Hair Loss Tips

WHAT IS HAIR LOSS ?
It is natural to loose between 50 and 100 hair a day. With about 100,000 hair on your head, that small loss is unnoticeable. The lost hair is normally replaced by new hair but not always. Hair loss can develop gradually over years or happen abruptly. Hair loss can be permanent or temporary.
It is impossible to count the amount of hair lost on a given day. You may be loosing more hair than normal if you notice:
a large amount of hair in the drain after washing your hair
clumps of hair in your brush
you notice thinning patches of hair
you experience baldness
If you notice that you are losing more hair than usual, you should discuss the problem with your doctor. He or she can determine the underlying cause of your hair loss and suggest appropriate treatment plans.
Causes of Hair Loss
First your doctor will try to determine the underlying cause of your hair loss. The most common cause of hair loss is hereditary male- or female-pattern baldness. If you have a family history of baldness, you may be susceptible to this type of hair loss. It is triggered by certain sex hormones and may begin as early as puberty.
In some cases, hair loss may be related to a simple halt in the cycle of hair growth. Major illnesses, surgeries, or traumatic events can trigger hair loss. However, your hair will usually start growing back without treatment.
Hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, childbirth, discontinuing the use of birth control pills, and menopause can cause temporary hair loss.
Medical conditions that can cause hair loss include thyroid disease, alopecia areata (an autoimmune disease that attacks hair follicles), and scalp infections like ringworm. Diseases that cause scarring like lichen planus and some types of lupus can result in permanent hair loss because of the scarring.
Hair loss can also be caused by medications used to treat cancer, high blood pressure, arthritis, depression, and heart problems.
A physical or emotional shock may trigger hair loss that will be noticeable after the event. Examples of this type of shock include a death in the family, extreme weight loss, or a high fever. People with the mental illness trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder) have a compulsion to pull out their hair?usually from their head, eyebrows, or eyelashes. Traction hair loss can be caused by hairstyles that put pressure on the follicles by pulling the hair back very tightly.A diet lacking in protein, iron, and other nutrients can lead to thinning hair.