Women's Health - Hair Loss

Facts About Vitamins

2008-06-30T15:29:00.007-04:00

Do you think you may need vitamins for hair growth? When hair loss is not a trait of the family nor is a medical condition present yet you notice that you are losing hair, it could be that you have some nutritional needs that are not being met by your diet. Taking vitamins for growing hair and the appearance of healthy hair is a good idea for your consideration if you are having hair problems..

Vitamins can make a difference in the health and appearance of your hair and its growth. In order to grow a healthy head of hair that is shiny and not brittle, you need a steady supply of nutrients. You may need to boost your diet with vitamins if your diet is not enough. You can apply vitamins directly onto your hair or you can choose to take the nutritional supplements internally.

Nutrients that are good for your hair include protein, essential fatty acids, omega 3 fatty acids, iron, vitamin B5, biotin and methylsulfonvlmethane (MSM). You can also take small amounts of zinc and copper for your hair. You only need the amount that is given in a daily multivitamin unless your doctor says otherwise. Zinc and copper are pro-oxidant which adds to free radical formation.

Herbal Hair Loss Treatment

2008-06-18T15:36:00.004-04:00

There are so many herbs to choose from when it comes to applying herb products to your hair. You can apply the herbs for healthy hair, or for hair growth, directly onto your hair with varieties of hair care products. You can also take herbs orally with nutritional supplements. You should make sure that you are not allergic to an herb before you apply it to your hair or take it orally. Do a small patch test and if you are in doubt, do not use the product.

There are also herbs to soften your hair, add shine, reduce hair frizz, color, shampoo, condition and use as a rinsing agent. You can use herbal teas on your hair or you can use products with a small percentage of a variety of herbs in their formula. Some herbs commonly found in hair products include lavender, rosemary, sage, calendula, aloe vera, chamomile, lemon balm, nettle, olive leaf, hibiscus, lemongrass, rose hips and thyme.

Many of the herbs and their uses for hair that we know today come from traditional plant knowledge from around the world. The herbs you can use on your hair today may have been used on someone’s hair a thousand years ago.

As more people become aware of the herbs and their effectiveness, the more herbs become interesting to science and the field of health. You can find mentions of vitamins and herbs for hair growth and healthy hair regularly in the media. A few herbs that may gain more significance in the future for hair loss treatment are rosemary, saw palmetto, green tea, ginger, horsetail sage and psoralea seeds. Some of these herbs have a history of being associated with hair growth and healthy hair. It is simple to take vitamins and herbs for growing hair and improving the appearance of hair naturally.

Hair Loss Due To Stress

2008-06-15T13:01:00.003-04:00

Madison is your typical college senior. She belongs to a sorority, has a fiancé and is planning a wedding, as well as studying for midterms that are coming up in three weeks. This does not sound all that unusual for her because she is used to being on the go all of the time. Madison thought that she could handle everything in her life but she was recently becoming very stressed and she started noticing that her hairbrush was gathering more hair in it than usual. Madison went to her doctor and he told her there was nothing wrong with her and that her hair was falling out because of all of the stress that she was under.

Stress often plays a significant role in thinning hair. She needed to take some time out of her busy schedule to relax. All of the stress was causing her body to produce a chemical that was blocking the proper nutrients that her hair growth cycle needed to produce healthy hair.

What is the correlation between stress and hair loss? As you can see stress and hair loss go hand in hand. There are two different types of hair loss related to stress. Severe stress such as a major surgery is one of the links between stress and hair loss. The traumatic shock to the system causes the hair to stop growing and reverts to a resting phase. Hair can be at rest for months, but before new hair can grow the resting hair has to fall out and this usually happens a few months after the hair has rested. Once the hair falls out new hair can begin to grow.

Intense stress is another type of stress linked to stress and hair loss. When this type of stress occurs, the hair follicles are attacked by white blood cells that cause the hair to stop growing. After a few weeks the hair will fall out. What makes this type of stress and hair loss different from the others is when the hair begins to fall out, it falls out in patches. This type of stress and hair loss may not only occur on your head, but can happen all over your body. This kind of hair loss can be total and although your hair may grow back, it usually involves some kind of treatment and hair may not grow back at all.

As you can see stress can cause all kinds of havoc on your body and experts suggest that you take some time for yourself, relax and de-stress your body. Though sometimes our lives are so hectic it can be difficult to relax and decompress. However, by just making some time to relax you can eliminate this completely preventable form of hair loss.

Menopause Hair Loss

2008-06-01T12:37:00.007-04:00

Many women find that they start noticing hair loss when they enter menopause. Women experience the greatest hair loss due to menopause commencement.It takes three months for women’s hair loss to become noticeable from the time it starts. Hair loss in women can be caused by several factors, the most common being low thyroid function, which is typical during menopause. The changes in hormone levels that are caused by menopause are a factor in hair loss, such as the increase in testosterone. Progesterone levels also drop because of lack of ovulation in the body and it compensates by producing extra androstenedione, which hampers hair growth.

There are several ways to combat menopausal hair loss. The first you may want to consider is just waiting it out. Most women will find that after menopause their hair will regain the fullness it had before menopause. Dying your hair and certain layered cuts can make your hair feel thicker and fuller while you are waiting. Soy, which boosts the levels of estrogen in most women, can be used to combat the effects of hormone-related hair loss.

Some have found that massaging rosemary oil into the scalp helps to re-grow hair. Rosemary is not the only factor in this treatment that helps. The massage stimulates the hair follicles and pours making your scalp healthier.

At home laser treatment may be another option to consider. At home laser treatment is administered with a laser comb that uses soft, rotating, low-light lasers. Studies have shown that using laser treatment for hair loss may stop or reverse the cycle of growth of thin, fine hairs caused by menopause because the laser stimulates follicles and speeds up the production of living cells in the hair root that grows into hair shafts (the hair you eventually see on your head) after hair loss.

Vitamins For Hair Loss

2008-05-19T17:07:00.003-04:00

Eating regularly and eating the right kinds of foods can help prevent female thinning hair, especially if it is caused by the lack of proper vitamins and minerals in your diet. As a woman, you should be mindful that you are getting enough of the essential vitamins for heathy hair. While all vitamins play an important role in staying healthy, there are only a few vitamins that can help at preventing hair loss. One of the best ways you can help to ensure that your lovely locks stay intact, and on your head, is to take appropriate amounts of the following vitamins.

Folic Acid is the number one most important vitamin for hair loss prevention. It has long been hailed as a vital part of women's health, especially for pregnant women. Few people realize that it can also play a big role in keeping your hair on top of your head where it belongs. Taking folic acid vitamins can not only greatly decrease your chances of experiencing thinning hair to begin with, it can also help at preventing hair loss in the future.
Folic Acid can be found in many foods, including nuts and soybeans; or can be bought in over-the-counter supplements.

Vitamin A is the second most important vitamin for hair loss prevention. Vitamin A plays a vital role in maintaining healthy hair, skin, and vision. It also plays an important part in preventing hair loss by promoting healthy cell growth around hair follicles, keeping them from becoming dry and brittle. Vitamin A performs as an antioxidant that helps produce sebum in the scalp.
Vitamin A can be found in many foods but is most prominent in fruits and vegetables. To get a healthy amount of Vitamin A for hair loss prevention you should make certain that you eat plenty of carrots, tomatoes, peppers and salads, as well as eggs and organ meats like liver. Vitamin A can also be bought in over-the-counter supplements. If you decide to take a vitamin supplement be sure to read the label first. More than 25,000 IU daily of Vitamin A is toxic and can lead to hair loss, rather than hair growth, as well as other serious health problems.

Vitamin C is a great vitamin for preventing hair loss. Vitamin C is another antioxidant that will help you maintain your skin and hair health. It is a great vitamin to incorporate into your diet to just maintain good health.
All of the citrus fruits contain vitamin C, as well as potatoes, dark green vegetables and green peppers. Vitamin C can also be bought in over-the-counter supplements. A good daily dose is 60 mgs.

Vitamin E should also be included in the list of vitamins for hair loss prevention. Vitamin E is essential for promoting healthy blood flow and is a great antioxidant that enhances scalp circulation. Good scalp circulation will stimulate hair growth. Vitamin E combined with scalp massages is vital to promoting hair growth. Good sources of Vitamin E are dried beans, soybeans, cold-pressed vegetable oils, raw seeds and nuts, wheat germ and green leafy vegetables. Vitamin E can also be bought in over-the-counter supplements. A daily dose of up to 400 IU is recommended. However, vitamin E can raise blood pressure and reduce blood clotting, so it is a good idea for people taking high blood pressure medication or anticoagulants to check with their doctor before taking Vitamin E supplements.

There are several B vitamins that help to prevent hair loss:

Vitamin B3 helps to prevent hair loss and promotes scalp circulation. The food sources for this vitamin include fish, chicken, turkey and meat. Vitamin B3 can also be bought in over-the-counter supplements. A daily dose of 15 mg. is recommended.
Warning: 25 mg. or more will cause blood cell dilatation.
Vitamin B5 helps to prevent hair loss and the graying of hair. A daily dose of 4-7mg is recommended. Vitamin B5 is available in over-the-counter supplements.
Vitamin B6 helps to prevent hair loss as well as creates melanin, which gives hair its color. Vitamin B6 is available in over-the-counter supplements. A daily dose of 1.6mg is recommended.
Warning: high doses can cause numbness in hands and feet.
Vitamin B12 also helps to prevent hair loss. A daily dose of 2mg is recommended. Vitamin B12 is available in over-the-counter supplements.

Biotin is another vitamin that helps in preventing hair loss. It helps to produce keratin and may prevent graying of the hair. Good food sources are whole grains, liver, rice, brewer’s yeast, egg yolks and milk. A good daily dose for this vitamin is 150-300 mcg.

Inositol is yet another vitamin that can be used for preventing hair loss. It keeps hair follicles at a healthy cellular level. A daily dose of 600 mg. is recommended for this vitamin.

As you can see there are a number of good vitamins for hair loss prevention, that you can take either as supplements or by eating a healthy diet. If you have any questions as to whether or not you are getting enough of these vitamins in your diet consult a physican. As with any supplements, if you are pregnant or nursing, you should practice extreme caution before taking any vitamins for hair loss.

Laser Hair Loss Treatment

2008-05-16T12:27:00.003-04:00

You may want to try laser treatment as a possible solution for female hair loss. The top hair clinics and salons in Europe, Asia, and around the world have been using laser treatment for hair loss for years. Laser hair loss treatment is a form of laser technology, also called low level laser therapy that uses the natural benefits of light to help promote female hair restoration. It is a non-surgical procedure that can be done either in a salon or at home using a hand-held laser called a laser comb that has been around for two decades. The do-it-yourself option is less costly and more convenient than going to a salon.

Studies have shown that using laser treatment for hair loss may stop or reverse the cycle of growth of thin, fine hairs by stimulating the follicle and speeding up the production of living cells in the hair root that grows into the hair shaft (the hair you eventually see on your head). The use of lasers has also been linked to having an increase in adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which helps the cells to grow into healthier, thicker hair.

The laser comb uses soft, rotating, low-light lasers that are emitted to the scalp. The salons use large, stationary laser lights that you sit under. The cold, non-irritating lasers improve the scalp’s circulation (a known hair-growth method that helps the hair absorb more oxygen and nutrients) and provides nourishment to the hair that it usually gets from prolonged exposure to the sun. This increased blood flow also helps to carry away waste products that block the production and effects of good growth hormones such as DHT and ATP. This process will have to be repeated three to four times a week for a year to see the full results.

This nourishment and stimulation leads to better hair growth in most women. Within the first month or two of using the laser hair loss treatment, women will start to find that their hair is thicker and shinier. The hair will also become strong, resisting breaks and splits.

Note that laser combs and lights will not work on dead hair roots. To determine the cause of your hair loss it would be best to consult your dermatologist before buying a laser hair loss treatment. If you are persistent and diligent, laser treatment may be just what you need to combat your hair loss.

Chemical Hair Loss Treatments

2008-05-16T12:13:00.003-04:00

While there are literally thousands of products that claim to be hair loss remedies for women, only a few have been deemed worthy and effective enough for the FDA seal of approval.

Minoxidil is the most infamous - an effective - hair loss treatment for women. You need to use Minoxidil for six months in order to know if it works for you or not. Although that is a big commitment in terms of time and money, Minoxidil is the only hair loss treatment that passed FDA clinical trials. Minoxidil is usually found in the brand name Rogaine and also generic brands, dependeing on the stores you shop at.Rogaine is now an over the counter hair loss remedy which you rub into your scalp to not only slow down hair loss but to also kick start hair re-growth. Rogaine comes in shampoo forms as well as lotion or a mousse type for easy application to your scalp.

Copper peptides, brand name Tricomin, is an alternative chemical hair loss treatment for woman who cannot tolerate Minoxidil. Copper peptides (Tricomin) can be used in conjunction with Minoxidil or Propecia, but ask your doctor about that before you try it. Tricomin comes in a whole line of products from topical spray, shampoos and conditioners. It works by stimulating hair growth and conditioning your scalp so it doesn’t get itchy and make your scratch. Many hair follicles are still working, but taking a rest on your head. The copper peptides tells the follicle that it’s
time to get up and go to work.

Steroid Injections is one hair loss treatment that works much better in women than in men. The results of this conterversial hair loss treatment is widely reported to be great, however you need to be careful of taking too many steroids. Several treatments, especially in heavy hair loss, may be necessary before any improvements are noted. Please talk this over with your doctor before you decide to go through with them. They are expensive and can only be legally administered by a doctor.

There are also other ointments and creams that may be prescribed by your doctor as a treatment for women's hair loss.
Scalp reduction surgery and hair transplants are more serious and take a lot more thought, as well as money. Therefore you should be absolutely sure of your conviction before signing on to one of these remedies. A note of interest: Propecia is now an effective hair loss remedy in a little more than half of the men who take it. However, because of its potential harmful side effects on pregnant women, Propecia is really a man-only hair loss remedy.

Natural Hair Loss Prevention

2008-05-16T11:59:00.004-04:00

The first step you can take to growing new hair is to change your grooming habits. It is the easiest hair loss treatment for women of all. Pulling at tangles with combs or brushes weakens the root of the hair, making it fall out. Start using a good detangling conditioner and use a soft brush to stop tangles safely.

One of the reasons why thinning hair in women occurs is because of the overabundance of beauty products as well as various hair grooming practices that are practiced over and over again. For instance, if you constantly wear your hair in a ponytail, or tightly braid your hair, eventually these acts will break down the bonds in your hair so that it will easily fall out.

Dyeing your hair or over processing it with a perm can cause an adverse reaction such as losing your hair. To prevent hair loss, indulge in several weeks of hair conditioning before getting your hair permed or dyed. Even using the wrong kind of hairbrush can get you into trouble if it has a tendency of pull or tug on your hair.

Another natural hair loss treatment is massaging the scalp for several minutes each day. This is great for stimulating blood flow to the follicles and promoting hair growth for temporary hair loss. Some people believe that aromatherapy is an important part of your overall health and that massaging essential oils on your scalp will help improve circulation.

Some have found that massaging rosemary oil into the scalp can help to re-grow hair. The benefit is two-fold. Rosemary is a natural herb that promotes the growth of hair. The massage stimulates the hair follicles and pours making your scalp healthier. Rosemary oil can be found in most health food stores. Other beneficial essential oils are cedar wood, lavender, jojoba, and thyme.

Aloe Vera has been used by people for preventing hair loss from occurring, and it has also been utilized to keep hair healthy. The substances in Aloe Vera can improve the condition of the scalp by providing the proper ph balance. It is also useful at cleaning out your pores and healing them.

Henna is an herb that people use for a hair conditioner and some claim that it is effective at restoring and maintaining healthy hair. Some people have claimed that Henna has the ability to fix damaged cuticles of your hair shafts, as well as sealing them, which they claim will help to prevent your hair from breaking.

There are several ways to combat menopausal hair loss. The first you may want to consider is just waiting it out. Most women will find that after menopause their hair will regain the fullness it had before menopause. Dying your hair and certain layered cuts can make your hair feel thicker and fuller while you are waiting. Soy, which boosts the levels of estrogen in most women, can be used to combat the effects of hormonal hair loss in women.

How To Prevent Hair Loss

2008-05-16T11:42:00.007-04:00

Simply knowing the reasons for your hair loss is not going to regrow the hair on your scalp. After learning what caused your hair to grow thin, it is time for you to select the most suitable type of treatment for your hair loss. There are many remedies for women’s hair loss so you need to choose the one that is best suited for you. Note that as a women you might also want to start thinking about how to prevent hair loss before it even starts. There are a number of solutions for preventing hair loss and retaining a healthy head of hair. When choosing a solution for either preventing hair loss or treating hair loss, you must take into consideration the possible side effects that these types of treatments may have.

A women's body needs good nutrition to stay healthy and vital. Therefore, just as our body needs a variety of vitamins and minerals to maintain good health, so does our hair. There are specific vitamins for hair loss that will take maybe two to three months to see results, but they are well worth the effort. Patience and consistency with these vitamins means good healthy hair.
Following a good, nutritious diet plan with essential vitamins and minerals is a smart move for preventing hair loss. Vitamins B5, B6, B12 and Vitamin E are just four of the many important vitamins that promote improved scalp circulation as well as prevent thinning hair. There are also a whole litany of minerals that are important in terms of preventing hair loss and restoring strong, shiny locks.

Staying away from harsh hair treatments such as permanents, straightening, and hair dye, as well as not pulling your hair tight into a ponytail are several good ways at preventing hair loss.

Besides natural treatments, which can be used for both the prevention and treatment of female thinning hair, there are also chemical treatments and laser treatments available to treat women with hair loss.

Minoxidil is one of the most common, and most publicized treatments for woman’s hair loss, better known as the name brand Rogaine. Minoxidil doesn’t work on everyone. Those who have had results must continue to use the product throughout their lives to prevent further hair loss.

A note of interest if you are a woman considering a hair transplant. Hair transplants work better in men than women. With that said, Micrograft, which is the use of single hair grafts, is the most successful hair transplant treatment for women with hair loss.

Laser Treatment is another common hair loss treatment for women. Laser hair loss treatment, also called low level laser therapy, uses the natural benefits of light to help hair grow. Many like it because it is a non-surgical procedure that can be done either in a salon or at home using a hand-held laser called a laser comb.

Hormones And Hair Loss In Women

2008-05-15T18:57:00.004-04:00

Pregnancy is a cause of female hair loss because of the many ups and downs the hormones are going through.

Menopause is another time when the hormones are rising and falling rapidly. This results in mood swings, hot flashes and insomnia as well as hair loss in women. Low thyroid function, which is typical during menopause, is a common cause of female hair loss. The changes in hormone levels, such as in increase in testosterone, that are caused by menopause are a factor in hair loss. Progesterone levels also drop because of lack of ovulation in the body and it compensates by producing extra androstenedione, which hampers hair growth and results in women's thinning hair. Fortunately, most causes of hair loss in women are temporary and the hair usually grows back.

Traumatic events can trigger great hormonal changes, even briefly, in your body, which can often be a cause of female hair loss. This is usually a temporary hair loss. When the body has recovered from the shock and achieved some sort of stability, the hair will start growing normally again.

Other reasons for hair loss are anemia and thyroid disorders (which need a doctor’s treatment), surgery or recovering from a major illness. In these times maintaining your hair is a low-priority function of the body. When resources are low, and your fat supplies are dwindling, the body will stop growing hair, so things like hair and nail growth would be sacrificed for the better good of the body. If you are a women with sudden hair loss you should see your doctor as soon as possible. The sooner you are diagnosed, the sooner you can be treated.

If you are interested in knowing more about hormones and female hair loss, then I would like to suggest an informative book titled The Hormonally Vulnerable Woman: Relief at last for PMS, mood swings, fatigue, hair loss, adult acne, unwanted hair, female pain, migraine, weight gain, ... all the problems of perimenopause

What Causes Hair Loss

2008-05-15T18:43:00.006-04:00

DHT may be a cause of hair loss in women. DHT stands for Dihydrotestosterone. It is a chemical that is five times more potent than testosterone, and blocks the pathway of certain nutrients from getting into the hair growth cycle, causing hair loss.

Traction Alopecia is a common cause of hair loss in women which is the result of too much styling, pulling, and tight braiding of the hair. According to experts, braiding the hair tightly will weaken the foundation of the hair and may damage the scalp. To prevent such damage, it would be better to just simply wear your hair loose. If you must braid your hair, try not to pull it too tightly. You should also try to avoid constant styling of your hair. Yes, nicely styled hair can make you feel more beautiful and confident but it can also make you bald in the long run. Studies show that the harsh chemicals used in hair styling can damage your hair and your scalp.

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease that can occur suddenly and cause hair loss in women. Doctors are not quite sure what causes it so therefore a number of treatments could be tested for effectiveness.

Trichotillomania is a type of compulsive behavior that occurs when you pull out your own hair in order to gain control of yourself and a situation. Scalp hair and even hair elsewhere on the body is fair game and counseling is the only true hair loss remedy for this cause. Again, this type of hair loss in women is temporary and will grow back as long as that compulsive behavior is curbed.

Anagen Effluvium is a type of hair loss that lies at the cellular level or even metabolic levels due to some outside medical intervention, like chemotherapy. The only real hair loss remedy in this case is time, due to the reason for the hair loss. Many people do end up growing their hair back after chemotherapy, but the rate of growth is different for everyone.

Stress can play a role in what causes hair loss, no matter if the stress is from the mood swings of changing hormone levels or outside stresses. Examples of outside stresses could be; stress from work, a crash diet, or an illness.

Telogen Effluvium, which can be brought about by traumatic experiences of the body such as severe infection, extreme stress, childbirth, severe malnutrition and the likes. According to experts, hair loss in women can occur about three weeks after the stressful or traumatic experience on the body. In most cases, hair loss at this point can be mild to moderate. However, in some instances there is excessive hair loss in women. The good news here is that the effect of these stressful or traumatic events on the body is transient, meaning, it does not really last long. A few weeks or months after the stressful or traumatic event, the body recovers and so does the hair. In most cases, the hair will grow back again with a few months.

Sudden hair loss is also a sign of post traumatic stress disorder. The body has been thrown into shock due to accidents, natural disasters, war, fights or whatever and this shock throws the body’s chemical balance off. Depending on your health after the traumatic event, your hair may or may not grow back.

Taking a new medication, such as high blood pressure medications, birth control pills, Nexium (the "Purple Pill"), Accutane for acne, blood thinners (most anti-coagulants containing wafarin), most anti-convulsants (usually for epilepsy or vertigo) and most anti-depressants may be reasons for hair loss. If you are less than two months on a new medication, contact your doctor. It will be up to the doctor to determine whether you should continue the prescription.

If you are interested in knowing more about what causes hair loss in women, then I would like to suggest an informative book titled Hair Savers for Women: A Complete Guide to Preventing and Treating Hair Loss

Reasons For Hair Loss

2008-05-15T18:23:00.007-04:00

Under normal circumstances, hair loss in women may be limited to the thinning of the hair especially around the crown area. Female thinning hair is hair loss. It is caused by the shrinkage of the hair follicles that result in a reduction in hair thickness and visibility. With each cycle of hair growth, the new hairs become thinner and fewer in number, exposing more skin. Women often have an over-all thinning, resulting in see-through hair as they age. Hair loss in women is generally located behind the frontal hair zone resulting in an almost bald spot, but they rarely have a receding hair line. Women will usually start to notice thinning hair along where they part their hair.

Hair loss in women is a common problem. Around two-thirds of women face hair loss at some point in their lives. Many women find that they start loosing hair in middle age, sometimes earlier. It takes about three months, from the time it starts, for the signs of thinning hair to become noticeable. The reasons for hair loss are varied and can depend on many factors. It is important to understand what causes hair loss in order to find the best treatment that will address it. Here are some of the more common factors to help you identify what may be causing your hair loss.

If you are interested in knowing more about the reasons for hair loss in women, then I would like to suggest an informative book titled The Hair-Loss Cure: A Self-Help Guide