Hair-Loss

By Paromeeta Ray

Category: health

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Hair-loss is a phenomenon, which worries people irrespective of their sex and age.
But normal hair-loss should not be worrying anybody.

Why does normal hair-loss take place?

Hair goes through a normal biological cycle of birth, aging and falling off. If about a hundred hair strands fall off in a day, it is believed to be normal. The volume of normal hair loss depends on genetic trends.
If one suddenly notices an increase in the amount of hair one is losing everyday, say on combing or washing, then only one needs to worry. Hair-loss also tends to increase with age.

Sudden rise in the amount of hair falling out

Both men and women sometimes experience a sudden increase in the volume of hair falling out. But men are more susceptible to such sudden hair loss.

Causes of sudden or abnormal hair loss:

a) Tying the hair very tightly can damage and weaken the hair resulting in an abnormal falling out.
b) Sicknesses like jaundice, typhoid, malaria and viral infection can lead to abnormally high rate of hair loss. But the rate normalizes after some time.
c) Treatments administering birth-control drugs or medications like chemotherapy can cause alarming hair loss.
d) Stress destroys the hormonal balance in the body and hence acts as a major catalyst to hair-loss. Physical agony, emotional stress, trauma or depression, all contribute to abnormal hair loss.
e) People experiencing hormonal imbalances e.g. a new mother or someone with a Thyroid disorder generally go through a brief phase of abnormal hair loss.
f) A persistent lack of balanced diet can cause many deficiencies in the body resulting in a high volume of hair falling out.
g) A dandruff-infested scalp or a lice-attack may be major reasons for hair-loss.

Prevention

To prevent hair fall one should:

a) Treat hair very delicately: Inadequate care can lead to abnormal hair loss. Frequent coloring of hair, everyday use of blow-dry, regular styling with curlers and gels can all weaken the roots of the hair strands, eventually making them fall off.
b) Never brush or comb wet hair: When the hair is wet, the roots are weak. Brushing and combing hair at that time breaks them off leading to a large volume of hair-loss. This gives birth to the myth that washing hair leads to hair-loss.
Rubbing wet hair with a towel is also advised against, for the same reason.
c) Wash hair regularly: The more dirt, grease or dandruff on the scalp, the greater the hair-fall. Regular washing of hair and scalp is essential to prevent hair-loss.
d) Use a conditioner: Conditioning of hair after each wash is very effective at preventing hair-fall.
e) Have a balanced diet: Fish, vegetables, milk, cereals and pulses are very important for a healthy system and thus healthy hair. Calcium-rich diet also helps in maintaining a thick mane.
f) Drink plenty of water.
g) Sleep for at least seven hours.

Treatment
Doctors first investigate the cause of sudden, abnormal hair-loss, before starting a treatment. They will run tests to determine whether hair-loss is being caused by a deficiency, a hormonal disorder or some other major problem.
Drugs like iron supplements, Vitamin E supplements, finasteride, minoxidil can be prescribed by doctors to combat sudden hair-loss. Doctors will also always advise to maintain a balanced diet and to drink adequate water.