Common Causes of Hair Loss
If you are a woman that is losing her hair you are going through an emotional time. You may not know why it's happening, you worry how far your hair loss will go. Will your scalp show? Will your part widen? Will your forehead be exposed? You notice hair in the shower drain, hair falling as you blow dry and hair filling up your brush. The diameter of your ponytail gets smaller, now you have to loop your rubber band four times rather than three.
It's a scary thing to experience and it effects your family as you have lost yourself confidence and are upset with the way you look. It takes you a half hour to style your hair in a way that covers your thinness. You wonder if people notice.
There can be so many reasons you are experiencing thinning hair. Some commons causes are genetics and hormones. While those are frequently the cause it is important to consider other common causes.
Stress
Telogen effluvian is sudden drastic hair loss and can be caused by a stressful or traumatic event. This type of hair loss usually resolves once the stress is resolved. Most of the time we consider stress as a mental issue, it's all in our head, but stress can manifest itself in a variety of ways that affect how we physically feel or look. Stress can even increase testosterone levels which can lead to hair loss in certain individuals. Stress can cause inflammation and even disrupt the body's absorption of nutrients.
The way that stress related hair loss presents is overall thinning rather than hair loss in patches. Hair follicles throughout the scalp release hair and it can accumulate in the shower drain and cause a lot of worry.
Stress related hair loss is reversible. Stress management techniques like meditation and yoga are useful tools as is a balance diet. To speed up the process Images International has treatment programs including low level laser therapy and topical treatments designed to halt hair loss and speed up the regrowth process.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy estrogen levels are elevated which prolongs the growth stage, or anagen, stage of the growth cycle. When a woman gives birth and stops breast feeding the estrogen level in her body returns to normal and the extra hair she grew during her pregnancy is shed very quickly. There is no way to prevent this thinning however once it runs its course, the normal hair growth cycle will resume and the hairs shed will grow back. Some women may not even notice extra hair fall after pregnancy, there is no way of knowing who it will affect.
If you're looking to jump start hair growth, low level laser therapy and topical treatments offered at Images International have proven to be effective.
Seasonal Hair Loss
If you ever happen to notice more hair loss during a certain time of year, year after year, you may be experiencing seasonal hair loss. This typically occurs in the Autumn months due to the summer sun rays prolonging the growth stage of hair growth. Once Autumn arrives more hairs will be released in the telogen phase.
Sun, chlorine and sea salt can also cause hair to become dry and brittle which can lead to breakage. This type of hair loss is self-limiting and is nothing to worry about. If you're particularly concerned, Images International sells UV protection for your hair as well as protein conditioning treatments to restructure your hair from the outside in.
An Autoimmune Disease
The body's immune system can overzealously attack healthy cells and one form of this is called Alopecia Areata. Hair loss caused by this condition is seen in patches. Often this condition is paired with a thyroid or hormone imbalance. While there is no cure for Alopecia Areata, steriod injections and some topical treatments can be used to treat the hair loss. Ideally, with treatment the condition can be controlled before the hair loss becomes permanent.
How you Style Your Hair
Tight pony tails, man buns, braids and extensions can pull the hair right out of it's follicle. This type of hair loss is called traction alopecia. You will notice hair loss gradually throughout the hair line. Once you notice this type of hair loss it is crucial to stop the practice of styling your hair tightly. While it can be reversed if caught early, continuing to style your hair in this fashion can lead to permanent hair loss due to an irreversibly damaged hair follicle.
Visiting a doctor for blood test to rule out vitamin deficiencies or chronic disease is a crucial first step. When you are ready to love the way you look again, visit Images International. With a wide range of solutions for every stage of hair loss you can achieve the look you desire, Call us at (248) 540-0900 for a free consultation.