6 Causes of hair loss you didn t know about and how you can combat this problem

In order to have healthy volume of hair on your head, the rate of hair loss and replacement should be in tandem. With age, your hair growth cycle shows signs of slowing down and factors like age, disease, and hormonal changes among others affect the pace at which an individual hair follicle moves through the 3 phases of the hair cycle. A disruption in your hair cycle can give rise to loss of hair that s rapid and unexpected. Hair loss or alopecia can affect both men and women. 
So what can cause your hair to fall at an alarming rate?

The reasons behind hair loss could be many, but here are 6 major ones: 
1. Lack of protein in your diet
When you exclude protein from your diet, your body starts to conserve the protein that it has by altering the growth cycle of your hair. In such cases, your hair enters into the resting stage, resulting in zero hair growth. 
In India, 9 out of 10 people are said to suffer from low amounts of protein in their diet, with 91% vegetarians reporting protein deficiency.

2. Iron deficiency 
Iron plays a very important role in the transportation of oxygen to the different organs of the body. Lack of iron in your diet (which is the principle reason behind anaemia) can give rise to several health problems including hair loss. Your body attempts to direct oxygen to important organs so as to support their functioning. As a result, your scalp witnesses a low supply of oxygen, which causes hair loss. 


3. Vitamin D-3 deficiency
Deficiency of vitamin D-3 gives rise to a type of hair loss called Telogen Effluvium (TE). This is a temporary hair thinning phenomenon that takes place when the all the hair on your scalp enter the resting phase at the same time, subsequently causing you to shed a large amount of hair later on. 

4. Smoking 
Smoking can also affect the health of your hair, especially the rate at which it falls and the number of strands lost in a day. A research carried out by the Harvard School of Public Health has revealed that smoking can cause a rise in a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
An increase in DHT level prevents new hair cells from growing and causes hair follicles to reduce in size with each hair cycle. As a result, the area on your scalp that gets affected by DHT experiences a lack of hair growth.  

5. Use of testosterone supplements in gym
Intake of testosterone in the form of supplements and injections to build muscle mass can trigger hair loss in men. This takes place when the testosterone in these supplements gets changed into DHT, thereby affecting your hair loss rate and amount. 

6. Past illnesses (dengue, TB and typhoid)
Falling of hair can also be brought on by illnesses such as typhoid, TB and dengue as the hair growth cycle comes to a stop. Hormonal or metabolic stress that is experienced during the course of such diseases may cause hairfall. 

What are the treatments available to cure hair loss?

1. Hair transplant
Hair transplant is a minimally invasive surgical technique that transfers hair follicles taken from other parts of your body to the balding area. Known by the name of Follicular Unit Transplantation, this hair loss treatment can help to bring back the natural appearance of a fuller head of hair. Hair follicles are harvested using two procedures- follicular unit extraction and strip harvesting. Procedure can vary from 4-8 hours or more depending on the case. 

2. Platelet- Rich Plasma (PRP)
Platelet- Rich Plasma (PRP) is another treatment alternative that can reverse hair loss. It s a simple non-surgical procedure that lasts about 60-90 minutes. In this form of hair treatment, the patient s own blood cells, more specifically blood platelets are injected into the scalp. Usually 8 sittings are required with each sitting being 2 weeks apart for better results.

3. Low Level Laser (Light) Therapy (LLLT)
This form of hair therapy utilises light energy of a specific wavelength and threshold to stimulate cellular activity, thereby promoting hair growth. Various controlled clinical tests have revealed its effectiveness in encouraging hair growth in both the genders.  




 6 Shocking Causes of Hair Loss + How To Combat this Problem

Most effective solutions to grow hair:

Hair fall is a common problem these days and quite distressing for those who have to face it. Here are some tips which if followed can help you have soft, long, and healthy hair.

1. Onion juice - A smelly but effective way, onion has sulphur which pumps the production of collagen tissues that assist regrowth of hair.
All you will need are two to four onions, grated with the juice squeezed out of the pulp. Use this juice to massage your scalp and leave it on for about an hour before you wash it with water and a mild shampoo. Using onion not only increases chances of re-growth of hair, but also gives a fabulous sheen to your existing sheen.

2. Potato juice - Potatoes are rich in vitamins a, b and c which are important for hair to be strong and healthy. All that you will need are 3-4 potatoes. Grate them and squeeze out the juice; massage this juice on your scalp for minimum of 15 minutes and rinse off with water.
If this makes your hair dry, you can instead make a potato mask with honey and eggs and use on your hair. This mask not only moisturises your hair, it also helps hair in growing faster.

3. Eggs - When hair falls, goes dry or gets brittle, know that it lacks protein. And one of the best sources of protein is egg. You can take a couple of eggs, mix them and apply the liquid on your scalp. This can be washed off after a hour. Alternatively, you can make an egg mask. For the egg mask, you'll need a couple of eggs, honey and olive oil. Mix them week and apply it on your scalp, covering your hair too. Wash it off after about 15-20 minutes.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar (acv) - ACV has numerous health benefits, one of them stimulating the hair follicles and helping them grow faster. It also cleanses the scalp and maintains ph balance in the hair. Add ACV into water and have a final rinse of your hair with this water, every time you shampoo.

5. Fenugreek - Fenugreek is a great remedy for hair fall. You will need to soak about 2-3 tablespoons of fenugreek seeds in water for 24 hours. Strain and use this water to rinse hair. Rinse with lukewarm water after 3 hours.

6. Ayurvedic herbs - Amla, Shikakai and Reetha are known to be beneficial for hair. They make the hair strong and long. Take 100 gms of each in 2 liters of water. Soak overnight. Boil the mixture in the morning, until it reduced to half. Cool it, mash the herbs while still inside the water and then strain it. Use this liquid to shampoo your hair.

From lybrate: If you found this tip useful, please thank the doctor by clicking on the heart icon below. Also, spread good health by sharing this tip with your loved ones over whatsapp, facebook and other media.

Hair Loss - 5 Most Effective Hair Growth Solutions For You!

Applying coriander juice to your scalp helps in boosting your hair growth and also fights hair loss. It is a natural and essential nutrient enabling good hair growth. To make your hair strong and long, apply coriander juice on your scalp and leave it for an hour before washing it off with shampoo. Also, you may also mix other natural substances to this juice to further enhance the benefits of this mixture. Based on your hair density, you must follow this procedure once a week to give that bouncy look to your hair.

Coriander juice for hair growth

"While the reasons of those embarassing whilte flakes on your shirt range from dry weather, hormonal imbalance, imperfect diet to stress or health conditions. Here are some handpicked methods that work best, to get rid of Danduff-
1. Regular hair wash, preferebly with an antidandruff shampoo with gentle head massage and cold water
2. Adopt diet rich in Zinc and Vitamin B. Try cold-water fish, flax seeds, walnuts, eggs and leafy green vegies.
3. Easy home remedies like tea tree oil, lemon, green tea, curd etc help immensely in the treatment of dandruff.
4. Hair styling products can aggravate the problem of dandruff. Avoid use of hair styling gel or spray.
"

5 ways to dust off Dandruff

Should You Oil Hair If You Got Dandruff?

You're said to suffer from the problem of dandruff when the skin renewal cycle of your scalp accelerates all of a sudden. This brings about the development of patches of dead skin on your scalp surface and the resultant dry, skin flakes called dandruff.

The causes of this very common problem can be:

- Not shampooing your hair regularly can cause skin cells and oils to build up in the scalp leading to the outbreak of dandruff.

- Having dry skin can also cause dandruff to develop, which are less oily and smaller in nature.

- Even irritated oily skin, more commonly known as seborrheic dermatitis can cause you to suffer from these white skin flakes. The problem can be easily identified by its distinguishing yellow or white flakes over the red greasy skin surface.

- Sensitivity to certain hair care products and the presence of Malassezia (a type of fungus) are other causes that can lead to dandruff problems.

How to keep dandruff problems at bay?

Having poor scalp hygiene as well as the lack of proper scalp conditioning can cause dandruff to occur. Thus, proper conditioning of your scalp is vital for fighting the flakes that form on your head. Oiling your hair is the most effective measure that you can take against this scalp problem. While the ideal time to do this is at night so that you can wash it off the next morning, one should also remember that hair oil shouldn't be left on the hair for over 24 hours. 

Additionally, dry scalp makes it very easy for dandruff to develop as the oil-secreting glands found in the scalp's epidermal layers produce low or no natural oil. Application of oil helps in keeping the scalp nourished as well as enables glands to produce oil. But leaving it on for more than the recommended hours can intensify your dandruff problem and further accelerate the hair fall process.




Should You Oil Hair When You Have Dandruff Problem?

Hair health is not isolated from your overall health. If you are not very healthy overall, it will show on your hair as well. However, there are many lifestyle mistakes that also result in the damage of hair. If you are losing hair very fast and don t know why it is happening, watch out for the following mistakes you might be unknowingly doing-

1) Hot Water Shower:  Hot water damages your hair. It strips your scalp of the natural oils and dehydrates your hair, making them brittle. Use mildly warm or regular water for head showers.

2) Combing Wet Hair: Your hair is highly prone to breakage when it is wet. Combing or brushing wet hair weakens the roots and causes hair fall. To maintain healthy texture, it is safe to leave the hair to dry naturally. Also, don't brush your hair harshly.

3) Tight Tie-ups: Tightly fastened hair braids or ponytails cause tension to the roots and follicles. Pulling the hair too tight causes damage and must  be avoided, esp. at night.

4) Heat Treatment: Every time you blow dry your hair or use other heated styling tools, the scalp is subjected to undue heat. Such intense heat weakens the roots instantly. Switch to cool drying or stick to natural drying.

5) Using Styling Products: Hair styling gels and sprays make your hair stiff and sticky. A prolonged use of such products may cause major damage to the hair because the moisture has been drained out and there is friction every time you comb or brush the hair.

6) Not Oiling: Oiling your hair might be very unglamorous to look at but oils of coconut, mustard, olive, amla or sesame deeply nourish the hair follicles. Massaging your scalp with oil twice a week helps improve circulation thus contributing to overall hair health.

7) Bad Eating Habits: Skipping meals or taking improper nutrition has a direct impact on hair health. Healthy hair demand good consumption of proteins and other vitamins. Make salads, fish, lentils, beans, eggs, etc. a part of your daily diet.

Have any further questions on hair loss or hair care? Click on consult privately to ask me.

From Lybrate: If you found this tip useful, please thank the doctor by clicking on the heart icon below. Also, spread good health by sharing this tip with your loved ones over Whatsapp, Facebook and other media.

Stop Making These 7 Mistakes To Prevent Hair Loss

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