An Extensive Guide to Understanding Hair Loss and the Possibility of Hair Regrowth
Having strong and healthy hair has always been a universal desire! If you don’t have luxuriant hair and/or you’ve experienced hair loss, you’re far from alone. Approximately one third of the world population of mixed age group, has reported dealing with hair loss and hair thinning. And by the time one reaches 50 years of age, half the population will have experienced it!
Understanding Hair Loss and Its Causes
Let’s look in to the various causes of hair loss and assess the treatment options available to you. Also, you must know, that there’s no universal cause for hair loss, nor is there a one-stop solution to manage it.
In-depth Examination of Hair Loss Causes
There’s a myriad of causative factors which trigger hair fall, hair thinning, hair loss and balding; here’s a complete round-up
Genetics and Hair Loss
- Heredity
- The commonest cause for hair loss is heredity. It is known as androgenetic alopecia. Men as well as women may suffer from this type of hair loss.
- In men, it’s called the male pattern hair loss or balding; whilst in women, it’s the female pattern hair loss or balding.
- This means you have inherited genes which make the hair follicles shrink, stop functioning like they ought to, and then eventually stop growing hair.
- In males, the first indication is a receding hairline or a bald spot on the crown.
- In females, the first pointer is an overall thinning of the hair or a widening of the midline.
- Is Regrowth Possible if you have Heredity type of Hair Loss?
Yes, timely management by an expert slows down or even stops hair loss. Early diagnosis and opportune treatment are very vital steps in making sure that hereditary hair loss does not result in complete balding as well as it will help regrow your hair. The sooner you start your treatment, the better will be the results. Without starting prompt treatment, you will continue to lose hair and go bald completely. Starting treatment without losing any time makes sure that the hair follicle does not shrink. Once the hair follicle has shrunk, hair restoration becomes exceedingly difficult. Your trichologist will opt for one of the following – minoxidil , finasteride, or hair transplant. Alongside, you will need a hair care regimen and a diet of the right foods to boost hair growth.
Hormonal Changes as a Hair Loss Trigger
- Thyroid Disease
- Changes in the thyroid profile causes thinning of hair and balding.
- Severe, prolonged and neglected hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism is known to cause hair loss. The hair loss is fairly diffuse, involving the whole scalp as against developing bald patches.
- There will be other associated features which indicate a thyroid abnormality – oscillations in your weight, changes in sleep pattern and bowel movement and skin ailments.
- The thinning of hair becomes obvious several months after the thyroid anomaly has set in. This occurs because of the long hair cycle. Ironically, the hair loss comes on following the treatment for the thyroid disorder and unhappily, the thyroid medicine is wrongfully blamed, thus leading to the stopping of the medication, which in turn, worsens the hair loss.
- Is regrowth possible if you have a thyroid anomaly?
Yes, regrowth is totally possible once the thyroid disease has been treated with the correct thyroid medication and your thyroid hormone profile becomes normal. Your hair loss can be reversed. You will have to confer with your trichologist along with your endocrinologist, and dedicatedly follow the hair care regimen laid out for you. Medications such as Minoxidil, Finasteride, in combination with a thyroid medicines and a thyroid diet promises brilliant results. It is important for you to know that it will take a few months for the medicine to encourage new hair growth. Also, when the new hair comes, it may differ in texture and colour, compared to your former hair. Follow the plan laid out by your doctor especially with respect to the diet and shampooing, and grooming your hair, and you will soon be on the road to recovery!
- PCOS
- An extremely common cause of hair loss is an imbalance in the hormone profile due to polycystic ovarian syndrome.
- Women who develop an imbalance in their hormones suffer from thinning of hair and hair loss, along with a host of other clinical features, such as cysts in the ovary, acne flare-ups and oscillations in the weight.
- Is regrowth possible after you’ve been diagnosed with PCOS?
Hair care, the right diet, necessary supplements and a treatment regime helps regrow some hair. Once your hormone profile stops fluctuating and is back to normal, your hair fall will stop. Regular consultations with your trichologist along with your endocrinologist, and dedicatedly follow the hair care regimen laid out for you will yield beneficial results.
Age and Hair Loss
- With advancing age, you will start to notice some degree of hair thinning and hair loss, since the growth of hair slows down.
- It is a part of the normal process of ageing.
- The hair follicles stop functioning like they should, they stop growing hair, and as a result, the hair thins out and falls.
- Is regrowth possible in cases of age related hair loss?
Hair care, the correct dietary supplements and a treatment regimen helps some people regrow some hair. Let protein be the mainstay of your diet; that will boost hair growth, given that protein is the building block for your hair. Nevertheless, ageing will take a toll on your hair follicles eventually.
Scalp psoriasis and it’s Implications on Hair Loss
- Psoriasis of the scalp triggers hair loss.
- It manifests as scaling that looks like dandruff or crusty plaques which cover your entire scalp. Bald patches develop.
- Is regrowth possible after Scalp psoriasis?
Once the psoriasis in the scalp is under control, your hair tends to regrow; however, it does take a lot of time. You must talk to a hair care expert so as to start the right medications to treat the psoriasis as well as to expedite hair regrowth. Salicylic acid works wonderfully to help soften the crusts and plaques and to remove scales from the scalp. Tar made from wood slows down skin cell growth and decreases inflammation, itching, and scaling significantly. Corticosteroids work well too, to help decrease redness, inflammation, swelling, itching, and scaling. Use shampoos prescribed by your dermatologist to hasten recovery. Phototherapy is be an option your dermatologist and trichologist may recommend to jumpstart hair growth.
Scalp infection and it’s Implications on Hair Loss
An infection of the scalp causes scaling and inflammation.
- The infection may cause thinning of the hair and even the development of bald spots.
- Is regrowth likely?
You need to ascertain the cause of the infection and treat it promptly. Once the infection clears, the hair tends to grow back. Furthermore, your dermatologist and trichologist will prescribe medications to boost hair growth.
Alopecia Areata
- Alopecia areata is a condition which develops when your body’s immune mechanism attacks your hair follicles setting off hair loss; usually brought on by major stress.
- You will see bald patches on the scalp; there may be associated loss of hair from the eyelashes and eyebrows too.
- Is regrowth likely to occur?
Hair regrowth is totally possible; treatment is necessary to stimulate the regrowth. Your doctor will prescribe Minoxidil along with corticosteroids to hasten hair growth.
Scarring Alopecia
- Scarring alopecia is a condition that develops when excessive inflammation completely damages the hair follicles.
- Once a hair follicle has been destroyed, it can not grow hair.
- Is regrowth possible in a case of Alopecia Areata?
Once the hair follicle has been damaged and destroyed, it can not grow hair. Prevention plays a pivotal role in the case of scarring alopecia. When the disorder has been detected early and timely treatment has been started, you can prevent extensive hair loss. Your trichologist will prescribe anti inflammatory medication along with corticosteroids; you will in all likelihood need a hair transplant since hair won’t grow over the scar, given that the hair follicles have been destroyed.
Lifestyle Factors Triggering Hair Loss
- Dietary Deficiencies
- If your diet is deficient in iron, biotin, protein, or zinc, you are bound to face hair thinning and hair fall.
- Is regrowth possible?
Once you fight the dietary insufficiency with the right foods and appropriate supplements, your body will get enough of the missing nutrients, and hair regrowth will occur.
- Hairstyles
If you tend to wear your hair pulled back very tightly, then the constant tugging and pulling on the scalp will result in permanent hair loss. This condition is known as traction alopecia.
Also, if you color, perm, or straighten your hair often, it damages the hair to a great extent. Constant damage leads to hair loss.
- Can regrowth occur?
Traction alopecia causes permanent damage. However, you can prevent extensive hair loss by stopping that particular hair style.
Also, keep away from the chemical hair products; once you damage a hair follicle, hair will not grow from that follicle. If too many hair follicles are damaged there will be permanent bald spots; stopping the hair styling will prevent extensive hair loss.
Alongside, you should follow hair care tips and guidelines by a hair care expert; it will boost regrowth.
The Role of Stress and Hair Loss
- Childbirth, Illness, Surgery, Emotional Stress
After childbirth, when you are recovering from a long drawn out illness, or post a surgery, you will notice severe hair fall. A stressful time, such as a divorce or bereavement causes incessant emotional pain and trauma and it is known to trigger hair loss too.
- Is regrowth possible?
When the stress stops, both physical and mental-emotional, then the body recalibrates and the uncontrolled hair fall will stop. After the hair fall stops, you will see your hair regain its formal thickness within 9 to 10 months. You can help your body recover sooner by eating the right food, taking the right supplements and following a doctor prescribed medication schedule.
Health Conditions and Medications Causing Hair Loss
- Cancer Treatment
Those on chemotherapy or radiation therapy tend to lose all or most of their hair.
- Is regrowth after cancer treatment possible?
By and large, the hair will regrow within a few months of completing your chemotherapy or radiation treatments. Also, your oncologist will discuss with your trichologist to prescribe you medications to hasten the regrowth of your hair.
Also, experts say, if you wear a cooling cap before, during, and after chemotherapy sessions, it helps prevent hair loss to some extent.
- Medications
When you are on certain medications for an extended period of time, a likely side effect is hair loss. If you’ve been on a specific medicine for a prolonged interval of time and are experiencing hair fall, talk to the doctor who prescribed it. Do not stop taking the prescribed medication before consulting your doctor. Abruptly stopping the medicine will cause serious health problems.
- Can regrowth occur?
Confer with your health care provider who has prescribed the drug and ask him to alter the dosage or substitute the medicine for another one. Once the changes have been made, hair fall will stop and slowly the hair will grow back. Occasionally, you may need a nudge from certain hair growth medications; your trichologist will discuss this with you.
FAQs
Age related hair loss is rather difficult to reverse. With medication, you can stimulate partial regrowth, but you are not likely to get complete hair regrowth. Your doctor will advice hair transplant to deal with the balding. Nevertheless, ageing will eventually take a toll.
By and large, hair loss from chemo-radio therapy is temporary. Your hair will grow back in about 6 months after the cancer treatment has been stopped. However, the shade and texture of your hair will temporarily be different from what it used to be.
Female pattern hair loss is hereditary. You inherit the hair loss genes from one or both of your parents. Furthermore, female pattern hair loss is commoner post menopause, and thus hormones also have a role to play.
An excellent non surgical treatment for female pattern hair loss is minoxidil. You will see a slowing or even a complete stopping of hair fall and hair loss, and there will be hair regrowth too. Confer with your trichologist regarding the dosage and frequency of application of Minoxidil.
Most men notice the early phase of male pattern hair loss when they are in their early 30s; conversely, some will see balding as early as during their teen years. Men will have a receding hairline usually in the shape of ‘M’.
Yes, unfortunately, there is a huge chance that you will go bald if your father is bald, even if you have not inherited the baldness variant from your mother. Countless studies have revealed that 80 % of sons with extreme hair loss had fathers who were bald.
Here’s a round-up of the best foods that thwart hair loss –
- Yogurt
- Fish
- Spinach
- Sweet potatoes
- Guavas
When one has PCOS, her hormone profile is out of whack. PCOS is linked to higher than normal levels of the hormone testosterone, and this causes androgenic alopecia. Hair loss occurs around the temples and crown.
Yes, with a prompt diagnosis and timely treatment, you can put an end to the hair loss and balding and also encourage new hair growth. Your trichologist and endocrinologist will prescribe a combination of oral contraceptives containing the hormones estrogen and progesterone, along with Minoxidil or Finasteride. These medicines promise to balance out the hormones in the body and stimulate regrowth. Your doctor will also ask you to follow a specific PCOS related diet which will boost hair restoration.
Any natural oil such as almond oil, coconut oil and olive oil may be used to manage scalp psoriasis well. These oils have powerful anti inflammatory properties which help heal the scalp psoriasis successfully. Gently massage and leave over night, it will help get rid of the plaques and crusts easily.
Regrowth after you’ve been diagnosed with alopecia areata takes 9 to 12 months, sometimes longer. Experts say, regrowth is faster if you’ve lost less hair at the beginning. If you have very few and tiny patches of balding, you will see full regrowth within 12 months.
Doctor prescribed corticosteroid therapy for about 3 to 6 weeks will expedite regrowth of hair. Ensure that you discuss with your trichologist; while this drug helps hair regrow quickly, it can not be taken for an extended period of time.
Once a scar forms on the scalp, the hair follicles get damaged and destroyed and hair won’t grow back at the scar site. The scar is made of thick fibrous tissue which protects the skin below. As a consequence, there is no place for hair follicles, blood vessels, or nerves. So, hair will not regrow in the scarred area; however, your doctor will recommend hair transplant to bring about hair restoration.
When you’ve been diagnosed with scarring alopecia, having a hair transplant can be a little tricky. Nonetheless, you can have a successful hair transplant with little or no complications once your doctor has the scarring alopecia under control.
For you to boost hair growth and fight hair loss, you must incorporate these nutrients in to your everyday diet plan –
- Loads of protein
- Iron
- Vitamins A, B, C, D, and E,
- Zinc
- Biotin
Talk to your doctor and discuss foods as well as supplements that will provide these vital nutrients.
Your scalp provides nourishment for good hair growth and thus it must be very healthy, so as to support healthy hair. Chemicals that are used for hair styling – hair color, perming, straightening, etc. get absorbed by the scalp, make it unhealthy and affect growth of hair. Regular use of chemicals permanently damages and destroys the hair follicles, thereby triggering hair loss and balding.
Hair follicles that have been completely damaged can not grow new, healthy hair. Once destroyed, it is very unlikely that non surgical treatments will help restore lost hair. By and large, hair loss related to chemical damage calls for surgical hair restoration, i.e. hair transplant.
Long drawn out, relentless stress is responsible for telogen effluvium – wherein, the majority of your hair goes in the telogen stage. A stressor makes 75 % of your hair which are in the anagen phase go in to the telogen phase prematurely, and this causes extensive hair loss.
