Hair Loss Prevention
The problem of hair loss has become a worldwide epidemic. As the body ages, the risk of hair loss becomes greater due to hormonal changes and a substantial decrease in active hair follicles. Although, about 95% of all hair loss can be said to be genetic, other factors like nutrition, overall health, hormone deficiencies, harsh chemical hair treatment and emotional stress also trigger hair loss. But there are effective ways that will help prevent hair loss in both men and women:
Eat a balanced diet containing adequate proteins and iron. Fruits, vegetables and healthy oils also prevent hair loss. Mega-doses of vitamins A and E can cause hair loss.
Keep your body hydrated because dehydration can make the hair look limp.
Exercise regularly as exercise increases blood circulation throughout the body, creates healthy body cells. Hair follicles are made up of cells and exercising keeps hair healthy. Cells reproduce when they are provided with increased energy and this directly affects the hair.
Reduce anxiety and stress through meditation and yoga or through other forms of relaxation techniques. Negative charges in the body have a negative effect on the hair.
Avoid harsh hairstyles like tight pigtails and cornrows. In addition, you must avoid the use of curling iron, hair blowers and hot rollers; these put pressure and stress on the hair as well as the scalp.
Harsh chemicals like permanent hair colour, hair sprays and gels are best kept away from the hair because they have the potential to damage the hair. Colouring and treating the hair also spoils the texture of the hair.
Use gentle shampoos and conditioners and wash the hair regularly with warm water to keep the hair healthy. The lathering ingredient in most commercial shampoos, called surfactant, can irritate the scalp and cause itching which results in damaged hair and thus increased hair loss.
Massage the scalp with essential oils like lavender and rosemary oil in an olive oil base to stimulate blood circulation to the scalp and promote hair growth.
Use herbal extract supplements such as saw palmetto, licorice root or nettle root extracts that block the formation of DHT or the hormone that causes hair loss. These supplements dramatically slow down and also prevent future hair loss naturally.
Keep hair safe from fungal infections by keeping the hair clean at all times. It is also essential that you do not share hats, brushes or hair care products to help prevent fungal infections of the scalp. Preventing hair loss due to fungal infections will require oral medication or special shampoos.
Pattern baldness can be prevented by using certain medications including topical medicines. Replacement surgery is also an option.
Drug or treatment side effect may also enhance hair loss. However, more often than not, once the treatment or medication is stopped, hair loss automatically ceases.
Smoking and alcohol also damage the blood supply to the hair follicles. Studies reveal that alcohol can indirectly influence baldness.
Prevent sun exposure as the UVA and UVB rays from the sun can damage the texture of the hair, making it easier to fall or break. Therefore, it is essential to prevent the hair from direct sunlight and covering the head is a good of achieving this.
Handle your hair with care because it is both delicate and fragile. It is as important to retain the hair strands as it is useful and important to curb its loss when it comes to having healthy hair.
Helping Hand for Hair Loss
Most hair loss is genetic and can therefore not be prevented in any way. However, other factors also influence hair loss and these causes can be prevented from resulting in hair loss. If you take some simple precautions and good care of your hair, you can delay and even prevent hair loss.
Hair can be lost to improper care and damage. If the hair is over-coloured, over-styled, or ill-treated with irons and blow dryers too often, it can result in hair loss. It is advisable to colour your hair once every two months or less. Colouring can damage the hair and you can have healthier hair if you donâ??t colour it. Furthermore, stretching your hair into styles that require pulling and braiding can also damage your hair. Care must be taken to desist from these hairstyles. Moreover, remember that brushing adds body to your hair and however essential it is, it should never strain your hair.
Proper nutrition and rest are both essential for healthy hair. Eating well, drinking plenty of water and getting enough calcium, will works wonders for our hair, keeping it healthy and enhancing its tensile strength. Getting eight hours of sleep is also important. This regulates all our body functions and facilities, keeping it in optimum working condition. Illness can also result in hair loss but when we keep our body healthy we are less likely to fall ill and thus have a better chance against hair loss.
Using a good shampoo and conditioner and keeping the split ends trimmed will also aid hair health. Instead of using hair dryers, it is better to let your hair dry naturally. Retain hair styles that set on their own and do not require a lot of styling on a daily basis, as this can irrevocably harm the hair. In addition, avoid wearing hats that rub on the scalp causing bald patches.
Taking good care of our hair and providing a helping hand to prevent hair loss will reap its own rewards in the long-term. Hair must be treated gently if we want it to stick around throughout our lifetimes.
If you have suffered hair loss and wish to alter that you can use various methods that help with hair restoration and growth. However this is not an overnight process and takes time regardless of the method chosen. Even the most effective hair loss product must be given a time period of at least 3 months before it can show any signs of improvement.
Hair is very much a part of our bodies and abusing the body can directly hamper hair growth and health, leading to most common hair loss. Being physically and mentally healthy can not only prevent but also restore hair loss.
Alternative Medicines and Treatments for Hair Loss
Complementary therapies if natural rarely have any side effects that are otherwise noted with prescription drugs. Two goals must be achieved when dealing with hair loss. They are:
Natural ingredients do work to enhance hair health. Whatâ??s more, even if these products are not effective, they will not result in any untoward side effects. These products include:
Jojoba Oil, chemically similar to human sebum, is used as a vital ingredient in cosmetics and personal care products, especially skin care and hair care. When it is massaged into the scalp, it slows down the thinning and balding effect and effectively stimulates new hair growth.
Saw Palmetto, a well-known herbal treatment for hair loss, it has the capacity to slow down hair loss and stimulate new hair growth. In addition, it can block the build-up of DHT, the primary reason behind most hair loss. Working in a similar manner to Finasteride, saw palmetto is a natural yet effective hair loss treatment, without the side effects associated with prescription hair loss treatments.
Stinging Nettle, another well-known natural hair loss remedy, it has been used for ages now as a natural remedy for hair loss. Like Saw Palmetto, this also prevents the testosterone from producing DHT. It works best in combination with saw palmetto and Pygeum, effectively promoting hair growth and stopping further hair loss.
Pygeum, an herbal remedy for hair los, it works to impedes the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase that is responsible for the production of DHT. It prevents the production of DHT from testosterone. When used in combination with saw palmetto and stinging nettle, it stops hair loss in its tracks.
Green Tea has a remarkable ability to inhibit 5-alpha-reductase, which in turn hinders and blocks the production of the hair loss causing hormone, DHT or dihydrotestosterone.
Hair loss can be embarrassing and frustrating and dip oneâ??s self confidence. However, there are no miracle cures for hair loss and every treatment is time consuming. We can also investigate other therapies that are in use to remedy hair loss. However, these therapies may or may not work for every individual. These therapies include:
Exercise is both preventive and therapeutic as it improves blood circulation to all parts of the body, including the scalp. Increased blood supply to the follicular cells will stimulate hair production. Although exercise cannot be counted on as a hair loss treatment, it does have a beneficial affect on the body.
Hormone therapy is prescribed for certain types of hair loss. Nonetheless it does come with its share of risks. Corticosteroids applied topically or injected into the scalp can be painful and may cause permanent scarring in the scalp. Hormone therapy in the form of birth-control pills may however reverse baldness due to hormonal imbalances in young women.
Cortisone when taken orally can stimulate new hair growth but that is likely to be temporary. Though Prednisone, another orally administered steroid, has been proven to be effective in some cases of alopecia areata, it does have its share of side effects which include weight gain, metabolic abnormalities, acne, and menstrual problems.
Hair transplantation is another technique used to combat baldness. This involves the relocation of skin from parts of the scalp that have active hair follicles to the bald areas. Several hundred plugs may be implanted before any hair growth can be noticed. Moreover, the transplanted hair may drop out, but then new hair usually grows from the transplanted follicles within a few months. This process is however both painful and expensive and does not retard genetic or age-related hair loss.
calp reduction is more a form of cosmetic surgery that involves tightening the scalp so that hair-bearing skin from the back and sides of the head is pulled towards the crown. Hair is then transplanted to the remaining bald areas. This process is also painful and expensive and does not halt genetic or age-related hair loss.
