Hair Loss is a common daily occurrence. We lose on the average 50 to 150 hairs per day from our activities like shampooing, blow drying, styling or brushing our hair. Everyone loses hair daily because hairs go through a cycle and there will be new ones to replace those that have completed their cycle of growth.
What are the other hair loss symptoms you need to take note of? Do you feel unduly stressed and unable to cope at work? Relationship breakups, separations, divorces, prolonged illness, all seem to take an emotional toll in one’s life and if you are in that situation, you may not notice your hairs falling out.
This happens slowly without you realizing your thinning crown. If your hair is shedding, clumps of hair fall out! If shedding is all over your scalp, this is known as general hair loss. The loss may be in one area only, which is called focal hair loss. When hair shedding occur in clumps, this could be an indication of a more serious medical condition and you have to seek professional advice.
An unhealthy scalp can cause inflammation that makes it difficult for hair to grow. Skin conditions that lead to hair loss include seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff), psoriasis, and fungal infections such as ringworm. Dandruff causes the scalp to shed its skin, so you will notice greasy, yellowish scales on your shoulders or in your hair. It seems that hormonal changes appear to be the common cause of dandruff in addition to excess oil in the skin or a yeast called Malassezia.
Psoriasis, on the other hand is an autoimmune condition that causes excessive skin cell turnover, resulting in a thick white scale on the scalp that tends to bleed if it is pulled off. Ringworm is a fungus you contract by touching an infected person or animal; you will see red patches on your scalp that are diffused.
Your hair is actually an extension of your skin, and like your skin, it is a direct reflection of your internal health. Iron deficiency not only result in anemia, fatigue, weakness, loss of concentration, cold hands and feet but also hair loss symptoms.
Excessive styling causes hair loss too. Women are more prone to having their tresses harmed. Over shampooing, blow-drying, and chemicals like hair dyes and lotions weaken hair structure causing hair to break and fall out.
Millions of people , mainly women age 50’s and above , suffer from a under active thyroid condition called Hypothyroidism (too little hormone). Apart from being the cause of a host of symptoms like fatigue, weight gain and depression, hypothyroidism tends to make nails and hair more brittle and prone to breakage.
Medications are designed to treat a variety of health conditions, but may also result in side effects. Certain drugs can contribute to excess hair growth on other parts of the body, changes in hair color or texture and even hair loss!
Drug-induced hair loss, like any other type of hair loss, can have a real effect on your self-esteem. This situation is easily reversible once you stop consuming the drug. The severity of drug-induced hair loss depends on the type of drug and dosage, as well as your sensitivity to that drug. When medicines, stress, or hair damage cause you to lose your hair, in most cases, it will grow back once you remove the cause. If this does not help, you may need other treatment.