Female Hair Loss: The Causes/The Answers

Female Hair Loss:  Is your bath or sink full of hair?  Hair feeling thin and lacks body and shine?  Modern society loves a full head of beautiful hair on a woman, thick glossy hair is associated with radiant health, which is a little unfair for all of those people who don’t have good genes or have other problems associated with hair loss.  Unfortunately when women get older so does their hair, female hair can become dehydrated and brittle which can cause hair to become thinner, depending on your lifestyle, diet and health.  Fortunately, woman today can do something about it in most cases. Probably the most devastating hair problem for women is thinning and balding.  Grey hair can be coloured and conditioners can rehydrate and restore suppleness, but there is no easy fix available for significant hair loss, the cause of the problem should be determined. Causes can be determined by a physician and may be one or more of the following possible reasons:
 
1. Hereditary: 
It is more common for men to suffer from hereditary hair loss than women. This is because the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is created as a by-product of testosterone, is the cause of hereditary hair loss and more abundant in the male system. This hormone breaks down genetically sensitive hair follicles and creates baldness.  However, testosterone is also found in the female body, albeit at lower levels, so women can also experience hereditary hair loss and hair thinning as they age.
 
2. Stress/Anxiety: 
When the body and our health is negatively affected e.g. Trauma, Stress, Anxiety, Pregnancy, Major illness, your hair is no longer your body's number one priority.  Your body's healing process decide's its got more important things to worry about so it concentrates on the life threatening problem and ignores your hair which therefore means a lower blood supply to the scalp.  ‘A sudden or stressful event can cause the hair follicles to prematurely stop growing and enter into a resting phase."(1)  Severe mental stress can have this affect as your body and mind tries to deal with your emotional issues.  This process is known as telogen-effluvium, which occurs when more hairs go into a "resting phase" and are shed.

3. Disease: 
Certain diseases such as diabetes, lupus and thyroid disease will cause hair loss, but given the right treatment and once the disease is under control, the hair loss can reverse itself.  Drugs for diseases can cause hair loss as well, and, again, once the drug is stopped, hair usually returns.  Many people notice rapid hair loss as a symptom of their hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. When the body is in
crisis, the hair cells can shut down to redirect energy elsewhere.  People with lupus are very susceptible to skin diseases and infections which can also cause hair loss, and sometimes even localized permanent baldness.  Systemic lupus - erythematosis can lead to kidney and blood diseases
that can also cause hair loss.  Diabetes is a condition wherein a person's body is not able to effectively metabolize carbohydrates (sugar). This kind of disease can lead to other diseases such as skin disorders. Since the scalp is part of the skin, hair healing and hair re-growth can be impeded.

4. Diet/Exercise:
 A poor diet, lack of regular exercise, and a lack of hydration can cause hair loss to accelerate beyond the normal rate (normal being 100 or so strands a day).  High-fat, high-animal protein and high-salt diets damages the kidneys and creates acidic blood, thereby leading to hair loss.
 
5. Skin and Scalp Infections:
There are a great number of skin and scalp infections that can cause mild or severe hair loss but can be reversed with the right treatment.
 
6. Menopause and Hormones:
 Many women experience increased hair loss with the onset of menopause – this too may be permanent. The hormonal changes that are brought on by pregnancy and childbirth can lead to temporary hair loss.  During the last trimester of pregnancy hair growth can be increased due to overproduction of certain hormones. However, immediately after childbirth these hormones decrease significantly and hair follicles are forced into an extended resting phase.  During this phase hair shedding is increased but new growth does not occur to take its place, thus leading to temporary hair loss.  Hormonal changes brought on by peri-menopause and menopause can also lead to hair loss. During this time oestrogens and progesterone levels in a woman's body fluctuate and decrease.  These changes can affect the function of the hair follicle resulting in extended resting phases and notable hair thinning.

There are some good hair loss products out there specifically for woman.  This is important, because male products are not advised and can be dangerous.  These products will slow the hair loss process and may stimulate some re-growth.  A great place to look is http://www.livelylocks.com where you will find a reputable company offering low-cost treatment that works to block DHT, a form of testosterone that is responsible for 95% of hair loss.  It also works to stimulate the scalp and bring dead follicles back to life.  Wigs are now fashion accessories, and even women with normal hair often have several.  This is a fortunate societal trend for sufferers of hair loss.  Surgical procedures are available and are effective for patterned hair loss, because hair from the back of the head can be transplanted to the thinning frontal areas.  These options are expensive and not covered by health insurance and obviously with all surgical procedures carry certain medical risks.  Women who want to feel and look attractive and gain some of their confidence back can now do something about their thinning hair.  Scientifically proven and affordable supplements are available at http://www.livelylocks.com  

 Isolate the cause and develop a plan of action.
 
Good Luck