Hair loss myths and facts are a zillion-dollar industry. While I attempt to reveal the truths behind it, I plan to improve my hair health too. How to Control Hairfall? If you are not sure about the answer to this, you must read this and save your hard-earned money!
How to Control Hairfall?
Alopecia or hair fall has two forms, Scarring, and non-scarring. Non-scarring hair loss the hair shafts are gone. But the hair follicles remain. That’s the good news. This is why; non-scarring alopecia is a type of reversible hair loss. Scarring alopecia occurs due to some disease and has associated fibrosis (scarring), inflammation and loss of the hair follicles. If there is no hair follicle present, this kind of alopecia is more difficult to treat. A smooth scalp is seen with a reduced number of follicle openings. In some cases, only a biopsy helps identify the exact type of hair fall.
Hair fall reasons:
Skin disease, drugs, lifestyle factors, and systemic diseases can all be a direct cause or associated factor for hair loss.
Scarring alopecia: Skin causes: Cutaneous lupus, lichen planus, follicular decalvans, linear scleroderma, even traumatic.
Systemic disease like lupus erythematosus, sarcoidosis, cutaneous metastasis.
Non-scarring alopecia causes:
Primary skin disease: Alopecia areata, Telogen effluvium, Androgenetic alopecia, Tinea capitis, Traumatic alopecia.Systemic diseases: Lupus erythematosus secondary syphilis, thyroid disorders, both hyper and hypothyroidism, hypopituitarism, protein, deficiency of Iron, Biotin, Zinc.
Common drugs causing alopecia: warfarin, heparin, propylthiouracil, carbimazole, Vitamin A lithium, beta-blockers, amphetamine, isotretinoin acitretin. Spontaneous regrowth of hair can occur when you stop these drugs. Always consult your doctor before making any changes in your drugs.
Truths which you must know: Female hair loss occurs in androgenetic alopecia where there is an increase in the blood level of androgens most common in ovarian or adrenal gland dysfunction. If there are signs of virilization (male signs), such as deepened voice we have to rule out ovarian or adrenal gland tumor. Female pattern hair loss commonly doesn’t cause baldness. It may cause thinning of hair at top and front. It can occur anytime in life but more incidence postmenopausal period.
Alopecia areata is a type of patchy hair fall which can be confluent, or diffusion pattern Evidence of autoimmune reaction, against an unknown antigen of the hair follicle Like your body zone cells hits your hair hips
Alopecia areata is associated often, with other autoimmune disorders like generalized vitiligo, lichen planus, morphea, lichen sclerosus, pemphigus foliaceus, atopic dermatitis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, endemic goiter, Addison’s disease, pernicious anemia, lupus erythematosus, diabetes mellitus.
Hair Fall Treatment
- The complete history of past and present diseases, drugs treatment received can help identify the cause.
- Sometimes the nutritional state of the hair and skin are the first indicator of underlying disease.
- Excessive hair loss should always be managed step by step in a planned manner for best results.
- After identifying the cause, it gets easier to treat hair fall in both men and women — hair loss treatment when due to drugs can be treated by changing medicines where possible. Hair fall solution in case of thyroid disorders is to make the patient’s thyroid status normal. Some drugs used to treat hyperthyroidism may also cause hair fall. So careful balance and monitoring needed. Never use over the counter medication for chronic or acute hair fall without a specialist consultation. Dietary replenishment of good quality protein, iron, biotin, and zinc are essential. The egg is an excellent source of protein, biotin, iron and also contains Zinc.
This one is a zillion-dollar puzzle and industry. Traditional medical hair fall solutions are :
- Minoxidil
- Finasteride
- Surgical transplantation New and promising treatments include Low-level Light therapy (Recently FDA approved. Lifestyle methods:
- Regular sleep hygiene.
- Proper nutritious diet
- Reduce stress
- Avoid harsh chemicals on hair
- The right hair products, Dietary replenishment of good quality protein, iron, biotin, and zinc are essential. A balanced diet, good sleep habits, and a healthy lifestyle can help solve many hair-tearing worries.
Best Hair fall remedies which have worked for me
- A balanced, nutritious diet rich in fruits and vegetables, with the right amount of protein.
- I sleep for at least eight hours a day.
- I avoid hair coloring, chemical treatments and heat treatments to hair.
- I only use Coconut oil for my hair. I prefer oiling before shampoo, with warm oil once a week. This I keep for about two hours or sometimes overnight. I only use the tinned pure Shalimar Coconut oil, which is food grade. I always check the oil composition for any other I use. Coconut oil is the best hair fall control oil, as it has the right molecular weight and size to penetrate the hair shaft. It’s affordable, available and works well. This Vitamin E capsule works when used with coconut oil.
- I like using curd on my hair, once a week before shampooing.
- Shampooing once a week and washing with plain water in between if it gets too sticky. Excessive shampooing strips the scalp of its natural oils and makes hair rough and unmanageable.
- I also like using a good Argan oil Hair mask or the Angtatva Hair mask once a week to reduce the frizz.
- I have to use an occasional anti-frizz or the Moroccan hair serum to get rid of tangles mid-week.
The less trauma you cause, the more hair you have. I tried the Cysteine treatment, twice. It does improve the appearance and feel of the hair initially and make you ramp ready. But the frizz comes back worse than before. Now after one year, it’s much better. Even after being a doctor, I believed what the Hair salon people said, just to make my hair look more picture-perfect. I can imagine their effect on other people.
Heat and chemical damage is irreparable and will give you a permanent place as a customer in Hair salons! Movie stars have the budget and they get paid to look that good. If you have the budget, for expensive hair repair work for life, then the choice is yours.
If you have a medical condition causing hair fall, you will need to get your blood tests done. This will be prescribed after visiting a physician and a skin specialist. Systemic diseases like anemia and hypothyroidism, are big culprits when it comes to hair fall. Obesity, pregnancy, childbirth, drastic weight loss, malignancy, post-surgery, post-chemotherapy or radiotherapy always have predictable hair fall. You can talk to your doctor to get the best solution for your specific condition.
In Conclusion
No one treatment fits all. You must tailor it according to you and your hair!
Updated November 2019
References:
- Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage.
Rele AS1, Mohile RB.(Pubmed) - Hair Cosmetics: An Overview
Maria Fernanda Reis Gavazzoni Dias(Pubmed) - Nicholson AG, Harland CC, Bull RH, Mortimer PS, Cook MG. Chemically induced cosmetic alopecia. Br J Dermatol. 1993;128:537–41. [PubMed
- ]Chey WY, Kim KL, Yoo TY, Lee AY. Allergic contact dermatitis from hair dye and development of lichen simplex chronicus. Contact Dermatitis. 2004;51:5–8. [PubMed]
- Zhang Y, Alsop RJ, Soomro A, Yang FC, Rheinstädter MC. Effect of shampoo, conditioner and permanent waving on the molecular structure of human hair. PeerJ. 2015;3:e1296. [PubMed]
- Natural (Mineral, Vegetable, Coconut, Essential) Oils and Contact Dermatitis.
Verallo-Rowell VM1,2, Katalbas SS3,4, Pangasinan JP3,4.[Pubmed]
Sharing is good Karma!
Discover more from Healthwealthbridge
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Thank you very much, the article was neatly presented, rich in information in short very precise and accurate.
Welcome. I everything considered expected to pass on that I love your blog. I love going to your blog to have another perspective and to start the ball rolling with latest news. I in like manner like how neighborly your blog is, making your message open to less experienced evaluators other than. Continue doing wavering!
Hii…
This post is just amazing and I suggest you to try Wow 10 in 1 Active Miracle Hair Oil. This product is very mild and good.
very helpful and informative post.
Thanks Ayushi
Very Excellent article!
Thank you
Thank you so much for sharing the best information on this topic.
Thank you
Most informative article on resson behind hair fall and related treatment… its very useful for everyone. Thanks for sharing such post.
Thank you so much, Varsha.I am glad you found this useful.
Well written n informative Amrita. Many will benefit.
Thanks Ila
This is a very informative article. I am suffering from hair loss due to hard water and post partum changes. This post was helpful
That’s such an informative post , thanks for sharing i have always been troubled with hair fall and now i feel i know the reasons!!!
This is a great subject to write on, hair loss facts and fixes. The Blogger’s Pit Stop will feature this post so that it may help more people who may be troubled by hair loss.
Kathleen
Blogger;s Pit Stop
Thank you Kathleen.That’s very kind of you
This post is really helpful for to know the myths and truths of hair fall. Thanks for making this kind of a post.
Good to know about these facts. I am sure it will be helpful for many.
Skin diseases is the cause behind hairfall thanks for sharing useful points about it. Indeed myth buster post for me
Two types of hair loss. Wow dint know one was reversible. Will be sharing this on Twitter to spread the word.
informative post. definitely need to start paying attention to the lifestyle and dietary aspects from now itself.
This is a problem a lot of people are facing these days. I have a huge hairfall problem too, this post is helpful
I didnt knew that many things that I thought about hair loss were actually myth. Nice post.
Lifestyle methods can only help to a certain extent especially when Auto immune factors come into play. Beyond that, one must consider Supplements or more like procedures, I feel.
Your post should have come some 10 years back…I ignored most of the points you mentioned and the lush green fields turned into a desert.. 😀
Thanks Utpal for sharing your story
Hair loss is such an issue these days. Be it winters or summers the loss is there. Take Sst for me it is. Good points you have mentioned.
Thanks Zainab
This is one the topic that has haunted many people. The info in this arty or is very useful. Wish we get article that talks about steps to grow hairs back naturally.
Thats a great topic suggestion Nameesh
I agree with the causes of hairloss. What I have experienced is that after I was diagonosed with chikungunia in 2016, I lost tremendous amount of hair. It takes years to make up for that loss. However every individual is different.
Thank you geethica for sharing your personal story.Acute diseases and certain chronic conditions all can affect hair health.
I had a major hair fall issue due to hard water. I know what a nightmare it was for me because it happened right before my wedding. The one thing i did was use aqua guard water to wash my hair and use aloe vera and coconut oil almost thrice a week, i was really surprised by the quick results i could see.
Would you believe I faced same problem with hard water !Big fan of coconut oila nd alovevera !
Thanks dr, for such an informative post. It is important to know the root cause of any issue before treating it and this post is very useful before consulting a doctor. It is also important to have a healthy lifestyle as you have mentioned.
Yes true .Thanks Aesha.
Solid information. Once you know the cause of your hair loss, it helps in getting the right treatment.
The content is really informative, thanks for sharing.
Lifestyle is a big factor for hair loss. Changing the way we live helps in a big way. Very detailed and informative post.
Thanks Anubhuti
Such an helpful and insightful read. It’s always necessary to assess the hairloss causes before treatment. Good info
This is such a detailed post on hair fall and its causes and treatment. Not many doctors who treat the problem give such information, Amrita. Neither do people bother finding out. Just some treatment that solves the surface problem and people are satisfied.
Thanks Shilpa.
I like how detailed you are with your posts. This was very helpful to know. My cousin has been dealing with a lot of hair loss of late, I am sure she will appreciate the info. Thanks for sharing.
This is definitely a problem for older people, and it does sound like there are more ways of dealing with it than just to put on a hat and leave it there!
A very helpful and detailed post on hair loss with reasons and remedies outlined. Glad I came across this post.
Thanks for putting up the details in the blog. Some of the info is only shared by doctors in clinics ????
Hair fall is a very real concern as we age. Learning about it in depth really helped. Thanks
Very informative. Great timing for me as I was getting worried about my hairfall problem. This post definitely helped me understand the difference.
I never knew that stress also causes hair loss. Also I got to know many other critical factors. Loved the post. I am sharing it with my friends.
Oh wow this was really interesting and I honestly didnt know there were so many causes and a variety of treatment options – great post
Laura x
I’ve always suffered with hairfall due to thyroid problems and it aggravated much more after delivery. Thana for sharing this information, it was really useful
This is an indepth article on the topic. I have seen so many family and friends affected by hair loss. it was lovely to get a better understanding on the topic.
I have a friend currently dealing with this. I can’t wait to share this with her, thanks!
Diet and lifestyle are the key factors in my opinion. Heredity plays a major role too but now there are cures available for that too. Great article.
I wont lie… I’m seriously considering minoxidel at this stage… Have a craters at the center of my head that could be mistaken for a swimming pool ????
This is very informative. I did not know that Aloepecia had two types reversible and non reversible.
A good article to give the lay people more information about hair fall. So much to know!!
Oh this was an informative post. Good to know a detailed view about this most common problem.
thanks for sharing this, after shifting to A new house i am facing this problem a lot thanks for sharing the beautiful insight around it!!
Hairloss is usually associated with external factors, nobody connects it to lifestyle or even considers it as a disease. This is very helpful
This is a wondrful blog containing the facts and exposed some myths as well
This is a detailed post about hair loss and myths. I am sure it will be helpful for many.
Hair loss is one of the common problems everyone is suffering from. Alopecia Aerata sounds like a nightmare. Indeed diet and lifestyle will help a lot in controlling hair fall
I agree, a proper diet and regular sleep routine definitely helps in hair growth. Thank you for sharing this, it gave a detailed information about Hair loss.
This brought back so many memories. Had studied this over a decade ago! Very informative and we’ll written.
Very timely I came across this post. I was looking around ways to reduce hair loss. Thanks for sharing the facts.
This is such an informative post. We often associate hair fall with different things but it is also good to know the reason behind that and the start taking action.