Having a full head of hair is very important as it creates a unique style to every individual and it is usually one of the first things that a person will notice when they look at you. As we get older, men and women would like to look as good as they feel. Keeping a youthful appearance is a natural desire and when hair loss becomes a reality, finding a solution that will make a person feel more secure about the way they look is an understandable priority.
If you are reading this article then the chances are high that you're seeking out advice on the best way to solve your hair loss problem. One concern that you probably have is wondering what type of person seeks out a way to fix their balding problem. Is it vanity? Is it in security? Is there anything wrong with being embarrassed by going bald?
The answer to all three of those questions is a definite “no”. It is a perfectly normal part of the human attitude to fulfill your desire to look your best. And as everybody knows, when you are looking your best, you also feel your best. Having an attitude of confidence is an important element of life that carries over into all successes.
Instead Of Looking For A Solution, Try Being Proud Of Your “New Look”
If you look at any magazine stocked on grocery shelves or just sit and watch TV for a little while, it is very easy to pick up on the fact that the media portrays our society as one that must fit some sort of perfect “mold” when it comes to appearance. This is especially true if you look at hair styles. You will rarely see pictures of men with thinning hair and women that are shown representing any product or other entertainment piece will never portray hair loss symptoms of any sort.
However, many people do not let these images affect them and the way they feel about losing their hair. You may or may not be one of these people, but it is important to know that it is perfectly acceptable if you embrace your baldness or hair thinning, and just let nature take its course.
A person that is comfortable with the way they look in terms of hair loss never wastes any time being preoccupied with the issue. It is just one of those facts of life that they feel should be accepted. Like any situation in life that changes, you have the ability to adjust, except, and move on, while being completely happy with how God made you, regardless of how much hair you lose.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Hair Styles That Can Help Cover Up Hair Loss
When it comes to feeling better about losing your hair, sometimes all it may take is a simple hairstyle to drastically improve your appearance. In addition, a well-cut style can go a long way in terms of rebuilding your self confidence. Your goal should get the right style that you are after, while at the same time having the perfect cut that accentuates the shape of your head.
When it comes to hair style for a person who is going bald, there are a few techniques that can be utilized. Such examples may be camouflaging certain parts of the scalp with existing hair or cutting other areas of the hair shorter which can remove the appearance of thinning.
Stay Away From Those Cheesy Comb Overs!
Have you ever seen a person with a “comb over”? It never really looks good, does it? You may attempt to use this hair styling technique, but it is best to try a shorter haircut or attempt to camouflage your hair loss only if the area of hair that is balding is small. If your bald spot is large and growing, then a comb-over will only attract more attention to the fact that you are losing your hair.
Permanent Waves
This is another styling technique that are called “perms”. A permanent wave basically makes your existing hair super curly. This is done by wrapping the hair that you already have around tiny little rods which are then treated with chemicals. When finished, the hair will be loosely curled or very tightly managed, depending on the perm style you chose.
Once the chemical treatment is rinsed out, a person's hair that has undergone a permanent wave will maintain the shape of these curls. This hairstyle gives the illusion of thicker and more dense hair growth and is great for people who are experiencing small patches of baldness throughout their scalp. The density of the permanent wave will help hide the thinning areas underneath the curly rods of hair that hang on top.
Although the permanent wave style sounds like a very reasonable solution, and it is, there is a downside. Eventually, the hair that is still active will grow straight from the roots and using chemical treatments must be done on a regular basis to keep up the illusion of density with the curls. Because of these chemicals, the hair that remains can be weakened and the person's scalp can suffer from mild irritation.
When it comes to hair style for a person who is going bald, there are a few techniques that can be utilized. Such examples may be camouflaging certain parts of the scalp with existing hair or cutting other areas of the hair shorter which can remove the appearance of thinning.
Stay Away From Those Cheesy Comb Overs!
Have you ever seen a person with a “comb over”? It never really looks good, does it? You may attempt to use this hair styling technique, but it is best to try a shorter haircut or attempt to camouflage your hair loss only if the area of hair that is balding is small. If your bald spot is large and growing, then a comb-over will only attract more attention to the fact that you are losing your hair.
Permanent Waves
This is another styling technique that are called “perms”. A permanent wave basically makes your existing hair super curly. This is done by wrapping the hair that you already have around tiny little rods which are then treated with chemicals. When finished, the hair will be loosely curled or very tightly managed, depending on the perm style you chose.
Once the chemical treatment is rinsed out, a person's hair that has undergone a permanent wave will maintain the shape of these curls. This hairstyle gives the illusion of thicker and more dense hair growth and is great for people who are experiencing small patches of baldness throughout their scalp. The density of the permanent wave will help hide the thinning areas underneath the curly rods of hair that hang on top.
Although the permanent wave style sounds like a very reasonable solution, and it is, there is a downside. Eventually, the hair that is still active will grow straight from the roots and using chemical treatments must be done on a regular basis to keep up the illusion of density with the curls. Because of these chemicals, the hair that remains can be weakened and the person's scalp can suffer from mild irritation.
4 Natural Ways To Help Prevent Early Hair Loss
Hair loss occurs in a progressive nature. Most men have a specific pattern in which hair starts to fall out and then over the years increases down the same route. Women on the other hand, do not typically have the same experience. Unlike a receding hairline, or a particular bald spot forming on a man's scalp, a woman will generally experience broad hair thinning throughout the entire top of her head. In both cases, men and women, the pattern in which air falls out increases in time.
Many people assume that losing hair as we age is just a normal part of life. This same group of people also assumes that we have no responsibility when it comes to the cause of hair loss or the increased of the amount of hair that is lost in time. However, this is a wrong assumption. Below are a few examples of how people can directly cause the loss of their hair, whether they realize it or not.
1. Wearing hats most of the time: It is very fashionable these days to sport head coverings and tight caps. However, because hats can affect the blood flow to the scalp, this may cause hair loss. This is especially true if you wear tight hats. The result of hair loss due to covering your scalp with a hat does take time to make it's effects known, but once it starts, the pattern of loosing your hair speeds up faster than if you had never started the hat-wearing habit.
2. Oily scalp: Here is another example of a condition that can be directly related to the decrease amount of blood flow that is available to your hair follicles. By not washing your scalp enough a build up of natural skin oils can affect your hair. Regular washing can help reduce this problem.
3. Brushing your hair too much: This is one issue that I have personally experienced myself. I was once told by a hairstylist that if I want to grow my hair long then I should brush it with 50 strokes every time I went into the bathroom. Needless to say, after about six months, I noticed severe thinning in the areas that I was brushing. Once I stopped, the hair eventually started to come back like normal. Unfortunately, I set forth in motion a pattern that caused my hair to grow back thinner in that area for the rest of my life.
4. Brushing your hair too little: Opposite of brushing your hair too much, by not brushing your hair enough, you may not be stimulating the right amount of blood flow needed to retain growth in hair follicles. It doesn't take much, but just brushing your hair with a few strokes that hit the scalp will be enough stimulation.
Many people assume that losing hair as we age is just a normal part of life. This same group of people also assumes that we have no responsibility when it comes to the cause of hair loss or the increased of the amount of hair that is lost in time. However, this is a wrong assumption. Below are a few examples of how people can directly cause the loss of their hair, whether they realize it or not.
1. Wearing hats most of the time: It is very fashionable these days to sport head coverings and tight caps. However, because hats can affect the blood flow to the scalp, this may cause hair loss. This is especially true if you wear tight hats. The result of hair loss due to covering your scalp with a hat does take time to make it's effects known, but once it starts, the pattern of loosing your hair speeds up faster than if you had never started the hat-wearing habit.
2. Oily scalp: Here is another example of a condition that can be directly related to the decrease amount of blood flow that is available to your hair follicles. By not washing your scalp enough a build up of natural skin oils can affect your hair. Regular washing can help reduce this problem.
3. Brushing your hair too much: This is one issue that I have personally experienced myself. I was once told by a hairstylist that if I want to grow my hair long then I should brush it with 50 strokes every time I went into the bathroom. Needless to say, after about six months, I noticed severe thinning in the areas that I was brushing. Once I stopped, the hair eventually started to come back like normal. Unfortunately, I set forth in motion a pattern that caused my hair to grow back thinner in that area for the rest of my life.
4. Brushing your hair too little: Opposite of brushing your hair too much, by not brushing your hair enough, you may not be stimulating the right amount of blood flow needed to retain growth in hair follicles. It doesn't take much, but just brushing your hair with a few strokes that hit the scalp will be enough stimulation.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Does Stress Cause Hair Loss?
Yes, stress can definitely cause a person to lose their hair! However, it is important to note that the type of stress we are referring to in this article is not the everyday stress experience that most of us go through. In terms of hair loss, the type of stress that causes this condition is the result of sudden emotional shock or a very disastrous physical accident.
This type of hair loss is known as “telogen effluvium”. When an extremely stressful incident occurs, what happens is that the hair follicles that are actively growing are suddenly shifted forward into the “regression phase”. Soon after, the follicles then begin the “resting phase” and when the growth cycle of a hair follicle reaches this resting place, it falls out rather easily.
How soon after a stressful event does person's hair begin to fall out?
When a person goes through a physiological or an emotional event, hair does not begin to fall out anywhere from a few weeks to a few months after the event. But once it has begun, hair loss continues at a fast pace.
And because it takes some time for their hair to start shedding after the stressful event, the person is usually not aware that it is related to that past experience. It never occurs to them that the hair loss they are experiencing is not because of a new “sickness” or anything of the sort, it is simply the aftermath side effect of the stress they went through a few weeks or a few months ago.
What are some examples of severe stressful situations that would cause hair loss?
As we stated earlier, “stress” in terms of hair loss does not mean the standard stress most people experience from work, financial, relationships, etc. Instead, occurrences such as going through the sudden death of a loved one would be an example of a stressful situation that could result in hair loss. Getting a divorce would be another example. Having to take care of someone close to you who has a terminal disease may also fall into this category.
And of course, physical experiences that cause a lot of damage to a person's body will also produce stress at such high levels that hair loss is an eventual side effect. For example,a heart attack or a major surgery may cause a person's hair to fall out. Sickness that keeps a person in a long period of deterioration, such as the flu or malaria, may cause hair loss. And also, accidents such as vehicle crashes or any other similar situation where the body undergoes sudden physical damage, may cause hair loss.
This type of hair loss is known as “telogen effluvium”. When an extremely stressful incident occurs, what happens is that the hair follicles that are actively growing are suddenly shifted forward into the “regression phase”. Soon after, the follicles then begin the “resting phase” and when the growth cycle of a hair follicle reaches this resting place, it falls out rather easily.
How soon after a stressful event does person's hair begin to fall out?
When a person goes through a physiological or an emotional event, hair does not begin to fall out anywhere from a few weeks to a few months after the event. But once it has begun, hair loss continues at a fast pace.
And because it takes some time for their hair to start shedding after the stressful event, the person is usually not aware that it is related to that past experience. It never occurs to them that the hair loss they are experiencing is not because of a new “sickness” or anything of the sort, it is simply the aftermath side effect of the stress they went through a few weeks or a few months ago.
What are some examples of severe stressful situations that would cause hair loss?
As we stated earlier, “stress” in terms of hair loss does not mean the standard stress most people experience from work, financial, relationships, etc. Instead, occurrences such as going through the sudden death of a loved one would be an example of a stressful situation that could result in hair loss. Getting a divorce would be another example. Having to take care of someone close to you who has a terminal disease may also fall into this category.
And of course, physical experiences that cause a lot of damage to a person's body will also produce stress at such high levels that hair loss is an eventual side effect. For example,a heart attack or a major surgery may cause a person's hair to fall out. Sickness that keeps a person in a long period of deterioration, such as the flu or malaria, may cause hair loss. And also, accidents such as vehicle crashes or any other similar situation where the body undergoes sudden physical damage, may cause hair loss.
Rogaine: Does This Hair Loss Product Really Work?
After it was accidentally discovered that minoxidil can induce hair growth, the product called Rogaine was born in 1988, which is essentially minoxidil in a lotion form that is applied directly to the scalp. At that time, Rogaine was only available by prescription and the active ingredient was at a low 2%.
Fast-forward to 1995: The food and drug administration deemed Rogaine to be safe enough to be sold without a prescription in most pharmacies as well as standard grocery stores. This spawned the creation of similar generic products that also contained the ingredient in minoxidil. The owners of such products eventually increased the active ingredient dosage from 2% to as high as 5%. and this was a smart move because the higher dosage actually created faster results so both the customer and the product owners were happy.
What causes Rogaine to work?
As stated above, Rogaine causes hair growth as a result of the drug minoxidil. Although we know that minoxidil works well, researchers are still unsure as to the exact reason why minoxidil can create strands of new hair to grow on areas of the scalp that have been bald for years.
One theory was that minoxidil had an impact on DHT levels better in the blood. If you are unfamiliar with DHT, it is simply a form of testosterone that affects sensitive hair follicles as a person ages. However, it became known that minoxidil had absolutely no effect on DHT levels.
The one characteristic that minoxidil has on the body is that it helps in large blood vessels, commonly referred to as a “vasodilator”. But, again researchers are baffled because it is not proven that hair growth is caused by any vasodilators.
What we do know is that the minoxidil reduces the speed at which hair follicles shrink and it also causes hair follicles that have shrunk to start growing full-size hair strands again. This drug also keeps hair that is currently in a growth stage to remain that way for an extended period of time. In other words, minoxidil can help keep hair follicles in the “anagen phase” of hair regeneration longer than it normally would have. And of course, if your hair remains in this growth phase of the regeneration process for a longer period of time, the results are thicker and longer hair.
Fast-forward to 1995: The food and drug administration deemed Rogaine to be safe enough to be sold without a prescription in most pharmacies as well as standard grocery stores. This spawned the creation of similar generic products that also contained the ingredient in minoxidil. The owners of such products eventually increased the active ingredient dosage from 2% to as high as 5%. and this was a smart move because the higher dosage actually created faster results so both the customer and the product owners were happy.
What causes Rogaine to work?
As stated above, Rogaine causes hair growth as a result of the drug minoxidil. Although we know that minoxidil works well, researchers are still unsure as to the exact reason why minoxidil can create strands of new hair to grow on areas of the scalp that have been bald for years.
One theory was that minoxidil had an impact on DHT levels better in the blood. If you are unfamiliar with DHT, it is simply a form of testosterone that affects sensitive hair follicles as a person ages. However, it became known that minoxidil had absolutely no effect on DHT levels.
The one characteristic that minoxidil has on the body is that it helps in large blood vessels, commonly referred to as a “vasodilator”. But, again researchers are baffled because it is not proven that hair growth is caused by any vasodilators.
What we do know is that the minoxidil reduces the speed at which hair follicles shrink and it also causes hair follicles that have shrunk to start growing full-size hair strands again. This drug also keeps hair that is currently in a growth stage to remain that way for an extended period of time. In other words, minoxidil can help keep hair follicles in the “anagen phase” of hair regeneration longer than it normally would have. And of course, if your hair remains in this growth phase of the regeneration process for a longer period of time, the results are thicker and longer hair.
Does Stress Cause Hair Loss?
Yes, stress can definitely cause a person to lose their hair! However, it is important to note that the type of stress we are referring to in this article is not the everyday stress experience that most of us go through. In terms of hair loss, the type of stress that causes this condition is the result of sudden emotional shock or a very disastrous physical accident.
This type of hair loss is known as “telogen effluvium”. When an extremely stressful incident occurs, what happens is that the hair follicles that are actively growing are suddenly shifted forward into the “regression phase”. Soon after, the follicles then begin the “resting phase” and when the growth cycle of a hair follicle reaches this resting place, it falls out rather easily.
How soon after a stressful event does person's hair begin to fall out?
When a person goes through a physiological or an emotional event, hair does not begin to fall out anywhere from a few weeks to a few months after the event. But once it has begun, hair loss continues at a fast pace.
And because it takes some time for their hair to start shedding after the stressful event, the person is usually not aware that it is related to that past experience. It never occurs to them that the hair loss they are experiencing is not because of a new “sickness” or anything of the sort, it is simply the aftermath side effect of the stress they went through a few weeks or a few months ago.
What are some examples of severe stressful situations that would cause hair loss?
As we stated earlier, “stress” in terms of hair loss does not mean the standard stress most people experience from work, financial, relationships, etc. Instead, occurrences such as going through the sudden death of a loved one would be an example of a stressful situation that could result in hair loss. Getting a divorce would be another example. Having to take care of someone close to you who has a terminal disease may also fall into this category.
And of course, physical experiences that cause a lot of damage to a person's body will also produce stress at such high levels that hair loss is an eventual side effect. For example,a heart attack or a major surgery may cause a person's hair to fall out. Sickness that keeps a person in a long period of deterioration, such as the flu or malaria, may cause hair loss. And also, accidents such as vehicle crashes or any other similar situation where the body undergoes sudden physical damage, may cause hair loss.
This type of hair loss is known as “telogen effluvium”. When an extremely stressful incident occurs, what happens is that the hair follicles that are actively growing are suddenly shifted forward into the “regression phase”. Soon after, the follicles then begin the “resting phase” and when the growth cycle of a hair follicle reaches this resting place, it falls out rather easily.
How soon after a stressful event does person's hair begin to fall out?
When a person goes through a physiological or an emotional event, hair does not begin to fall out anywhere from a few weeks to a few months after the event. But once it has begun, hair loss continues at a fast pace.
And because it takes some time for their hair to start shedding after the stressful event, the person is usually not aware that it is related to that past experience. It never occurs to them that the hair loss they are experiencing is not because of a new “sickness” or anything of the sort, it is simply the aftermath side effect of the stress they went through a few weeks or a few months ago.
What are some examples of severe stressful situations that would cause hair loss?
As we stated earlier, “stress” in terms of hair loss does not mean the standard stress most people experience from work, financial, relationships, etc. Instead, occurrences such as going through the sudden death of a loved one would be an example of a stressful situation that could result in hair loss. Getting a divorce would be another example. Having to take care of someone close to you who has a terminal disease may also fall into this category.
And of course, physical experiences that cause a lot of damage to a person's body will also produce stress at such high levels that hair loss is an eventual side effect. For example,a heart attack or a major surgery may cause a person's hair to fall out. Sickness that keeps a person in a long period of deterioration, such as the flu or malaria, may cause hair loss. And also, accidents such as vehicle crashes or any other similar situation where the body undergoes sudden physical damage, may cause hair loss.
Common Forms Of Hair Loss
There are many causes of hair loss and not all baldness patterns are the result of genetics. For example, and one that we will discuss in today's article, an auto-immune disorder can result in thinness and/or balding in both men and women.
What Is An Auto-Immune Disorder?
This is a disease where a person's immune system actually attacks itself. And when it comes to hair loss, there is one common autoimmune disorder called “alopecia areata” that causes the white blood cells to attack the hair follicles. This occurrence does not wipe out the entire follicle, but rather affects the “bulb” area (the deepest part). The result is a temporary loss of hair that can be regenerated in time.
Alopecia areata is one of the top two most common causes of hair loss in the world, with genetic predisposition coming in first place (called androgenetic alopecia). If you are experiencing an autoimmune disorder and are affected by the results of alopecia areata, you may notice one or two bald spots that start to show up on your scalp. The spots will become larger and larger over time until your immune system gets back to normal and the hair eventually replaces itself.
Does A Person With Alopecia Areata Lose All Of Their Hair?
Alopecia areata may or may not cause you to experience complete baldness. The size of your bald spots and the length of time in which they get larger depends totally on the stage of your disease, as well as how often your immune system collapses.
Some men and women, regardless of the intensity level of their autoimmune disease, may lose their entire head of hair in the very beginning stages. At the same time, others who are going through the same level of disease may only begin to show a few thinning bald spots. There is a technical name for when people lose all of their hair right away and is called “alopecia totalis”.
Don't Be Surprised If You Also Lose Your Body Hair
Hair loss as a result of an autoimmune disease can also reach the point where a man or woman could lose their body hair. It is important to note that this is an extremely rare occurrence, but “alopecia universalis” as it is called, can affect a person in a way which causes them to lose every bit of hair on their body, including private areas. But just like the scalp, the hair will eventually grow back.
What Is An Auto-Immune Disorder?
This is a disease where a person's immune system actually attacks itself. And when it comes to hair loss, there is one common autoimmune disorder called “alopecia areata” that causes the white blood cells to attack the hair follicles. This occurrence does not wipe out the entire follicle, but rather affects the “bulb” area (the deepest part). The result is a temporary loss of hair that can be regenerated in time.
Alopecia areata is one of the top two most common causes of hair loss in the world, with genetic predisposition coming in first place (called androgenetic alopecia). If you are experiencing an autoimmune disorder and are affected by the results of alopecia areata, you may notice one or two bald spots that start to show up on your scalp. The spots will become larger and larger over time until your immune system gets back to normal and the hair eventually replaces itself.
Does A Person With Alopecia Areata Lose All Of Their Hair?
Alopecia areata may or may not cause you to experience complete baldness. The size of your bald spots and the length of time in which they get larger depends totally on the stage of your disease, as well as how often your immune system collapses.
Some men and women, regardless of the intensity level of their autoimmune disease, may lose their entire head of hair in the very beginning stages. At the same time, others who are going through the same level of disease may only begin to show a few thinning bald spots. There is a technical name for when people lose all of their hair right away and is called “alopecia totalis”.
Don't Be Surprised If You Also Lose Your Body Hair
Hair loss as a result of an autoimmune disease can also reach the point where a man or woman could lose their body hair. It is important to note that this is an extremely rare occurrence, but “alopecia universalis” as it is called, can affect a person in a way which causes them to lose every bit of hair on their body, including private areas. But just like the scalp, the hair will eventually grow back.
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