hair loss sucks tips on how to fight it

Hair Loss Sucks! Tips on How To Fight It!

Ways to Disguise Hair Loss

Experiencing hair loss isn't easy. It may deplete self-esteem and have women not feeling confident about their looks. But there is no need to worry. It is important to know that ANYONE can experience hair loss. Men, women, and children around the world are affected. So you are not alone. There are several treatments and ways to do your hair that can have you feeling confident and ready to slay once again.

Everything You Need to Know About Hair

How does hair grow? Your hair begins growing from a root in the bottom of the follicle. The follicle is a sac from which a hair develops and into which the sebaceous (oil) glands open. The follicle lined by cells derived from the epidermal (outside) layer of the skin. The root is made up of cells of protein. Blood from the blood vessels in your scalp feeds the root, which creates more cells and makes your hair grow. The hair gets pushed up through the skin as it grows, passing an oil gland along the way. The oil gland adds oil to the hair and keeps it shiny and soft. It can make it greasy, too. That's why you need to wash your hair. The hair dies by the time it is long enough to poke out through the skin. The hair we see in our head is dead. That's why it doesn't hurt to get a haircut.

Facts about hair

Here are some facts about follicles and your hair:
  • You are born with all of the follicles you will ever have, about 5 million.
  • You have about 100,000 follicles on your scalp, which is the skin on your head.
  • Hair grows very fast and male hair grows faster than female hair. The only part of your body that produces faster is bone marrow. The hair on your head grows about 6 inches a year. So, even though it's one of the fastest-growing things on your body, it takes a while to grow it long.
  • You lose about 50 to 100 hairs a day. This loss is because the follicles do not grow hair at the same time. Each scalp follicle grows hair for a few years and then takes a break.
  • When a follicle is on a break, the hair in the follicle falls out. Because the follicles take breaks at different times and the other hairs keep growing, you probably don't notice when you lose hairs.
  • As people age, hair loss starts to happen. This loss occurs more in some than in others. Some people get thinner hair or go bald.

Causes of Hair Loss

Although it is normal to shed a few hairs, pulling out clumps are seeing a significant amount of shedding may not be normal. Here are some conditions that may cause hair loss.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune skin disease causing hair loss on the scalp, face and sometimes on other areas of the body. It occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, which is where hair growth initiates. Experts do not know why the immune system attacks the follicles. Some symptoms are that large clumps of hair may suddenly fall out for no apparent reason, causing patches of hair loss. Some people may experience hair loss in other parts of the body as well. Although the hair will grow back, continued anxiety and stress can cause the hair loss to continue leading to different patches of hair and baldness. Alopecia areata can cause different types of hair loss. Each of these types has a different name: Alopecia areata which causes hair loss in patches, Alopecia Totalis causes loss of all hair on the scalp and Alopecia Universalis which causes loss of all hair on the body.

Telogen Effluvium (TE)

Telogen Effluvium is the second most common form of hair loss. It occurs when there is a change in the number of hair follicles growing hair. The number of hair follicles producing hair will drop, which means an increase in dormant hair follicles, with the result being hair loss. TE can appear as thinning hair with the hair on the top of the scalp thinning more than the sides or back of the scalp. With Telogen Effluvium, a sudden or stressful event can cause individual hair follicles to prematurely stop growing and enter into the telogen (resting) phase. The hairs affected by Telogen Effluvium will then stay in the resting period for about three months after which time they will shed.

Scalp Infections

There are several different types of scalp infections that may cause hair loss. The first is ringworm. Ringworm is a fungus which causes itchy, ring-shaped patches on the skin. Tinea capitis is the medical term for a fungal infection of the scalp. Ringworm causes patchy baldness in its victims. It can also cause the hair shaft to become weak and brittle, which results in hair breakage. Once you treat infections, hair grows back. The next is Folliculitis. Folliculitis refers to inflammation of the hair follicles. Some conditions can cause it. It can be mistaken for acne, with inflammation surrounding the infected hair follicles. Folliculitis caused by noninfectious causes such as oil or infectious causes such as an invasion of bacteria and viruses into follicles which have been damaged by friction. And the last is Demodex Folliculorum. Demodex folliculorum is a parasite which causes one of the most common forms of scalp infections, actually an infestation of the scalp. It is especially prevalent in people who suffer from acne or male pattern baldness. The parasite feeds on dead skin and oils, both of which are common with acne and male pattern baldness.

Perms

The main ingredient in perm is known as ammonium thioglycolate. Ammonium thioglycolate contains a lot of free ammonia, which swells hair, making it permeable. Perm causes hair thinning and if accidentally applied to the scalp may cause damage such as burns. Using perms can cause hair loss because of the active chemicals. Other hair loss factors such as excessive heat, lack of protein, hereditary, and hormonal imbalances can cause hair loss as well. Although people believe mainly men experience hair loss, 40 percent of women have hair loss by the time they are age forty. There are a lot more people with this issue than one may think.

Hair Loss Patterns

Hair loss ranges from normal hair density to a bald crown, which is rare. There is a scale that helps document female pattern baldness. Many people know it as male pattern baldness, but it affects about 30 million American women. Your hair could thin all over, with the most significant loss along the center of the scalp. There are many different ways hair loss can show up on the scalp. Here are some ways it may appear on the scalp:
  • Hair falling out in big patches, mainly caused by Alopecia Areata
  • Itchy round bald patches, mainly caused by ringworm
  • A lot of hair growth before giving birth and hair loss after giving birth, caused by pregnancy
  • Thinning hair, caused by birth control pills
  • Hair shedding, caused by crash dieting
  • Hair breakage, caused by tight braids and cornrows
  • Dramatic hair loss, caused by chemotherapy
  • Dramatic hair shedding, caused by stress
There are many other ways hair loss can appear depending on the condition and who the person is.

Ways to Prevent Hair Loss

Although there are forms of hair loss caused by autoimmune diseases, many causes of hair loss may be from the own damage you are causing to your hair. Avoid hairstyles that pull on the hairline - Things such as Tight ponytails, cornrows, braids, and other restricting hairstyles that pull on the small hairs that make up your hairline can cause hair loss. The stress caused by these tight hairstyles pulls too strongly on the delicate hairs of your hairline and hair loss/thinning can occur. Do not use too much heat - Excessive amounts of heat is never healthy for your hair. Heat can cause damage and result in thinning of your hair. Items such as flat irons, curling irons, hot combs, and blow dryers can cause damage. Use hair products that target hair growth - Many companies are now creating products aimed at restoring hair growth. There are a variety of products that contain various oils and minerals that may help with hair growth, destroy bacteria that can cause hair breakage and loss, increase blood circulation to the scalp, and many more amazing benefits!

Ways To Treat Hair Loss

Several treatments can help with hair loss. The good thing about hair loss is that a lot of the symptoms are temporary so your hair may grow back on its own, or you can take simple steps to get your hair treated and restore it back to its healthy state. You want first to contact your doctor to see what is causing this hair loss and get the treatment you need. The great thing is that many natural remedies help hair growth as well. Many treatments for hair loss include:

Topical Scalp Medications

There is a medicine called Minoxidil that people use for hair loss treatment. It comes in the form of a liquid or foam, which you have to rub on your scalp around two times a day. A thing to note is that baldness will resume once you stop using minoxidil. So this is a life-long commitment to use this medicine for any significant improvements.

Coconut Oil Massage

You can heat up some coconut oil and use it to massage your scalp with your finger-tips. Massaging your scalp is beneficial in increasing the blood flow to hair follicles, thereby strengthening and conditioning them.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera contains many enzymes that help with hair growth. Either you can directly apply the Aloe Vera gel to your scalp, or you can take one teaspoon of Aloe Vera. One of the enzymes that it contains, proteolytic, helps in repairing all the dead skin cells on the scalp. Aloe vera can also act as a conditioner for smooth and shiny hair. Not just that, it also controls dandruff and itching.

Healthy Diet

Crash Dieting can be dangerous because it throws your body's hormones out of balance if your thyroid gland is not functioning correctly. Hormonal imbalance tends to happen when you drastically lose or gain weight. When your hormones fall out of balance, this can affect several things such as hair growth.

Vitamins and Minerals

A specific form of vitamin B, called biotin, is essential for the growth and health of the hair. It is crucial that there is always the right amount of biotin in your body. Most women find this to be the most successful remedy for hair loss, often seeing an increase in hair growth and a definite stop to hair loss.

Potassium-rich Foods

Foods like bananas are a good idea to eat while suffering from hair loss. Potassium is beneficial to blood vessels and can improve the circulation of blood at the scalp cells. It also helps to manage fluid balance in the body, which keeps the cells adequately maintained, thereby preventing issues with hair follicles. Several other things help to promote hair regrowth. It is a good thing to note that hair regrowth is a process and results take time. Don't be discouraged if you see that there is little to no improvement after a few weeks. As I stated earlier, it is essential to speak with a doctor and see what possibilities are out there for you to get your hair the way desire.

Different Hairstyles when Fighting Hair Loss

Some people may not want to work on regrowing their hair or may just feel that they need a change. There are several different ways to conceal hair loss, and these are all looks you can try for any occasion! Here are several great looks you can try if you need help covering hair loss.

Sporting a Bald Look

If you have excessive hair loss or just do not feel like dealing with your hair, this is a fantastic look for you. This look is unique in its way and takes a lot of confidence to slay. Many beautiful women out there rock this look and look fabulous for any occasion. Another great thing is that you don't have to worry about having a bad hair day!

Invest in Wigs and Hairpieces

There are so many different lengths, colors, curl patterns, and types of wigs out there that you can choose. Wigs have evolved so much that once installed the correct way; they look just like natural hair! You can choose any look at any time. Hairpieces work great if you do not want to cover your entire scalp, but are just looking to conceal thinning or a few balding spots.

Buns and Ponytails

If your hair loss concentrated in the middle of your head, this is an excellent option for you. Rocking a bun or a ponytail may cover any sign of hair loss and can be worn casually or elegantly. These looks can also work for hair loss in other areas; the key is to comb over those spots to help conceal the hair loss.

Rock a Hat

hats are also a great way to conceal hair loss. They may not be appropriate for every event, but on those days when you do not feel like putting too much effort into your hair, hats are the perfect way to help you feel confident to go out.

Scarves and Bandanas

There are many ways to accessorize with these. There are many different colors and patterns you can choose from and several different wrapping techniques to choose!

Cut Your Hair into Layers

Adding layers to your hair not only help create a cute style, but they can also help conceal thinning or balding spots on your head.

Change Your Hair Color

The contrast between the color of your scalp and your actual hair may highlight where there is hair loss. The great idea is to dye your hair close to the color of your scalp to help camouflage hair loss. There are so many other ways and methods to help conceal hair loss. The important thing is to try different things out and find out what works best for you. You may not like the first idea you try, so just be patient with yourself so that you can find what it is that makes you happy with your hair.

Find Confidence in Hair Loss

Hair should not define your beauty. There are several ways to get your confidence back up even after a significant loss of hair. Remember that if you are experiencing unhealthy amounts of hair loss, it is essential to contact a doctor to figure out what is going on and what steps you need to take in the direction you so desire. Hair loss affects many people in different ways, so you are not alone. Also do not be afraid to rock bold new hairstyles to have you feeling fresh and rejuvenated!
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