Head Matters - a hairy story

The slogan "less is more" is very hot as for interior decoration, furnishings, choice of accessories, etc., but if it concerns our hair, it becomes quite a different story. What can we do if our hair is thinning; can we stop this process in any way?

Many men experience the dreaded development of losing their hair when getting older. The impact this has, will vary from person to person. Unfortunately, there's not much to be done about this hair loss.

Although less common than it is with men, loss of hair can also happen to women; to be exact to about one in four women, in a certain period in their lives. Needless to say what impact this has on them.

Losing about 100 hairs a day by combing, brushing, washing and styling, is quite normal. Usually, as a replacement, new hairs will grow. But if for some reason they don't, the thinning hair will definitely become noticeable after some time.

Apparently, hair loss on women is not a matter of age, but of hormones, genetics, hormones and/or even side effects of certain types of medication.

No matter what causes it; every woman experiences thinning hair or hair loss, will be desperate and will try everything to cure this.

Cause and consequences

Every hair on the head is going through a number of phases: 1) the growing phase; 2) the phase when it has reached its maximum length and 3) the resting phase.

When the resting phase of the hair takes longer and the hair follicles remain empty, women will experience baldness.

Possible causes for hair loss on women are:

Stress. Higher levels than usual of the male hormones androgen and testosterone (caused by stress) can lead to hair loss because these hormones start "copying" the typical male baldness.

Nutrition. Zinc, iron or magnesium deficiency may lead to hair loss, especially in vegans or strict vegetarians.

Hormonal changes. Loss of hair can take place during puberty, after childbirth, after coming off the contraceptive pill and during and after menopause. Another common reason for thinning hair in women are polycystic ovaries.

Certain types of drugs and medication. Thyroid medications, chemotherapy, some amphetamines and anti-coagulants can all cause or stimulate baldness.

However, many women will never find the cause of their hair loss...

Time for investigation

Visit your GP as soon as possible after you've found out that your hair is thinning. He or she can run some tests to see if there are any hormonal causes or nutritional deficiencies. You could be prescribed the contraceptive pill, in order to remove the male hormone androgen, which could cause or stimulate hair loss.

Furthermore, you could consult a so-called trichologist; a specialist in the field of hair and scalp matters. He or she may advise you to take vitamins or to have massages in order to stimulate the blood circulation in the scalp area and to reduce stress.

There are also tests to trace possible anaemia and thyroid imbalances.

Trichologists offer special treatments with an anti-androgenic effect, where a certain enzyme - known to cause hair loss - is blocked in the scalp. This treatment seems to give about 50% of the women noticeable results.

The hair and scalp specialist can advise you on possible effective products, and tell you which products definitely not to use.

Think of all the products you use on your hair... are they really hairCARE products, or do they cause damage to your precious hair?

In case of hair problems, always go to a specialist for advice; never start experimenting on your own!

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 | Posted in: Miscellaneous | Posted by: Georgette Henson

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