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Last Updated: Oct 23, 2019
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Hairfall - Causes And its Treatment

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Dr. Archhana GullurDermatologist • 19 Years Exp.MD, MBBS
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Causes of Hairfall and Solutions to Treat Them

In general, you lose about 50-100 strands of hair each day, but the loss is not visible as new hair grow in their place. However, if you lose more than 100 strands in a day and more than 200 strands on the day you shampoo, you may be suffering from what is known as excessive hair fall

Certain factors or reasons may cause you to lose hair at an alarming rate, which are,

  1. Poor dietGorging on unhealthy foods or going on a crash diet can result in the lack of essential nutrients in your body, which are required to maintain healthy hair. Furthermore, since hair is made of protein, having a balanced diet consisting of proteins and vitamin- rich foods is a must.
  2. StressStress gives rise to certain conditions such as telogen effluvium (hair loss caused post-pregnancy or surgery) which can cause you to lose a significant amount of hair. To avert a hair loss crisis caused by stress, make it a point to do some simple stress-reducing exercises, such as meditation or breathing exercises.
  3. Pregnancy: Pregnancy is one example of the type of physical stress that can cause hair loss (that and hormones). Pregnancy-related hair loss is seen more commonly after your baby has been delivered rather than actually during pregnancy. 
  4. Thyroid problems: Your thyroid is responsible for your body's overall functioning. The hormones (primarily T4 and T3), which it produces help in regulating metabolic activities. Problems with your thyroid gland can cause your hormone levels to rise or fall to unhealthy levels, which can result in hair fall. You can improve the functioning of your thyroid gland through a diet rich in calcium, iodine, magnesium, protein and Vitamins A, B and C.
  5. Anemia: Almost one in 10 women aged 20 through 49 suffers from anemia due to an iron deficiency (the most common type of anemia), which is an easily fixable cause of hair loss. You doctor will have to do a blood test to determine for sure if you have this type of anemia. 
  6. Genetics: The origin of your severe hair fall or baldness can be traced back to your ancestors. So, your genes can be a factor behind your hair fall problem. If this is the cause, your body then becomes unable to produce new hair.
  7. Polycystic ovary syndrome: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is another imbalance in male and female sex hormones. An excess of androgens can lead to ovarian cysts, weight gain, a higher risk of diabetes, changes in your menstrual period, infertility, as well as hair thinning. Because male hormones are overrepresented in PCOS, women may also experience more hair on the face and body. 
  8. Telogen effluvium- A sudden physical or emotional stress can lead to one-half to three-quarters of the hair to fall throughout your scalp (called Telogen effluvium). It could be post-pregnancy, post-surgery, post major infections like dengue or typhoid, certain medications.

Apart from the changes that you can make in your lifestyle to address the causes of your hair fall, there are also techniques out there that you can employ to permanently treat your problem, such as platelet rich plasma, mesotherapy, stem cell therapy, ozone activated platelet rich plasma & hair transplant. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a dermatologist.

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