Hair Loss Treatment

Losing your hair makes uncomfortable feeling, producing low self-esteem and self-discrimination. People who are in this state of ailment are very desperate to find solution to resolve it.

Origin of Hair Loss

Hair is usually composed of protein and keratin that grows beneath the hair follicle. The living portion of the hair is in the follicle, and the visible hair is called hair shaft, which does not have any biochemical activity and considered dead. The base of the root is the bulb, which produces cells to make hair shaft. The hair is oiled by the sebaceous gland found in the hair follicle, and the arrector pili muscles are responsible for the goose-bumps of the the hair. Nutrients must reach the hair follicle to initiate healthy hair growth.

The possible cause of hair loss can be associated with the following:

1. Genes – usually if your father or mother has lesser hair; and they tend to lose their hair, there is a big probability that you will also lose your hair.
2. Hormone – usually an increased in androgen level in your body causes hair loss. Men have the bigger possibility to have it than women, because the hormone is found more in their body than women.
3. Excessive exposure to sunlight and UV rays – can trigger the hair follicle to stop produce healthier hair and damage them.
4. Oils, waxes and gels – these can irritate your scalp if too much or daily use is done, and may affect the production of the hair to grow. Natural oil produced by sebaceous gland is needed for hair to stay healthy and smooth, yet, when excessive oil is placed this can destroy your hair. Remember that oils including the waxes and gels are producing heat that can be potentially destroy your hair.
5. Drugs, chemicals and diagnostic procedures – undergoing such treatment can affect your hair. Some drugs such as chemotherapeutic agents, antibiotics and other drug chemicals can cause hair thinning. Also undergoing diagnostic procedures such as X-ray or exposure to radiation can be the reasons.
6. Diseases and illnesses – fungal infections, bacterial infections, burns, cancer and thyroid problem can be associated to thinning of hair. Abnormal supply of nutrients to the hair follicle can be a problem, such as anemia and malnutrition can be the culprit.
7. Stress and fatigue – there is a direct effect of stress and fatigue over hair loss. Because when someone is under stressful situation, the body function does not work properly and may cause of hair loss.

Hair Loss Treatment

There are organic and synthetic ways of prophylaxis for hair loss. Mostly used are the synthetic drugs that are proven effective and used commercially as active ingredient of hair thickening and regrowth treatment. Also procedural and surgical treatments may be the option.

1. Minoxidil – used before as an anti-hypertensive drug. While under this therapy, the patients have visibly thickened their hair as a side effect, hence, in the later research study it is proven to be effective in treatment of alopecia (hair loss). Minoxidil when taken orally will cause excessive hair growth all over the body, so it is advice to use the topical counter-part of the drug that can be obtain in sprays, lotions, solutions or creams. The exact part of hair loss only must be applied to prevent unwanted growth on the other parts of the body. Minoxidil has a very powerful thickening action towards hair, so be careful when using it. Do not excessively or misapplied the drug in the your body.
2. Finasteride – it is a first line treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), but it is now proven to slow down the thinning of hair. Finasteride helps to prevent the formation of dihydrotestosterone that affects the growth of the hair in the hair follicle. It is prohibited in pregnant women to use. Side effects in men can be composed of low sex drive and sexual dysfunction.
3. Use of herbal jojoba oil, gogo extract and flesh of aloe vera – it has shown that these herbs help to prevent hair loss and actually promote regrowth of hair when thinning. Just use them everyday as shampoo or when washing the hair. These herbs can be found in the shampoos, conditioners and other variant of hair cosmetic products that intended to relive and energize hair production.
4. Vitamins and Minerals – Such as vitamins A, B, C, D and E are needed for production of glowing and healthier hair. They are important in maintenance of scalp and boost the immune system to fight against fungal or bacterial infection that may cause disease in the hair follicle or skin pores. Minerals such as iron, zinc, calcium, selenium and alike can help to substantiate hair follicle for healthy growth.
5. Hair transplant – invasive surgical procedure where new live and healthy hairs are transplanted in one's scalp that will be the new hair. This procedure is quite expensive and may be the last sort if the other treatments are failed.
6. Use of comb stimulator – stimulates the hair follicle and improves blood circulation in the scalp, especially the supply of oxygen and nutrients in the hair.
7. Balanced diet, exercise and destressing – One way of keeping the growth of the hair is by supplementing the body with healthy and nutritious food. Everybody knows that the food we eat are the major source of energy and cell regeneration in our body. Destressing yourself by exercise, unwinding, and being physically fit and under meditation can be factors in helping your body to recover from major stresses, thus, boosting your immune system and high chance of cell regeneration.

Dos and Don'ts To Effectively Prevent Hair Loss

1. Take care of your hair. Wash it everyday and use shampoo with mild cleansing action to prevent damage and destruction of hair at all. Use hair conditioner at least once or twice a week.
2. Do not expose hair excessively under the sun or heat. This may affect the hair strand and make your hair look dry and frizzy. Use cap or cover them.
3. Do not over use gels, oils and waxes. They can affect the hair, especially when use them everyday. Do not leave you hair unwashed before going to sleep.
4. Comb you hair for a while but not too lengthy. Longer combing can cause hair breakage or plucking, because of the stress applied. Use combs with wide tooth or brush, but avoid narrow-tooth combs.
5. Use shampoo that helps to prevent hair loss and promotes hair growth as much as possible. Read labels of the shampoo before obtaining. Buy shampoos with rich herbal ingredients over synthetic ones.
6. Do not over tie hair and avoid harsh hair dyes, hair treatments and other hairstyling to prevent damaging the hair that eventually lead to hair loss. Be sure to go to hair experts that know the solution to your hair problems.
7. Observing the number of hair fall everyday, and if gets worst see your dermatologist as soon as possible. Better advice and treatment can she give to you.
8. Good lifestyle, balanced diet and supplement your body with multivitamins and minerals to have healthier you.

The following treatments and pieces of advice are only for informational purposes only. If you plan to undergo hair treatment consult you doctor first before entering an extensive therapy. The doctor can give you the better answer to you problem and lead you to right treatment for hair loss.