Holistic Options

Hair loss, no matter how undesirable, is inevitable and quite natural. The causes are many and varied but one thing is for sure and that is untold millions of people of all sexes and ages are affected by it worldwide. Alopecia is the general medical term for hair loss of any type. Male pattern hair loss is the most common form, representing close to 95 percent of all cases in men; and due to a hereditary condition: Androgenic Alopecia.

Some people only loss a small amount of hair and this is often down to a poor diet and is worth checking with you specialist. Other reasons can the result of hormonal imbalance, stress or mental tension, chemicals or perhaps a cosmetic reaction. Please note that if your hair follicles are undamaged then there is a good chance that your condition may only be temporary; it is only when the follicles are damaged that the problem can become permanent. Most people believe that it is primarily men that suffer with the condition but women actually account for forty percent of sufferers in the USA alone.

The main difference between the sexes is that women will more than likely lose their hair later in life and it is often attributable to thyroid problems. Although the number of women sufferers in the USA may seem high this figure equates around the world and by the time a woman reaches sixty, she has a forty percent chance of having a problem. Another period where women may suffer some hair loss that is not age related is during and after pregnancy. If you always thought that patterned hereditary baldness was a male problem then you will be surprised to learn that in America approximately 30 million women also suffer from this condition.

Surgical hair restoration is the ultimate solution for permanent hair loss restoration but is comparatively a new treatment approach. The treatment uses a technique to transplant hair follicles from a healthy area of the scalp to an area where the follicles are dead. The whole hair transplant procedure is carried out on an out-patient basis under local anesthetic and is becoming the most routinely used form of treatment for males. It is now possible for women to enjoy this hair restoration treatment that men have been using but it is becoming popular for women who also wish to hide some scarring caused by previous facelifts.

It is important to try and keep your appearance as close as possible to your original when having hair transplant therapy and not try to look like someone else. A consideration before any hair transplant surgery is commenced is the physical and mental wellbeing of the recipient. Although hair restoration is considered a cosmetic treatment, there are different aspects involved it and must not be confused with other types of cosmetic procedure. Fortunately, the science of hair loss and hair restoration is constantly advancing, so if you do not respond to other medical treatments, surgical hair restoration may be the only truly permanent solution to baldness.

Every hair growth cycle would involve this. The rest of the 90% of our hair is in a growth phase. When the loss reaches beyond normal limits, people tend to notice the hair fall. Reasons for this are many including: Hair loss can be due to several factors including: There are more than one reason for hair loss. Involves rapid loss of hair and affects both men and women. This is usually caused by an immunity disorder when the intrinsic white cells attack the hair follicles. When all the scalp hair is lost it is called Alopecia Totalis. Infrequently a condition called alopecia universalis occurs where hair is lost from the entire body.

It is called male pattern baldness. Though essentially genetic, the reason could also be attributed to testosterone the male hormone. Testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which slows down or stops hair growth and produces weaker, shorter hair. Men without testosterone would never have male pattern baldness.

Skin diseases: yet another cause for hair loss which affect the scalp. Dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, scalp fungus such as ringworm and tinea captis are some of the common skin diseases which cause hair loss.

Sudden illness or fever - Sometimes after an illness or fever, large clumps of hair can come out. This is however a temporary event.

The other common factors which can also result in hair loss include childbirth, menopause, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and getting old. Though these are the primary reasons for hair loss, there could be several others also.

Treating hair loss can be done successfully by which you not only stop hair fall but help in re-growth too. Some natural hair loss treatments are:

1. Vitamins A, B, C and E are hair promoters. Include them in the diet. What is the importance of these vitamins? They not only provide sebum, they also help in increase of blood circulation to the scalp by absorbing more oxygen and collagen.

2. Scalp care - Massage your scalp with herbal oils such as olive oil, jojoba oil, amla oil. Some of the essential oils which are effective in conditions of alopecia areata include that of thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedar wood.

3. Avoid scalp abuse - Avoid daily use of chemical shampoos and blow drying. Hair and scalp can get severely damaged when you use chemical treatments like coloring as well as straightening. You hair is stripped of natural oils and turns brittle if you wash it daily with hot water.

4. Use of herbal care: There are some very effective options here. Use powders of amla, shikakai, henna and ritha as shampoo and conditioner. One of the richest sources of natural vitamin C is amla powder, known for its anti-oxidant properties. Also known as the Fruit for hair, shikakai is known for its low pH and can make a great shampoo which cleanses hair without removing any natural oil. Then you could use henna which acts as a natural conditioner.

5. Lead a stress free life: To do this, do exercises and meditation. Remember stress initiates hair loss. Quit smoking; the nicotine in cigarettes constricts blood vessels and decreases blood flow to the scalp. To avoid damage to the scalp avoid UV rays from sun exposure.

It is natural to lose hair and is part of the body’s way to renew itself. The list of all the possible causes is exceedingly long but it is a common problem that affects millions of men, women, and children. If you loss your hair, the correct medical term for this occurrence is Alopecia. Androgenic Alopecia may not be a term you have heard but it accounts for nearly ninety five out of one hundred cases of hair loss in men; it is usually referred to as Androgenic Alopecia, and it’s hereditary.

Moderate hair loss on the other hand which is obviously rarer may simply be a matter of adjusting your diet. Other reasons are quite natural and you may be aware of a surrounding problem such as stress, mental tension or a hormonal imbalance, but others such as exposure to chemicals or cosmetics may not be so obvious. Please note that if your hair follicles are undamaged then there is a good chance that your condition may only be temporary; it is only when the follicles are damaged that the problem can become permanent. Most people believe that it is primarily men that suffer with the condition but women actually account for forty percent of sufferers in the USA alone.

The chances are a women will lose hair are increased as they age may be attributable to a thyroid condition. By the age of sixty, four out of every ten women in the world will have experienced some loss. During and after a pregnancy is another time when women may experience a hair loss problem. Approximately 30 million women in the United States experience female pattern, hereditary baldness.

People who suffer with permanent hair loss now have a relatively new but popular treatment called surgical hair restoration which is considered to be the ultimate solution to an increasing problem. Hair follicles that are healthy and undamaged are taken from the scalp and transplanted to an area where the follicles have been damaged for whatever reason. Hair transplants have become the most popular form of hair restoration treatment for men with the entire procedure done under local anesthetic and on an out-patient basis. Many women are now deciding on hair transplant surgery as a method to hide scarring cause by facelifts for example.

It is important to try and keep your appearance as close as possible to your original when having hair transplant therapy and not try to look like someone else. For a person planning on having hair transplant surgery, all current health issues must be cleared up before any treatment can commence. Cosmetic Therapies cover a broad spectrum of treatments but hair transplant therapy, although lying within this same field, has aspects that are completely different to other forms of cosmetic surgery. Surgical hair transplant therapy might be your only solution if all other methods have failed despite the fact that discoveries in this field of hair loss continue to advance.