are observant of each hair that got detached from your skin, you will notice a white material at the root.
Hair Loss
This condition is medically referred to as alopecia. It targets your scalp or even your entire body. It can result from many factors like heredity, changes in your hormones, aging, and your lifestyle. It results in baldness, thinness, or patchiness. The hair loss could really be temporary or permanent. Typically, you should have about 100,00 to 150,000 hairs on your head. With that voluminous hair on your head, it is difficult to notice that small loss.
So for you to keep and maintain an accurate volume of hair on your head, it must be replaced, after which it is lost. The majority of hair loss is due to decreased hair growth, but if your hair loss is getting unusual, you might need to seek medical help.
Risk Factors of Hair Loss
These factors increase the risk of your hair loss; they include:
- Stress
- Age
- Malnutrition
- Weight loss
- Gene (family history)
- Medical conditions
Causes of Hair Loss
Detecting or finding out the cause of your hair loss can be difficult and challenging at times.
Your Hairstyles and Treatment
Different hair styling can stress your hair by pulling your hair so tight. In the case of hair treatment, your hair tends to fall out of your skin if exposed to hot oil treatments.
Heat Therapy
Exposing your skin to heat, most especially your head all the time, removes some hairs, and this is a very dangerous cause of hair loss that makes the hair not to grow back.
Family History
Family history plays a significant role in your hair loss and the most typical cause. It can happen to both gender; male baldness and female baldness. Aging is an aiding factor for family history. It might not be visible or effective when you were young, but the moment you are aging, it tends to reveal itself most, especially from your 30s and 40s. So hair loss is heredity.
Medication and Supplement
Some certain drugs have a negative side effect that can lead to your hair loss. The drugs are mostly used for arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure.
Changes in Hormones and Medical Treatment
Changes in hormones can be caused by pregnancy, menopause, and thyroid disease. These hormonal changes are capable of generating either temporary or permanent hair loss. Alopecia areata is a medical situation that affects your immune system. Alopecia areata causes ringworm, trichotillomania (a medical term for the hair-pulling disorder).
Prevention and Treatment Of Hair Loss
Medication
Other diseases can be the cause of hair loss, treating the disease will be necessary. You should be careful about the type of drug you use. It must be recommended for you by your doctor to prevent any other problem.
Rogaine: this medication is generally known as minoxidil. It naturally comes in the form of a shampoo. Minoxidil is a product that helps you to regrow your hair. You apply it directly to your scalp in order to work effectively.
It works for 6 months to prevent any further hair loss and then proceed with the hair regrowth. It also has it side effect of making hair grown on your skin at unwanted places and your hand. It must be applied when your hair is wet.
Finasteride: also known as Propecia, is usually used by men. It works for slow hair growth, but it doesn’t start work immediately. It takes a few months to see if it’s working. You must keep taking the medication to preserve its advantage.
Finasteride also has its side effects: it reduces sexual urge and capable of causing prostate cancer. It tends not to work for elderly men above 60 years of age.
Laser Therapy
This treatment improves hair density. It is the use of a low-level laser device to treat hereditary hair loss.
Hair Transplant
This type of treatment should be the next treatment if you are experiencing permanent hair loss. When the top of the head is affected, it sure needs surgical treatment. During the surgery, the dermatologist or the cosmetic surgeon takes out hair from other parts of your head and then transplants it on the bald spot on top of your head. This treatment is satisfactory; it will definitely give you the best effect you want, but it is a painful procedure. Swelling, bruising, bleeding, and infection are the possible risks attached to this treatment.
Besides, if you really want to prevent hair loss, you have to watch your lifestyle. The way you handle your hair also determines your hair loss. Doing your brushing and combing. It is recommended you use a wide-toothed comb; it will prevent pulling out of your hair. Avoid treating your hair harshly; hot oil treatment, curling rolls, and hot rollers. You must also limit your hairstyling.
Consistently seek medical advice from your doctor and his/her consent before you make use of any medications and supplements. Protect your hair from direct ultraviolent lights and avoid smoking because there is a connection between smoking and hair loss.
Other Hair Conditions:
Dandruff: this condition leaves a scaly particle attached to the root of your hair. It can be caused by a bacterium infection, poor nutrition, or a slow metabolic reaction. You can treat dandruff by using a good quality anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner.
Dry hair: too much usage of shampoo can cause dry hair. If you do it significantly by washing your hair twice per day, it will wash away your hair’s natural oils. You can fix it using a gentle shampoo, an acidic shampoo with a pH between 5 and 6. Hot oil treatment can also be used.
Frizzy hair: this condition occurs when your hair loses moisture, it can be hereditary. Treat it by using shampoo and conditioner specially made for frizzy hair.
Dull hair: from the name, it means a dull looking hair from chemicals or heat treatment damage. Use a moisturizing shampoo with a cool rinse.
Gray hair: gray hair is a sign of old age and a thing of honor in our society, but not every individual prefers dry hair. So you can eliminate it by using dye, either a permanent or temporary dye. It must be done by a professional to prevent harm.
