Hair fall is common in both men and women. However, it may affect women more than men, not on the physical aspect but emotionally as hair is considered as women’s crowning glory. Excessive hair fall can lead to thinning or worst balding, which is why it is important to take action as soon as you noticed you are starting to experience hair loss.
If properly diagnosed, hair fall can be controlled so that the thinning of your crowning glory will be prevented. To better understand hair fall, we will first talk about the reasons why you are experiencing hair loss in the first place.
The Main Reasons For Hair Fall
There are so many reasons that can be the cause of your hair fall and knowing the possibilities will help you address the problem easily. You must take note of the symptoms you are experiencing along with the hair fall and see which one best fits what you are going through.
Stress
The most common cause of hair loss not just in women but also in men is stress. Everyone experienced stress, but some may experience it more than others, and too much stress can cause excessive hair fall.
If you think you are experiencing too much stress recently and started to notice hair falling out then maybe it is indeed the main cause. However, it is best to continue reading to know the other causes and check if you are experiencing them too.
Contraceptive Pills
Another factor that can be the cause of your hair fall is contraceptive pills. These pills contain hormones that help control ovulation which causes your hair to fall. This is highly likely to affect women who have a history of hair loss.
To some women, hair fall starts when they stop taking the pills. Additionally, there are also other medications that you might be taking that causes hair loss such as blood thinners, anti-depression, and medication for high blood pressure and heart diseases.
Age
Age is a natural factor that causes your hair to fall. At the age of 30, women started to experience hormonal changes which is a normal occurrence of the women’s body. This occurrence will cause hair loss due to the high level of dihydrotestosterone or DHT conversion.
You produce a lot of hormones in your body such as testosterone, androgens like dehydroepiandrosterone and estrogen which is the main hormone of the female system. As you age, your body will start to convert the androgens you produce to DHT which can cause an imbalance thus the hair fall occurs.
Additionally, your hair growth slows down as you age and your hair strands get thinner with less pigment which will result in finer and greyish hair.
Nutritional Deficit
Losing your hair can be an indication that you are lacking nutrients in your body. Having the right amount of nutrients is essential for our body to function well and our hair also needs these nutrients to grow strong and healthy.
Make sure that you are getting enough protein, zinc, iron and copper from your diets and do not forget to soak up some sunlight in the morning to acquire the right dose of vitamin D. A deficit of vitamin D in your body can also cause hair fall and sunlight is the best way to address this issue.
If you could not get vitamin D from sunlight, you can opt for vitamin D supplements to help fill your requirements for the said vitamin.
Excessive Styling
Excessive styling can also be a major factor that causes your hair loss. Hair treatments that used to style your hair have harmful chemicals that cause hair breakage. This breakage can result in hair fall and can lead to female pattern baldness.
Hair loss due to styling can be easily reversed especially if you already detected the main cause. You can easily deal with it by following some remedies to regain your hair’s health and to avoid further hair loss.
Medical Conditions
There are medical conditions that you may be suffering from that contributed to your hair loss. If you think that the above-mentioned reasons are not causing your hair fall, then you might consider taking a trip to your physician as you might be having a medical condition such as:
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS can cause hormonal imbalance where your body produces abnormally high androgen levels. This condition causes abnormal hair growth to women’s face and body while it can make the hair on the head thin out.
Aside from hair fall, PCOS can also cause weight gain, abnormal menstruation, ovulation problems and acne. Listen to your body and check if you are also experiencing these other PCOS symptoms to know whether this is the reason for your hair fall.
Thyroid Problems
Thyroid issues can also affect your body’s hormones. Your thyroid gland produces a high or low amount of thyroid hormone that can change the growth cycle of your hair. In addition to hair loss, thyroid issue can also cause weight loss or gain, changes in heart rate and sensitivity to heat or cold.
Androgenetic Alopecia
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss in both men and women. This is a genetic medical condition that causes thinning of hair or baldness. This medical condition can be inherited from either your mom’s or dad’s side of the family.
If you have family members that are suffering from baldness and thinning of hair, then you are most likely will have the same fate. You will notice your hair started to thin out especially in the top frontal area behind your hairline.
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia Areata is a rare medical condition that only affects nearly 2% of the general population. This condition is an autoimmune disease that can lead to baldness. You will start noticing round patches of hair loss before you become completely bald.
If you are diagnosed with this medical condition, there is a huge possibility that your hair will regrow. However, even if your hair regrows, there is still a possibility that the hair will fall out again.
Radiation Therapy
If you are undergoing radiation therapy to manage illnesses such as cancer, you might experience excessive hair loss which will result in baldness. This is a normal reaction of your body towards the treatment which is why it is already anticipated to happen when you start the treatment. It is best to talk with your health care provider about the treatment you will be receiving and how will it affect hair loss.
Tips In How To Reduce Hair Fall At Home Naturally
Most women who suffer from hair fall always ask if they can reduce their hair fall at home. The answer is yes. There are things that you can do to help you manage or even prevent hair loss. You can do these remedies at home using natural ingredients that you might already have.
Green Tea
Green tea is a popular hair fall prevention agent which can also improve hair growth. You might already have bags of green tea lying somewhere in your house that you can use for your hair fall problems.
What you need to do is to soak two bags of green tea in two cups of hot water. Leave the teabags in until the water cools down. Pour the cooled green tea water on your scalp and hair. Make sure to gently massage your scalp so that it can absorb the tea properly. Rinse your hair after an hour.
Onion Juice
Onion juice is another home remedy for hair loss. Onion is readily available at your home which is why you can make onion juice anytime you want. The sulfur content in the onion is high which helps the circulation of blood flow into your hair follicles. Sulfur can help reduce hair fall and promotes hair growth while fighting scalp infections at the same time.
To make an onion juice, you need to grind or grate the onion and squeeze out its juice. Dip cotton to the juice and apply it to your scalp. Make sure that you cover your entire scalp with the onion juice and leave the solution on for about 20 to 30 minutes. You can rinse it with a mild shampoo afterwards. Do this once a week and you can start noticing a difference.
Egg Mask
The egg mask remedy does not only prevent hair loss but also boost hair growth. The egg is known to be rich in phosphorous, zinc, protein, sulphur and iodine that provides a huge help in growing your hair.
To make an egg mask at home, separate the egg white and yolk first. Make sure to use only the egg white and add one teaspoon of olive oil and honey. Beat until you can create a paste and apply it on your hair from root to tips. Rinse your hair with a mild shampoo after 20 minutes.
Coconut Oil
Most hair products nowadays already contain coconut oil as it is known to be a good ingredient to improve hair health. Coconut oil contains lauric acid that helps bind the hair’s natural protein that in return protects it from breakage.
You can use store-bought coconut oil and massage it in your scalp in circular motions. Make sure to only use virgin coconut oil and warm it up a bit before applying it to your scalp. Leave it for at least one hour before rinsing it off using a mild shampoo and conditioner.
Eat Healthily
To avoid nutritional deficiencies that can cause your hair to fall out, you must make sure that you are eating healthy food. Focus more on consuming food that is high in protein as your hair needs protein to stay strong and healthy. A protein called keratin is an essential nutrient that your hair needs to prevent hair loss.
Another diet you might want to consider is the Mediterranean diet that is best for people who suffer from androgenetic alopecia or female pattern baldness. This diet contains raw vegetables and herbs that help you manage hair fall while keeping you healthy overall.
Avoid Smoking
Smoking damages hair follicles and increase hair loss. If you are a smoker, then it is the best time to stop and focus more on a healthy lifestyle instead. Lifestyle is also one of the factors that contribute to hair loss and stop smoking might be the only thing you will need to do to manage or stop hair loss entirely.
Takeaway
There are so many factors that cause hair loss yet there are also so many things you can do to avoid or reduce hair fall. You will only have to figure out what is causing your hair fall and address the issue accordingly using the tips provided above. Once you successfully manage your hair fall problems, you can notice a significant improvement to your appearance in no time.