Causes and Possible Treatments
Your hair is made up of keratin - a protein that is produced in hair follicles. Old cells are pushed out through the surface of your skin as new cells are produced; this string of dead cells is what makes up the visible hair on your head. There are approximately 100,000 hairs on the head of the average adult and up to 100 are lost daily as part of a healthy growth cycle. Each follicle has a life cycle which includes phases of active hair growth, transitional hair growth and resting. At the end of the resting phase the hair is shed and is replaced by a new hair and the growth cycle begins again. The rate of hair growth slows as people age.
Hair loss can be distressing and can be influenced by many factors including age, disease, hormones, stress, drugs, diet and genetics. It can affect both men and women of all ages. In some cases the hair loss is temporary. There are many types of hair loss such as Involuntional alopecia, Androgenic alopecia and Telogen effluvium. There are also many types of hair loss treatments available. Involuntional alopecia is the natural thinning of the hair. More hair follicles go into the resting phase and remaining hairs become shorter and fewer. Androgenic alopecia is a genetic condition known as hereditary hair loss, male pattern baldness in men or female pattern baldness in women. Male pattern baldness can occur as early as the teenage years or early 20’s and occurs as a receding hairline and gradual thinning then disappearance of hair from the crown and frontal scalp. Women with the condition usually don’t experience noticeable thinning until their 40’s. The thinning will be generalised around the entire scalp with the most hair loss at the crown of the head. Telogen effluvium is temporary hair thinning that occurs due to changes in the growth cycle where many hairs enter the resting phase at once causing shedding and thinning of the hair.
Hereditary hair loss is due to a change in hormones that cause the hair follicle to shrink and the growth cycle to be shortened. If you are experiencing hereditary hair loss, there are products that may help stop hair loss and encourage hair re-growth. Regaine scalp foam and scalp solution contain the active ingredient minoxidil, this is the only scientifically proven ingredient available over the counter to help stop hereditary hair loss. Minoxidil works by reinvigorating shrunken hair follicles to increase their size and re-grow thicker hair over time. The scalp foam is designed to treat male pattern baldness and the scalp solution is available for men and women. Best results are seen in men with recent hair loss or thinning at the top of the scalp but can also be used by men with a receding hair line as this is an early characteristic of hereditary hair loss. Regaine is designed to help stop hair loss and can even re-grow hair in some cases. For best results these products need to be applied to the scalp twice daily for four months before an affect is seen.
There are also a variety of products to choose from that may help treat hair loss caused by a disrupted growth cycle. A disrupted hair growth cycle has a reduced growth phase; the hair follicle then enters the transition growth phase earlier than normal. The resting phase becomes prolonged as more hairs enter the resting phase prematurely, leading to increased hair shedding and weaker re-growth. After a prolonged resting phase, fewer hair follicles are induced back into the growth cycle resulting in dormant hair follicles with no re-growth. Nourkrin for women is a safe, drug free supplement that nourishes the hair and supports the normal growth cycle. This supplement contains Marilex – an ingredient exclusive to Nourkrin products, which helps support, normalise and maintain the hair growth cycle by providing hair follicles with required nutrients. This supplement also contains D-biotin, Silica and Acerola cherry extract rich in vitamins. For best results two of these tablets should be taken daily for a minimum of 6 months, and then the dose may be reduced to one tablet daily depending on results.
Alpecin hair products contain a unique caffeine complex that penetrates the roots of the hair and strengthens it against hair loss. Plantur 39 Shampoo for hair over forty has been specially designed for women who experience hair thinning after the menopause. This happens as the female hormone oestrogen levels decrease and the testosterone effect is increased causing premature hair loss, receding hairline and thin, brittle hair. This shampoo contains gently softening hair conditioning agents and activates hair roots during washing to ensure that hair retains its volume.