Hair Loss Basics You Need to Know If You Want to Stop Hair Loss.

First let me explain hair growth.

Hair actually is formed at the base of a hair follicle. A follicle is like a pouch that is located below the skin. What we usually call hair is actually the hair shaft, which is hardened tissue that grows from a follicle.

As you know our head contains thousands of hair follicles. Did you know that not all of them are not active at the same time? It's true. Studies proved that not more than 80% of our follicles are producing hair growth at any one time. The remaining 20% of the follicles are asleep or dormant.

When our inactive or dormant hair follicles start working again, they push out the old hair while producing a new one. Our hair grows from the follicle at an average rate of one-half inch every month. The hair growth continues for a period varying between four and seven years, after which the hair begins a 'resting' phase. After this resting phase, it is time for the hair to fall out. As a hair falls out, a new hair grows in its place after a gap of three weeks to three months. There are chances of us losing 50 to 100 hairs in any day. Some of us lose even more than that, not to regrow hair back again. This is why you need to have help starting back up the hair follicle engine.

Depending on age, weight, metabolism, hormones, ethnicity, medications, and Genes hair will grow differently, which is why some hair loss solutions work for some people and not others.

There are 3 distinct phases of hair growth: Anagen, Catagen and Telogen.

1. The anagen phase is also called the active growth phase.

This phase continues for several years. At any given time, the major portion (85%) of our body hair is found to be in this phase.

During this Anagen phase, the hair has an abundance of melanin (Pigment).

2. The Catagen or the regressive phase lasts for a period of nearly two weeks, during which the hair stops growing but has not yet shed. It has been observed that about 3 - 4% of our body hair is in this phase at any given time.

3. The telogen phase or the resting phase continues for 5 - 6 weeks, at the end of which the hair falls out and a new hair begins to take shape. Nearly 10-13% of our body hair is in this phase at any given time. There is an extensive loss of hair when more hair enters and stay in this phase. Research has established that the shock caused to the human system by stress and sickness can result in a larger percentage of hair staying in the resting phase, leading to reduced active hair regrowth along with an accelerated period of loss of hair.

OK, now how do we get our hair to wake up, fall out and grow back stronger?

We already mentioned above the main contributors to hair loss which were, age, weight, metabolism, hormones, ethnicity, medications, and Genes. Other factors that can cause hair loss include, childbirth, birth control pills, disease or illness, hair treatments because chemicals are used, hair styling like braiding, weaving and some doctors will tell you that a poor diet can effect hair loss.

Some of these factors we cannot control but others we can control. All studies indicate that the main contributor that we can control is DHT (DiHydrotestosterone).

DiHydrotestosterone, (DHT) is an active metabolite of the testosterone hormone that is formed in the adrenal gland, hair follicles, prostate glands and testes. DHT belongs to the class of compound known as androgen's, which is commonly known as the testoids or androgenic hormone to doctors but for us its' a type of steroid hormone. Males produce the DHT very early in life. This helps in the formation of the male specific characteristic such as development of the body hair, development of the facial hair, thickness of the voice and etc. DHT Blockers work to prevent the effects of this hormone after the puberty phase is completed, and the abundance of this compound is no longer needed in men.

DHT in the scalp is the main contributor of hair loss. DHT is created by testosterone which is why hair loss mainly affects males. When testosterone is naturally converted to DHT, the result is hair loss. Although everyone has DHT some people lose hair while others don't.

Hormonal changes are the #1 factor in hair loss of both men and women. This is mainly because of the hair follicles having a greater number of Androgen's receptors (regulators of gene expressions) for the DHT to attach to.

In simple terms the hair follicles need to block DHT build up and this will keep the hair on your head where it belongs.

Understanding the role of the DHT both in the male and the female pattern baldness, the researchers have discovered some unique way to prevent this hormone to act on the receptors in the scalp. Products that prevent those hormones are often called DHT Blockers.

Research has established that DHT is 30 times more potent as compared to the testosterone hormone. This is due to the fact that it has an increased affinity for the androgen receptor. However, there are many topical DHT blockers and inhibitors that are easily available in the open market under different brand names - being manufactured and marketed by different companies. Inhairit, Advica, Procerin, ProFillica and Provillus are some of the DHT inhibitors.

Saw Palmetto is one of the most potent and effective herbal or natural DHT blocker, which is far cheaper than most of the other DHT inhibitors in the market, but may not be as effective for some people as the products listed above. Blocking DHT is effective in slowing the effects of the hormone on the follicle, slowing hair loss. Some hair loss shampoo formulas use Saw Palmetto in their ingredients as a topical inhibitor for DHT.

It is believed that DHT also participates in the development of acne. Women with high level of the DHT will develop some male secondary sex properties such as hair growth just above their upper lips, or side burn whiskers, more developed muscles and thick voice. There are specific DHT Blocker available for women. Although the exact reasons have yet to be discovered it has been established by the researchers that the over production of DHT leaves the subjects exposed to the risks of prostate cancer and benign enlargement of the prostate.

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Hair Diseases Resulting Into Hair Loss

Hair diseases and hair loss are interrelated. One cannot be thought about without the other.

Common hair loss causes

No single factor can be marked out as the universal cause of hair diseases. There are several causes varying from person to person.

The two types of hair loss diseases

The hair loss causes can be broadly divided into the following two groups – the temporary effect and the one involving a prolonged action, usually triggered by genetics.

a.)The temporary effect – Usually such cases can be cured by medications and treatments.

b.)Prolonged hair loss diseases – Such cases may require long term treatment. Sometimes the drug treatment might appear to be ineffective. In such circumstances surgery like hair transplantation may be the way.

The causes of temporary hair loss include the ones like child birth, using birth control pills, etc.

Another key factor can be hormonal imbalance. It can have a severe impact by causing pattern baldness. The latter comes in the list of major hair diseases.

Relation between hair diseases and hair loss

It is sometimes found that a particular hair loss cause is more commonly related to a particular hair disease. In this context one can refer to the acquired hair shaft defects. These defects are usually triggered by the excessive use of hair treatments and styling products.

Similarly, infectious diseases have their root in unhygienic scalp.

The common causes of hair loss diseases

The common causes of hair loss diseases include the following –

• Hormonal imbalance

• Ailment

• Faulty hair styling

• Inadequate diet

Hormonal Imbalance

In men – Hormonal imbalance is a major cause of hair loss diseases among men. The male hormone testosterone plays a key role in actuating hair loss. The enzyme 5 alpha reductase in the hair follicles turns testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The latter is the most potent androgen promoting male pattern baldness, the common hair loss disease.

In women – Imbalance in thyroid hormone is a key cause of sudden hair loss among women. The thyroid gland’s being n the state of overactive and under active might cause hair fall. Thyroid hormones largely influence cellular metabolism of scalp proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and minerals. And the hair matrix cells are highly affected by the thyroid hormones’ excess or deficiency.

Hormonal imbalance also causes hair loss during pregnancy. Pregnancy witnesses a high level of estrogen hormones. This causes hair follicles percentage in anagen growth phase. But post-child birth there is a rapid fall in the estrogen level. Consequently a large number of hair follicles shift to a catagen phase. And gradually hair falls.

Women may also experience hair loss during post-pregnancy period. It is generally temporary in nature. But if it continues for months, then it may indicate hormonal imbalance in the body. And hormonal imbalance for an extended period requires proper treatment.

Ailment

Some of the serous ailments like high fever, severe infection, or flu may lead hair follicles to a resting phase. This condition called telogen effluvium results increased hair fall. But it is a temporary condition soon to be followed by normalcy.

Some cancer treatments also prevent the hair fiber growth. The hair becomes thin and breaks off. And gradually hair loss occurs. The condition starts within one to three weeks after the beginning of the chemotherapy treatment. The treatment may witness the patients losing up to 90 percent of their scalp hair.

Faulty hair styling

It means using certain hair styling techniques resulting in hair loss diseases like traction alopecia. In this condition the hair fibers are pulled out from the hair follicle by a hairstyle that pulls on the roots of the hair fibers. One example of such faulty hair styling is braiding cornrowing. Cosmetic treatments like bleaching, coloring or hair straightening like chemical relaxing can also create problems if proper procedure is not followed.

Inadequate diet

Taking up crash diets for rapid weight loss may lead to hair loss. Such diets are low in protein, vitamins and minerals, thus causing malnutrition.

Abnormal eating habits lacking important nutrients can also result into hair loss.

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Women hair loss treatment

Today Hair loss is a very big problem. Everybody wants to free from the hair loss problem. But if you want to control your hair loss follow the simple and the best step for your hair:

Features and Growth of Hair:

Our hair is covered with three layers: - The outer surface layer of overlapping cells covered the hair shaft or cuticula pili that locks the hair into its Follicle is called Cuticle.

It protects your hair and increase the growth of your hair. It also holds the pigment which is present in our cell for giving hair color. The medulla is the hallow tube in cortex, which makes hair stronger and elastic.

Each hair is joints at the end of root with skin. It is joint with the help of follicle- a small tubular group of cells in skin which contain cavity in the root of hair. It also helps in growth of hair by packing the old cells together. The average growth rate of healthy follicles is .o4 cm per day. At the end of follicle there is a large structure of papilla. Papilla is made up of many tissues. These are structure of hair from starting to end.

When any body comb there they many hair on their and they complain that our hair is falling but it is not true in every case because our follicle which is present at the base of hair it push out old hair and push out new hair. The time period of follicle of growing hair fixed. Around 90 % of hairs are growing at a time and the remaining 10 % percent are resting. When our hair reached its last stage it falls not due to hair loss problem but from its life cycle. So don’t worry if you see hair on your comb or wash basin. If you see thousand of hairs are falling then there is a need of doctor consulting before it say no doctor. Because around 30 to 300 hairs can be fall in one day if your hair falling more then it then you can surely suffering from Hair Loss Problem.

Tips for protecting you from hair loss:

1. Don’t try unusual hair style which don’t suite to hair. When you go to salon for changing you hair style or hair color they use chemical and give heat to your hair which is not good for your hair roots and follicle. It makes your hair weak and you may face the problem of hair loss.
2. When you are going out side the home please be with a cap to protect your hair from sun heat.
3. If you are swimming in pool or beach use a best conditioner on your wet hair to protect it from chlorine and salt water. After that wash it properly with shampoo.
4. The best way of making your healthy is that don’t use any chemical substance which harm your. Use only the herbal product for your hair growth. Its also make your hair strong, silky, beautiful and shiny.
5. Best and cheapest treatment of any problem related to hair is make Indian head massage (Champi) two times in a week with oil.

Above mentions are some best tips for your hair loss problem. This all tips are natural and no side effect and best Hair Treatment for you.

About The Author:
Bella Mclaine loves writings on Hair Loss Problem, one of the website she has written extensively about Hair Loss Treatment is www.bodyhealthbeauty.org.

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Cosmetics For Your Head - It's About More Than Just Wigs

One of the hardest things we face as women with thinning hair face is worrying about our appearance. "Does anyone notice my thinning hair?" can become a constant worry if we allow it. Fortunately, in addition to medications and hair transplants, there are modern cosmetics and appliances available to help make thinning hair less noticeable and make us feel more confident about our appearance.

"Wigs" went out of style in the 1960s. Now called "Hair Systems" they are still a popular method of covering severe hair loss. Hair systems today available through professionals are made of the highest quality of human hair or synthetic materials custom colored and styled for the wearer to look completely natural. They can be full or partial and woven in place, taped, glued or clipped. Prices vary widely but you get what you pay for with the more expensive pieces being less detectable and more durable. As with any apparel, maintenance in the form of cleaning and coloring is periodically required.

A class of hair cosmetics called "Enhancers" or "Concealers" manufactured under many brand names, work by varying mechanisms to improve the appearance of thinning hair. Essentially there are three basic types of Cosmetic Enhancers for the hair, powders, lotions and sprays.

Lotions available in a limited color range are applied with the fingers or by applicator directly onto the thinning areas of the scalp. They work by darkening the scalp to the color of the hair and reducing scalp contrast.

Loose powders, available in a limited color range, are made of colored organic keratin fibers are sprinkled onto thinning hair areas. The fibers work by adhering to the hair shafts with electrostatic force, temporarily thickening them while the excess powder falls to the scalp, darkening it and reducing scalp contrast.

Compressed powders, available in a limited color range, made of emollients, conditioners, texturizers and botanical ingredients are applied by applicator directly onto the thinning areas of the scalp. They work by darkening the scalp to the color of the hair and reducing the contrast by neutralizing the scalp's shine.

Aerosol sprays are available in a wider color range than powders and lotions with a variety of formulations depending on the manufacturer and are sprayed into the hair. They work to thicken the hair shaft by bonding microfibers directly to them with excess spray falling to the scalp, darkening it to reduce scalp contrast.

Hair thickening cosmetics should be considered by any woman with thinning hair. The advantage of these cosmetics is that they work well with almost any kind of thin (sparse) hair regardless of where in the process of losing or re-growing your hair you are. They are inexpensive, easy to apply and fit easily into an existing morning beauty regimen.

ABOUT: Dale Denison owns and operates Volluma a North American company offering products, advice, tips, and information to women with thinning hair and hair loss issues. Dale's own experiences with thinning hair and hair loss made her uniquely aware of the emotional and psychology challenges women face each day and her "Ask Dale" blog column is popular because of this. If you'd like to learn more ways to manage and cope with thinning hair and hair loss visit http://www.Volluma.com and remember to also download the "FREE Style Guide: 10 Styling Secrets for Women With thinning Hair" at http://volluma.com/blog/style-guide/

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Stress Induced Hair Loss and Androgenetic Alopecia

Hair loss is a main concern for men. Almost all men will suffer the ill effects of hair loss when they reach the age of 30. Sadly, this condition slowly progress onwards. Some will have less hair on top with a rim of hair on the sides and back, while others will develop total baldness.

Having a head full of hair is a big deal because it makes men look younger than their actual age. Thick hair makes men look younger and feel younger too. That's why hair loss treatment products are such an essential item that men should have and use to maintain and prevent baldness.

But using these products is just the first step in managing thinning hair. Remember that hair care should be a conscious and continuous effort.

Hair loss products are made to stop the most common cause of balding with is androgenetic alopecia or commonly known as male pattern baldness">male pattern baldness. Androgenetic alopecia is a genetic type of hair loss where for some reason the follicles become sensitive to dihydrotestosterone or DHT. DHT is an important hormone for men and this hormone is constantly circulating in the body. The time or triggering factors in which the follicles become sensitive to DHT is still unknown. For this reason, using products to inhibit DHT long before it can affect the hair follicles is the key to preventing this type of hair loss.

It is also important to consider that there are other types of hair loss that can worsen or increase hair fall along with androgenetic alopecia. One common type is stress induced hair fall. Of course, levels of stress differ from person to person so it is difficult to say when a person will develop hair fall due to anxiety or stress. This condition is called telogen effluvium where large amounts of hair fall because of early entry or sudden shift of hair follicles to the telogen phase.

In the hair growth cycle, the telogen phase is where hair falls out to prepare for new growth in the next phase. Normally, 50 to 100 hairs are shed during this phase. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of all hair is in this phase and this lasts for about two to three months.

Other conditions that can cause telogen effluvium aside from stress are severe dieting, eating disorders, anemia, blood loss, malnutrition, hypothyroidism, certain medications, and after going through a major operation

Don't be a victim of this unusual condition. The fact is stress is not only bad for the hair it is also bad for overall health. So manage stress carefully for better health and better hair.

Hair Loss Is Not Simple Genetics

One of the most commonly suggested causes of hair loss in both men and women is a genetic defect. The fact it may be inherited means it is not your fault when your hair thins and falls out and, perhaps more importantly, the condition is not necessarily something that can be cured. Of course, there is some evidence that hair loss does run in families, but there is more evidence that our lifestyles and medical decisions can be even more important factors in deciding who loses hair and how quickly. We will ignore the cultural effect of changing hairstyles where too much traction in pulling the hair back into a ponytail or comparable style may accelerate hair loss, the effect of a general anesthetic for surgery (curiously, many who undergo gastric bypass surgery often lose the most hair), increased levels of anxiety and stress, and both chemo- and radiotherapy for cancer. The most consistent cause surrounds the level of different hormones in the body.

In women, for example, the level of estrogen drops during and after pregnancy, and during the menopause. This has been directly linked to both the thinning of hair and its loss from the scalp. Some women also lose hair as a reaction to particular oral contraceptives. For obvious reasons, the level of hormones naturally occurring in the male body tends to be more stable. But, in both genders, thyroid problems can affect the production of hormones and produce early baldness in men. Similarly, for a number of reasons, the levels of the hormones may be affected artificially. The most consistent causes stem from the use of steroids which are commonly used for a variety of strictly medical, e.g. to control asthma, and other purposes, e.g. as supplements to promote growth and for strength while weight training. As an adverse side effect, many weight loss products affect the thyroid and hair suffers. Finally, it is not just athletes who discover some diet and other supplements affect the level of testosterone in their bodies. Many who take “natural” dietary and nutritional supplements find out the hard way that some “natural” chemicals affect hair growth and retention.

This should give you pause for thought. Because there are many possible causes of hair loss, you should not guess what is affecting you and self-medicate. The research evidence shows the majority of people are completely unaware that their own lifestyles or the drugs prescribed to them by physicians may be responsible. Always get a formal diagnosis from your regular healthcare professional. If he or she confirms your hair loss is an adverse side effect of drugs or supplements you are using, the remedies will be clear. But, if male pattern baldness is confirmed, propecia is the tried and tested response (albeit not for Olympic athletes like Zach Lund who were banned from competition if they took this drug). Because this drug was developed some time ago, you will now find both the branded and generic propecia (also called finasteride) freely available from most of the online pharmacies. This will save you some serious money while enabling you to both slow hair loss and often encourage some regrowth. However, two small facts should be borne in mind. Propecia works best when it is taken early in the cycle of hair loss. Secondly, hair loss restarts once you stop taking the drug.

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No More Hair Loss!

Today millions of men are suffering from male pattern baldness. It is a very serious problem if you are suffering hair loss problem, it lowers your self esteem as well as self confidence. There are many possible causes and factors as to why people experience hair loss. Poor diet, illness, stress are few of the possible causes.

Health care provoiders have been trying out discover some sure shot solution to get rid of hair loss. In market, there are hundreds of products that assist you to prevent hair loss in some way. One of the popular treatments worth considering is Propecia. Propecia Fiansteride has helped millions of people to cure premature baldness effectively. Propecia is FDA approved prescription drug available in the form of pill.

Hormones plays important role in male pattern baldness. Testosterone can be converted to dehydrotestosterone (DHT) with the help of enzymes type II 5 - alpha reductase. DHT shrinks hair follicles, as a result when a hair falls, it is not replaced. Propecia works by inhibiting action of 5 – alpha reductase thereby preventing the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Proprcia has proven to be effective in 9 out of 10. Apart from hair loss controll, Propecia has also helped in re – growth stimulation in some cases. You need patience, as Propecia fiansteride generally takes 3 to 6 months to show its effects.

As with any drug, there are possible side effects of Propecia. Some of the common side effects of Proprcia are loss of sexual desire, impotence. It is adviasble to consult with doctor to discuss any possible side effects. Most of the time these side effects are temprory and exists till the body gets used to the medicine. The treamtent is effective only for as long as the treatment is continued. As soon as the treatment is stopped, the hair maintained or gained will be lost in the period of 9 to 12 months. Propecia Fiansteride is not recommended for women and children. Women who are or likely to get pregnant should not come in contact with crushed or broken Propecia, it can cause birth defects in unborn babies. Men allergic to Finasteride should not take Propecia.If you forget to take Propecia on time, do not overdose yourself. It can be harmful for your health.

Propecia manufactured by Merck & Co. is available in 1mg dosage and should be taken once a day. Propecia is a prescription medicine, therefore consultation is necessary before buying Propecia Finasteride. Propecia is also available online on prescription. Most of the sites also provide free consultation before ordering it online. As there are chances of getting fake Propecia, it is recommended you to buy Propecia from approved online source. Fake Propecia can prove to be hazardous. Some of the sites provide online consultation from registered doctors free of cost. Most of them also provide free next day delivery. Start taking positive action today and you will be amazed just how things can be improved and changed.

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