Steps You Can Take To Minimize Hair Loss Everyone will lose some hair as they age. In fact, the average person will lose 50 to 100 hairs every day, even when they are young. However, when those few stray hairs falling out turns into a bald spot or receding hairline, you may be experiencing hair loss.
There are a number of different causes for hair loss. The most common is simply hereditary. This type of hair loss is often erroneously referred to as male pattern baldness but is more properly known as androgenetic alopecia. The name “male pattern baldness” is a bit misleading, because while hair loss does strike a large proportion of men, women can also experience hereditary hair loss.
The next most common cause of hair loss is stress. People who are under a lot of stress, especially over a prolonged period of time, often find themselves experiencing hair loss. Individuals suffering from stress-related hair loss often notice a general thinning, instead of a receding hairline or bald spot.
A third common cause of hair loss is an illness. Some conditions can lead to thinning hair either directly, or as a side effect of the medication used to treat it. The most famous is the hair loss associated with chemotherapy, however many other conditions and medications can result in more subtle hair loss or thinning. An improperly functioning thyroid and anemia are two conditions that can result in thinner hair.
Childbirth is another, less widely known, cause of hair loss. After a woman gives birth, her estrogen levels fall very rapidly, resulting in hair loss. Another hormonal-related cause of hair loss in menopause. Again, this is due to falling levels of the hormone estrogen.
So what can you do about hair loss? Once you have identified the cause of your hair loss, you can begin to take steps to either minimize it or sometimes regrow your hair.
For hormone-related hair loss such as that experienced after childbirth or at the onset of menopause, often no treatment is needed aside from patience. These types of hair loss will often resolve themselves within a few weeks to months, and your hair will begin growing back on your own.
For stress or illness-related hair loss, you will need to correct the situation. For stress, this means finding ways to relax and lower your stress levels. Once you have put your mind at ease, your hair will begin growing back on its own. In the case of illness, the resolution is the same. Treat the illness, and the hair loss will stop on its own.
Hereditary hair loss is the most common form of hair loss, and the most tricky to treat. Consulting a dermatologist can help you find the treatment option that is right for you. Some of these treatments include topical treatments such as Minoxidil, and drugs that are taken orally such as Finasteride. Both of these drugs can sometimes halt the loss of hair and even result in new growth.
Hair loss is one of the most common complaints in the modern world and is nothing to be embarrassed about. Once you have identified the cause of your hair loss, you can start taking steps to treat it and get your hair back to its former glory.
