Women Hair Loss And 10 Hair Habits to Avoid

 

Women Hair Loss And 10 Hair Habits to Avoid

Hair loss tends to be less noticeable in women than it is in men.
Most women experience overall hair thinning rather than noticeable bald spots as is most common in men.
The thinning can occur on the top, front, or sides of the head.
Hair may also fall out in handfuls during brushing and showering

Women Hair Loss And 10 Hair Habits to Avoid

It is estimated that more than 50% of women will experience noticeable hair loss at some stage in their lives.
Most women begin to experience hair loss as they age, most noticeably during menopause
Hair loss in women over 50 is a common problem, the most significant cause being female-pattern hair loss (FPHL), which affects about one-third of women.

It is hereditary, and genes inherited from your parents may contribute to the condition. 
For women going through menopause, the cause of hair loss can be related to hormonal changes, specifically to a lowered production of estrogen and progesterone.

Estrogen and progesterone help hair grow faster and stay on the head for longer.
As the levels of estrogen and progesterone drop, hair growth slows down and hair becomes thinner.
However, there are many other factors that can contribute to hair loss during menopause, including extremely high levels of stress, illness, trauma, or a lack of certain nutrients.

What are the types of hair loss?

Anagen effluvium

This type of hair loss is commonly associated with chemotherapy treatment.
Since chemotherapy targets rapidly dividing cancer cells, your body’s other rapidly dividing cells, such as hair follicles in the growing phase are also greatly affected.

Telogen effluvium

Telogen refers to the resting phase of the hair.
Telogen effluvium, therefore, refers to hair shedding that arises during the telogen or resting stage of the hair cycle, brought on by a stressful event, such as childbirth, grief, malnutrition, extreme stress, surgery, severe infection.

Traction Alopecia

Traction alopecia is hair loss that is the result of repeated pulling on your hair.
If you are used to wearing your hair in a tight ponytail, braids, or extensions, you have a very good chance of developing traction alopecia.
The condition can be reversed if you stop pulling your hair back.

Alopecia areata

This is an autoimmune condition, caused by a person’s own immune system attacking the roots of the hair follicles.
Symptoms are a sudden hair loss that starts with one or more circular bald patches that can overlap.
For most people with this condition, recovery occurs within two years.

Androgenetic alopecia/female pattern hair loss (FPHL)

This is the most common type of hair loss in women and involves thinning on the top and crown of the hair. It often starts as a widening of the center hair part, leaving the front hairline unaffected.

What causes FPHL (Female Pattern Hair Loss)?

Genetics
Your parent’s genes determine if you will also experience thinning of hair along the top of the hair.

Menopause
This type of hair loss may be due to a decline of estrogen levels during menopause.

 

Lifestyle changes to help against hair loss

Take control of your stress levels
It is important to take control of your stress levels, thereby preventing a hormonal imbalance.
Practicing yoga, Tai Chi, or any other breathing exercises are especially effective in maintaining healthy stress levels.

Get moving
Exercise helps to prevent some of the other symptoms of menopause, such as mood swings, and insomnia all of which are important for maintaining hormonal balance, which promotes healthy hair growth.

Hairstyle
If you wear your hair in a way that pulls on your roots, like tight ponytails or braids, it can cause hair loss.
This type of hair loss is called traction alopecia and can be permanent if hair follicles are damaged.

Keep hair follicles unclogged
A quick wash and rinse routine might not get rid of leftover product residue and hinder the production of Sebum, the natural scalp lubricant.

Change your type of shampoo
A good idea might be to change to a clarifying shampoo without sulphates.

Avoid chemical relaxers
To straighten hair, hot-oil treatment, or any harsh chemical or high heat.

Watch out for hair dyes
If you must dye your hair, choose a product that contains natural ingredients.
Artificial chemicals found in dyes can burn your scalp and compromise hair health.

Protect your hair from the elements
Wear a hat or cap when out in the sun or the wind, to protect your hair from drying and breakage.

Don’t lose out on sleep
Loss of sleep causes body distress and stops hair growth and increases hair loss, called telogen effluvium.

Supplement with Omega3
Studies have shown that hair thickness can improve when taking omega-6 fatty acids, and antioxidants.

Are you vitamin or iron deficient?
If low iron is contributing to your hair loss, your doctor can recommend an iron supplement.
Other supplements, such as biotin and folic acid, are also recommended for improving hair thickness.

Stay away from rapid weight loss or restrictive diets
Rapid weight loss causes physical stress, signaling the hair follicles to move into the inactive stage.

Avoid anabolic steroids
Anabolic steroids can affect androgen levels.
One of the androgenic effects includes androgenetic alopecia, which is commonly known as female pattern baldness.

Don’t smoke
This causes damage to the DNA of hair follicles.

Check the medications you are taking
A side effect of the medication that you take, might be hair loss.

The importance of a good diet

Eating a balanced diet is your best defense against hair loss and should include an adequate number of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in every meal.
It is also important to incorporate mono-saturated oils, such as olive oil and sesame oil, into your diet.
Drinking green tea and taking vitamin B6 and folic acid supplements may also help to restore hair growth.
Essential fatty acids also play a crucial role in maintaining hair health.
These fatty acids can be found in:

• Salmon
• Tuna
• Flaxseed Oil
• Walnuts
• Almonds

Medical treatments for hair loss

There are various treatment options for female hair loss, including topical medications, light therapy, hormone therapy, or in some cases, hair transplants.

Hair Transplant
There are various treatment options for female hair loss, including topical medications, light therapy, hormone therapy, or in some cases, hair transplants.

Light therapy
Low-level light therapy may not be a sufficient treatment for hair loss on its own, but it may effective when used in conjunction with other hair loss treatments.

Platelet-rich plasma
A plasma-rich injection involves a person’s blood being drawn, then separating the platelet-rich plasma from the blood and injecting it back into the scalp to the affected areas to help speed up tissue repair.

Hormone therapy
If hormone imbalance is the cause of your hair loss, doctors may recommend some form of hormone therapy.
These can include birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy for either estrogen or progesterone.

aad.org – thinning hair and hair loss
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – hormonal effects on hair follicles
clevelandclinic.org –hair loss in women causes treatment
patient.info – does menopause cause hair loss
medicalnewstoday.com – ways of treating female hair loss

Going grey? What causes hair to turn grey?

Whether you sport brown, black, red, or blonde hair naturally, your hair color comes from a substance called melanin, which is made by hair follicles.
The color of your hair depends on the distribution, type, and amount of melanin.
Going grey is commonly explained as a loss of pigment, specifically melanin, in the hair shaft. 
Gray hair is also often coarser, thinner, and less manageable than regular hair.

Other reasons why you might be going grey

Another reason your hair may turn gray is related to its chemical processes.
The cells in your hair naturally produce a small amount of hydrogen peroxide.
Normally, an enzyme called catalase breaks down the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.
However, as you get older, you produce lower amounts of catalase, which allows the hydrogen peroxide to build up.
This build-up can damage the pigment-producing cells, leading to gray or white hairs.
In women, greying usually begins right around the temples and then moves toward the top of the scalp.

Genes
Natural aging and genetics can play a big part in when you will start to go gray.
The primary and most scientifically sound reason for gray hair is in your genes.
Check when your relatives or parents went gray and see if it matches with your timeline.
This is especially true if you go gray before 20 years old, which is referred to as premature greying.

Race 
Race also plays a role in how early your hair turns gray.
For instance, gray hair tends to occur earlier in Caucasians but later in Asians.
Africans may go gray later too, with the average gray strand appearing around 43 years old.

Smoking
Smoking, on the other hand, has been found to have a significant relationship with developing gray hair before the age of 30.
This makes it one of the most relevant lifestyle causes.

 

Stress
Stress may play a key role in just how quickly hair goes from colored to ashen.
The long-term presence of heightened cortisol, the “stress hormone”, is linked to a host of negative health issues, one of them being the sympathetic nervous system.
These nerves are all over the body, including each hair follicle.
Norepinephrine, a chemical released during the stress response, causes pigment-producing stem cells to activate prematurely, depleting the hair’s “reserves” of color.

Poor nutrition
Lack of certain nutrients has been found to play a major role in premature greying.
A deficiency in the following nutrients may cause greying:

• Protein (fish, poultry, dairy, nuts)
• Calcium (dairy products, dark leafy vegetables)
• Biotin (egg yolk, liver, avocado, almonds, walnuts)
• Vitamin D (eggs, fatty fish, fortified foods)
• Folic acid (beans, leafy greens, citrus fruits)
• Pantothenic acid (fish, yoghurt, beef liver)
• Vitamin B12 (fish, poultry, eggs, milk)
• Copper (shellfish, seeds, and nuts)
• Iron (seafood, nuts, beans, fortified cereals)
• Zinc (red meat, poultry, beans)
• Omega-3 (fish, seeds, and leafy greens like kale and broccoli)

Environmental factors
Though the connection is less clear, certain environmental factors may play a role in how quickly you go gray.
Pollution and ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun may cause oxidative stress, which has been linked to various forms of aging.
This can lead to a build-up of hydrogen peroxide in hair follicles that can cause grays.

Diseases & disorders that can influence the emergence of grey hair

• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Thyroid disease
• Alopecia areata 
• Patchy balding
• Vitiligo and some immune system disorders

Sources

healthharvard.edu – why does hair turn gray
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – does smoking cause premature hair greying
nature.com – stress – hyperactivation of sympathetic nerves drives depletion of melanocyte stem cells
shorthillsderm.com – environmental factors premature graying
healthline.com – reverse gray hair nutrients vitamins supplements

How often should you wash your hair?

According to the experts, there is no definitive answer as to how often you should shampoo.
You might not need to do it as often as you think.
It usually comes down to personal preference and can depend on your hair type and styling choices.
Some women feel that they can go a week without shampooing, whereas others prefer to wash their hair daily. (1)

What does shampoo actually do?

Your hair produces a natural oil called sebum, that coats and moisturizes hair follicles.
Shampoo on the other hand cleans the hair with chemicals called surfactants which are emulsifiers that capture and trap excess oil and dirt, which is then rinsed out to clean the hair.
The vast majority of shampoos also contain sulfates, which provide lather to remove oil from the hair.
Shampooing too frequently may dry out your hair, leaving it prone to breakage. (2)

Who should shampoo daily?

If you have very fine hair, exercise often and sweat a lot, or live in a very humid place, you might want to wash your hair daily.
If you feel that you need to wash your hair daily, make sure you use a good quality shampoo to minimize dryness, dullness, breakage, and hair loss.

10 Hair habits that can ruin your hair

Bad habit #1 Applying shampoo to all your hair

A habit that can lead to increased hair breakage and fragility, is shampooing the entire length of your hair, instead, you should apply the shampoo just to your scalp.
The main purpose of shampooing is to cleanse your scalp.
As you rinse out the shampoo, the lather will end up coating your strands anyway.
It can lead to a lot of frizz and breakage problems.

Bad habit #2 Not conditioning your hair after shampooing

This is important, especially if you have long hair.
Shampooing deposits a negative charge on the hair shafts themselves, contributing not only to static and poor manageability but also causing more breakage and fragility of the hair shaft.
Conditioners neutralize this negative charge on the hair shaft and reduce the issue of breakage.
If you have short hair, you can get away without using conditioner, but it is more important for those with longer hair to condition regularly.

Bad habit # 3 Vigorous towel drying

This relates to your showering routine.
When you get out of the shower, don’t towel dry your hair by rubbing the hair vigorously.
This is the worst thing you can do for your hair because when your hair is wet, it is even more fragile.
Instead, just gently wrap your hair up in a towel to help absorb some of the extra water.

Bad habit #4 Being run down

Letting yourself get run down, takes its toll on your hair as well.
When your body is in stress mode and you are not getting enough sleep or not eating well, your stress hormones send signals to your body saying; this is not really the time to be growing hair.
The hairs on your head will then shift away from the growing phase into the resting phase.
Your nutrition is really important for the health of your hair and for building the structural elements of the hair.

Bad habit #5 Brushing hair when very wet

Do not brush your hair when it’s wet because that is when it’s at its weakest and most vulnerable to breakage.
Instead, brush hair out before shampooing and conditioning because brushing knots out of wet hair can lead to breakage.

Bad habit #6 Always using a hairdryer

Don’t underestimate how damaging a hairdryer can be to your hair.
The heat can damage the proteins in your hair making it more susceptible to frizz and of course breakage.
If you do use a blow dryer, always use the lower heat setting.
Never hold the blow dryer too close to your hair, try to keep it about 10 centimeters away from your head.
Always make sure that you dry your hair in a continuous fashion and not stay on a fixed spot until it is dry.

Bad habit #7 Not protecting your hair from UV

Don’t underestimate the degree of damage to the hair that comes from prolonged ultraviolet radiation exposure, such as when you are outdoors all day.
UV damages the protein structure in the hair rendering it more vulnerable.
It is recommended to put your hair up and cover it with a cap or hat to protect it.
If you have blonde hair or red hair it’s even more vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation, so be mindful if you spend a lot of time outdoors.

Bad habit #8 Brushing your hair from root to tip

This method can knot the hair and cause more breakage.
Instead, brush from the ends, working your way up, avoiding any unwanted knots that lead to breakage.

Bad habit #9 Tight hair style

Wearing tight hairstyles, such as tight ponytails or wearing your hair in a bun can cause something called traction alopecia.
This is hair loss related to chronic pulling on the hair.
Instead, choose loose-wearing hairstyles and use ponytail holders that are wrapped in fabric, such as a scrunchy.

Bad habit #10 Using styling products that offer long-lasting hold

Using hair styling products such as gels, mousses and sprays can wear down the hair shaft and make it vulnerable to breakage.
They can also contain bad alcohols, which can be drying on the hair shaft and lead to even more breakage.

Source:
allure.com – hairstyling mistakes cause breakage
Dr. Dray- a Board Certified Dermatologist and skincare enthusiast based in Houston, TX.