Any hair growth cycle would involve some amount of daily hair loss. Remember that 10% of our hair is in a resting phase, which would usually fall every 2 or 3 months. Thinning of hair gets noticed when the loss is over the normal shedding limits. These include: Why does hair loss take place? Involves rapid loss of hair and affects both men and women. This is usually caused by an immunity disorder when the intrinsic white cells attack the hair follicles. Alopecia Totalis happens with complete loss of scalp hair. When the whole body loses hair, it is called Alopecia Universalis.
Hereditary causes: This can result in male pattern baldness which causes 25% of men getting bald by age 30. Over and above the reason being genetic, it could also be due to testosterone the male hormone. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is produced with the conversion of testosterone which either hampers or stops growth and produces weak and short hair. Men who do not have testosterone do not get male pattern baldness.
Skin diseases: this could also be responsible for hair loss and it can affect the scalp. Dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, scalp fungus such as ringworm and tinea captis are some of the ailments caused by skin diseases.
Sudden illness or fever: big chunks of hair sometimes fall out after an illness or fever. This is a temporary condition.
The other common factors which can also result in hair loss include childbirth, menopause, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and getting old. There are several other reasons for hair loss other than these main ones.
With the right hair loss treatment, you can stop hair loss as well as promote re-growth. Here are some natural ways you could treat hair loss:
1. Including vitamins A, B, C and E would accelerate new hair growth. These vitamins help to provide sebum, good blood circulation to the scalp by increasing oxygen absorption and collagen.
2. Importance of scalp care: Remember to massage your scalp regularly with herbal oils like olive oil, jojoba oil, amla oil. Some natural therapy like essential oils of thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedar wood, are known for their efficacy in the treatment of alopecia areata.
3. Beware of scalp abuse: Avoid using harsh chemical shampoos daily and do away with blow drying. Hair and scalp get damaged by chemical treatments such as coloring and straightening. Even a daily hair wash with hot water can damage hair as well as the scalp with the drying up of natural oils and hair breaking easily.
4. Herbal care: Use herbal powders such as amla, shikakai, henna and ritha to shampoo and condition hair. If you are looking for a powerful anti-oxidant which can prevent graying and hair loss, you would get it in amla powder, which is the richest source of natural vitamin C. Also known as the Fruit for hair, shikakai is known for its low pH and can make a great shampoo which cleanses hair without removing any natural oil. Then you could use henna which acts as a natural conditioner.
5. Lifestyle changes: This involves doing some stress management by doing exercises and meditation, as stress causes hair loss. Smoking is bad for the scalp: This is because the nicotine from cigarettes restricts blood flow to the scalp by constricting the relevant blood vessels. If you want to prevent damage to the scalp from UV rays, avoid exposure to the sun.
