Hair fall is a major issue not just for women but also for men. Let’s be honest, each time we comb our hair and find a few strands wrapped up in it, our hearts sink a little. We all love our hair and we love receiving compliments about them. But most of the time when we experience hair loss we do not understand the reason behind it. Let’s find some!
When most people hear the words “hair loss,” they think of balding men. However, hair loss can also be a significant problem for women. Female hair loss can occur for several reasons, from a genetic sensitivity to certain androgenic hormones to reactive factors. Beware of hair fall from an early stage.
Each hair on your body grows out from a tiny sac-like structure called the hair follicle which is present in your skin. The hair follicles have different cells which contribute to the growth of new hair and replacement of the lost ones. It is normal to lose 50 to 100 strands of hair every day in a normal hair cycle, which eventually gets replaced with new hair. It is the hair follicle that gets affected when the hormonal balance in your body is disturbed or your metabolism has slowed down. This in turn disrupts the hair cycle, leading to elevated loss of hair or reduced replacement with new hair. It is normal to witness some ups and downs in the hormonal levels in different stages of your life.
Hair Fall Due to Nutritional Deficiency
It is imperative for you to be healthy; only then will your hair be healthy. Certain Nutritional deficiencies cause your hair to fall out, such as;
Deficiency of Zinc
Insufficient zinc intake is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies that may cause hair loss. Zinc aids in helping you grow new and healthy hair and its deficiency is mostly the reason for premature hair loss in women as well as in men.
Protein
Did you know that 90% of your hair is made of protein? So, keep in mind that if your diet is lacking in easily digestible protein, your hair is going to suffer.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is one of the best and the most critical nutrients for the health of your hair, skin, and nails. Deficiency of this vitamin can cause not only hair loss but also acne, poor eyesight, joint pain, dull and pale skin. Also keep in mind that excess of Vitamin A can cause hair fall, so you need to be carefully balanced in its intake.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease caused when your body’s immune system attacks the hair follicles. When the white blood cells attack hair follicles, it results in the interruption in hair growth which leads to cause small round patches of hair loss.
Other Hair loss reasons
Hormones
Hormones are the most common cause of hair loss for both women and men. In both sexes, the specific hormone responsible for hair loss is the same: dihydrotestosterone (known as “DHT”), a hormone that your body produces as a byproduct of testosterone. Both men and women need testosterone. In men, the body has a large amount of testosterone and a fairly small amount of estrogenic hormones. In women, this ratio is reversed, with a small amount of testosterone and larger quantities of estrogen and progesterone hormones. Testosterone is responsible for several functions in your body, from regulating your sex drive to keeping your bones and muscle tissue healthy and strong.
Your body uses testosterone as a precursor for several other hormones. One of these hormones is DHT. DHT affects your hairline by miniaturizing hair follicles, causing the hairs to stop growing as they normally would and eventually fall out.This hair loss is called androgenic alopecia, or female-pattern hair loss (FPHL). Overall, it’s the most serious form of hair loss. Because androgenic alopecia can miniaturize your hair follicles, the hair that you lose is often gone permanently.
In women, hormonal hair loss produces different results from men. Instead of the horseshoe-like hair pattern or receding hairline common in men, women with hormonal hair loss usually notice a diffuse thinning pattern across the entire scalp.
Menopause
Because menopause affects your production of several hormones, it can often trigger hormonal hair loss in women. Menopausal hair loss usually happens between the ages of 50-60, with most women prone to hair loss noticing a steady decline in their hair density. It can happen in 30’s and 40’s too, depending on the age you begin to enter menopause.
Thyroid Issues
Both hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) can trigger hair loss. This is because your thyroid plays a role in the development of new strands of hair at the root, helping your body maintain a consistent supply of new hairs. If your thyroid isn’t working as it should, the hairs you normally lose each day may not be fully replaced by new hair growth. Thyroid issues not only cause you to lose hair, they can also cause your hair to become weak, dry and brittle. Most of the time, thyroid issues cause diffuse hair loss across your entire scalp, rather than localized hair loss around your hairline, temples or crown.
Stress & Environment
If you’ve been working long hours in a stressful environment or spent the last few weeks dealing with a challenging event in your personal life, it’s possible that the stress you’ve felt could take a toll on your hair.
Rapid Weight Loss
Although losing weight slowly and consistently usually won’t affect your hair, rapid weight loss can and often does cause some degree of hair thinning.
Iron Deficiency Anaemia
So, can anaemia cause hair loss? The short answer is yes. If your iron levels are low, it could result in damage to your hair. Iron deficiency hair loss causes the same type of diffuse thinning as hormonal hair loss and telogen effluvium, making it easy to assume this type of hair loss is the result of a hormonal imbalance or stress.
Problems in Metabolism
Certain metabolic diseases have impact on hair growth. Many people are not aware of the fact that weak liver is the cause of excessive hair loss. This is because the nutrients are not broken down properly or absorbed by your body. Sometimes the toxins in your body are not eliminated efficiently if you have a sluggish liver. If you’re losing hair and cannot fathom why you might want to get your liver checked. Dry skin and excessive hair fall are two of the most common symptoms of a weak liver.
Medicines also Cause Hair Fall
Hair loss can also be caused by medications used for arthritis, high blood pressure, depression, cancer, heart problems, and birth control.
Hair Fall Due to Sleep Deprivation
Sleep plays a very important role in allowing your body to regenerate and repair your hair. Did you know that 40% of women and 80% of men experience hair loss and out of four people one suffers from some sort of sleep problem? One out of four makes an extremely high number of people who are affected by sleep deprivation, be it due to stress, insomnia, or other kinds of sleeplessness.
Hair Styling
Hair colouring and using heat do not cause hair loss per se but using heat on your delicate hair will cause them to break in turn damaging the quality of your hair. Heat and chemicals used to bleach, dye, straighten or perm your hair cause the shaft to break off..
Hair loss can also be caused by various conditions which are related to infection. Conditions or diseases such as;
Ringworm
Don’t let the term mislead you, ringworm has got nothing to do with any kind of worms. It is a fungal infection that may occur anywhere on your body. If developed on your scalp, it causes patches of hair loss
Dietary recommendations for stronger hairs
Proteins- Sprouts, beans, yogurt, seeds, nuts, eggs, meat and milk
Healthy fats- Flax seeds, walnuts, olive oil
Green leafy vegetables
Vitamin C
Folate
Biotin
Niacin
Iron
Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly and lead a healthy, stress-free life to avoid hormonal imbalances in your body. Also, promptly consult a healthcare professional if you doubt hormonal disorders are responsible for your sudden or prolonged hair loss.