Shock… is the first feeling felt by a person who realizes that his hair has begun to severely fall out. “Why me!?” This is probably the question that everyone who starts losing hair asks himself. If you are reading those lines – stop being stressed, exhale, and calm down. During next 5 to 10 minutes, you will find out why you are losing your hair.
Attention! This article is provided for informational purposes, and in no case should be used to diagnose your hair loss. Only your doctor can find out the reason for your hair loss and confirm the diagnosis.
Some hair loss is normal
This is not an error. Hair on the head lives its own little “life”. The hair cycle includes birth, hair growth,and loss (death). About 93% of hair is in the growth phase, and 6% is in the loss phase. These are normal physiological processes. Normally, we should lose from 50 to 150 hairs (this figure depends on many factors, including hair color) per day. If you are observant to the point that you notice every extra 5-10 hairs that have fallen out – don’t get panicky. Hair constantly falls out and it’s normal. It’s less noticeable if you have a short hairstyle, but it may seem catastrophic if you have long hair. Remember – this is normal and there is nothing wrong with that.
When do you need to worry?
- You got up, and your pillow is covered with hair.
- After combing, it’s not just 3-5 hairs on the comb, but many more.
- The drain in the bathroom is frequently clogged, and usually the reason for that is hair.
- If you have long hair and you haven’t changed your hair care and styling products, but the hair on your head has become noticeably thinner.
- If your haircut is short and you can easily see that your hair has gotten thinner.
You should be worried if you notice:
- Changes to the hair structure – it becomes brittle, fragile, or possibly changes color (for example, a clump of gray hair).
- Worsening of the scalp condition: it becomes too dry or oily. Appearance of sores or dandruff, which is difficult to treat.
It is necessary to inform your doctor if you have any of these symptoms. He will help you find the right method of hair loss restoration and confirm diagnosis.
Why may hair fall out?
All causes can be divided into external and internal.
The external ones are:
- Excessive hair care.
Too much of anything is never good. The same applies to hair. Frequent combing, abusing styling products, drying hair with hot air, and tight hairstyles – all of these probably won’t directly cause hair loss, but under “favorable” conditions, can definitely contribute to the process.
- Malnutrition (including lack of vitamins and important elements).
Diets are good for your figure, but it’s a personal decision. A balanced diet is necessary for proper functioning of all systems in our body, including hair loss restoration. Don’t forget about fruit, fatty sorts of fish (salmon, trout, etc.), cereals, and dairy products.
- Stress.
Uncontrolled release of hormones occurs during constant or periodic stress. Changes in the endocrine system cause problems related to supplying your hair follicles with oxygen and nutrients, which slow down the process of hair growth.
Internal causes:
- The majority of hair is in the phase of rest (telogen phase).
The resting stage (or telogen) is the stage when hair falls out, and if all the body systems are healthy, they immediately begin to grow back. Under certain circumstances, the percentage of hair that is in the resting phase increases. This is when hair severely falls out, and the growth stops.
- Heredity.
The most common term is androgenic alopecia. The gene is transmitted through the male or female line, and if both parents suffer from hair loss – the chance of getting this disease doubles. The doctor can diagnose the disease by analyzing the condition of the follicle (a weakened bulb). Only a doctor can prescribe you alopecia hair loss treatment.
- Hormonal imbalance.
Any changes in the hormonal background (due to stress or disease) leads to the malfunction of various body systems. Often, the victim of this imbalance is hair. The causes of hormonal disorders can be: surgery, age, constant stress, or chronic diseases. More specifically – thyroid hormone production disorders and polycystic ovaries in women.
- Scalp diseases.
Not surprisingly, the condition of the hair is directly related to the condition of your scalp. Most often, hair can suffer from seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff), as well as fungal Infection, psoriasis, or ringworm. In this case, you need to start a hair loss cure with the diagnosis. And the sooner you go to the doctor, the more likely the disease is to recede and leave no signs.
- Reaction to certain medications.
Hair often falls out during the cancer treatment process. It doesn’t require a diagnosis. The reason is obvious. Usually, hair is restored during 3-5 months after the end of treatment. To speed up the hair growth, you can use the laser hair loss therapy method.
- Injuries.
This is a kind of bodily reaction to stress. Hair can fall out at the damaged area and not be able to regenerate for a long time. There are a number of injuries (burns, trauma with skin dissection) after which hair restoration is simply impossible.
Attention! The sooner you find out the diagnosis and determine the cause of your hair loss, the sooner the problem can be solved.
To do this, you can use one of three effective treatments: laser to stop hair loss, medical method, or hair transplantation.
