Are you frustrated with your hair loss problems and wondering what may be causing it? I’ve decided to document some of the more common causes to allow people experiencing hair loss problems to better understand the factors behind their hair loss woes.
1. Hormonal
Hormones are chemical messengers produced by the body that stimulates activity by organs or tissues elsewhere in the body. Your hormones both stimulate hair growth and hair loss so hormonal changes have the biggest impact on hair loss.
Many men start losing their hair after their Testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase . DHT has an adverse effect on hair follicles. It slows down hair production, produces weak, shorter hair and sometimes stops hair growth from the follicle completely.
2. Disease, illness or injury
Major illness, injury, high fever, major surgery, severe bleeding, and possibly even severe emotional stress may also cause hair loss problems.
Since the follicle is very sensitive, it will respond to imbalances in the body. Luckily, most hair loss causes by disease or illness is temporary so you can expect hair growth to go back to normal once your body has fully recovered.
3. Bad Diet
People who eat little protein or have severely abnormal eating habits may develop protein malnutrition. When this happens, the body will try to save protein, and massive amounts of hair shedding can occur.
Read my previous post Eating Your Way To Healthy Hair to learn more about the good things to eat for your hair.
4. Genetics
Men and women whose follicles have a greater number of Androgen receptors for the DHT to attach to are also more prone to hair loss problems. This component is inherited through the genes and can come from both the paternal or maternal side of the family.
5. Mechanical Damage
Although weaving and braiding your hair under normal conditions will cause no problems, having the weaves or braids wrapped around too tight can put a strain on the follicle or in some cases, even killing it completely. This condition is known as traction alopecia and is common among people who braid or weave their hair.
Links:
http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/hairloss/HL_causes.html#bald
http://menshealth.about.com/cs/hairhairloss/a/baldness.htm
http://hairlosshelp.com/html/hairloss1.cfm
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- Losing Your Hair Through Stress, January 11, 2009
- Food That Cause Hair Loss, January 16, 2009
- What Type Of Hair Loss Are You Suffering From?, October 8, 2008
- What Makes Teenagers Lose Hair?, October 27, 2008
- Female Pattern Hair Loss, October 16, 2008