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Hair has been
referred to as our "Crowning Glory."
Society has placed
a great deal of social and cultural importance on
hair and hair styles. If hairlines start to recede
or hair thins, both men and women may become very
concerned about the loss. Without understanding
why their hair is falling out, they may resort to
so called "magic potions," megavitamins, scalp massage
and electric treatments to encourage new hair grow.
Hair loss is common nearly two out of every three
men develop some form of balding. An even
higher percentage of men and women have some form
of hair loss during their lives. With correct
diagnosis, many people suffering from hair loss
can be helped.
Normal Hair Growth
About 90 percent of a person's
scalp hair is continually growing, a phase that
lasts between two and six years. Ten percent
of the scalp hair is in a resting phase that lasts
between two and three months. At the end of
its resting stage, the hair is shed. Shedding
50 to 100 hairs a day is considered normal.
When a hair is shed, it replaced by a new hair from
the same follicle located just below the skin surface.
Scalp hair grows
about one-half inch a month. Natural blondes
typically have more hair (140,000 hairs) than brunettes
(105,000hairs)or redheads (90,000 hairs).
as people age, their rate of growth slows down.
Hair is mostly made
up of a form of protein, (keratin) the same material
found in fingernails and toenails. Everyone, regardless
of age, should eat an adequate amount of protein
to maintain normal hair production. Protein
is found in meat, chicken, fish, eggs, some cheese,
dried beans, tofu, grains and nuts.
Causes of Abnormal
Hair Loss
Abnormal
hair loss can be due to many different causes.
people who notice their hair shedding in large amounts
after combing or hair brushing, or whose hair becomes
thinner or falls out, should consult a dermatologist.
It's important to find the cause and whether or
not the problem will respond to medical treatment.
Dermatologists, physicians
who specialize in treating diseases of the hair
and skin, will evaluate a patient's hair problem
by asking questions about diet, medications taken
within the last six months, family history of hair
loss, any recent illness and hair care habits.
The dermatologist may ask a female patient about
her menstrual cycles, pregnancies and menopause.
After examining a patient's scalp and hair, he may
check a few hairs under the microscope. Laboratory
tests may be required which sometimes include examining
a small sample of scalp under a microscope.
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Childbirth.
When a woman is pregnant,
she does not lose as much hair as usual.
However, after a women delivers her baby, many
hairs enter the resting phase of the hair cycle.
Within two to three months after delivery, some
women may see large amounts of hair coming out
in their brushes and combs. This can last
between one to six months. The condition
reverses completely in most cases.
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High fever, severe
infection, severe flu. From four weeks to three
months after a person has high fever or severe
infection or flu, he or she may be shocked to
see a lot of hair falling out. this condition
usually corrects itself, but some may require
treatment.
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Inadequate protein
in diet. Some vegetarians,
people who go on crash diets that exclude protein.
and those with severely abnormal eating habits,
may develop protein malnutrition. When
this happens, a person's body will help to save
protein by shifting growing hairs into the resting
phase. Massive hair shedding can occur
two to three months later. hair can then
be pulled out by roots fairly easily.
This condition can be reversed and prevented
by eating the proper amount of protein and,
when dieting, maintaining adequate protein intake.
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Medications.
Prescription drugs causes
temporary hair shedding in small percentage
of people. Examples of such drugs are
some blood thinners, some drugs used to treat
gout and arthritis, some medications to treat
depression, some medications for heart problems
and high blood pressure problems, and high doses
of vitamin A.
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Birth control
pills. Women who
lose hair while taking birth control pills usually
have an inherited tendency toward hair thinning.
If hair thinning occurs, a woman can consult
her gynecologist about switching to another
control pill. When woman stops using oral
contraceptives, she may notice that her hair
begins shedding two or three months later.
This may continue for six months when
it usually stops. This is similar to hair
loss after the birth of a child.
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Alopecia areata.
In this type of hair loss,
hair usually falls out, resulting in totally
smooth, round patches about the size of a coin
or larger. it can, in rare cases, result
in complete scalp hair loss and loss of body
hair. This disease may affect children,
women or men of any age. The cause of alopecia
areata is unknown. Apart from the
hair loss, affected persons are generally in
excellent physical health. Dermatologists
are able to treat some people with this condition.
In some cases, the hair regrows by itself.
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Hereditary thinning
or balding.
Hereditary
balding or thinning is the most common cause
of thinning hair. The tendency can be
inherited from either the mother's or father's
side of the family. Women with this inherited
trait develop thinning hair , but do not become
bald. The condition is called androgenetic
alopecia and it can start in the teens,
twenties or thirties. There is no cure.........
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Improper hair
cosmetic use / improper hair care. Many men and women use chemical
treatment on their hair, like dyes, tints, bleaches,
straighteners and permanent waves. these
treatments rarely damage hair if they are done
correctly.
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However, the hair can become weak and break
if any of these chemicals are used to often.
Hair can also break if the solutions is left
on to long, if two procedures are done on the
same day, or if bleach is applied to previously
bleached hair. If hair becomes too brittle
from chemical treatments, it's best to stop
until the hair has grown out. Shampooing, combing
and brushing too often can also damage hair,
causing it to break. A cream rinse or
conditioner may be used after shampooing to
make it easier to comb and to make it more manageable.
When hair is to wet, it is more fragile, so
vigorous rubbing with a towel, and rough combing
and brushing should be avoided. Don't
follow the old rule of 100 brush strokes a day,
this damages hair. Instead, use wide toothed
combs and brushes with smooth tips.
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Hairstyles that
pull on the hair, like ponytails and braids,
should not be pulled tightly and should be alternated
with looser hairstyles. The constant pull
causes some hair loss, especially along the
sides of the scalp.
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Most hair shedding
is due to normal hair cycle, and losing 50 to
100 hairs per day is no cause for alarm.
However, if you are concerned about excessive
hair loss or dramatic thinning, consult your
dermatologist.
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Some forms
of hair loss will regrow. Other forms
can be treated successfully by a dermatologist.
For the several forms of hair loss for which
there is no cure at present, there is research
in progress that looks promising for the future.
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