If there were an effective remedy for hair loss, a dream of many would probably be fulfilled, because the loss of head hair can have something traumatic. It is the unmistakable indication: now you are visibly getting older. But there are also other causes. What these can be and how you stop hair loss, you will learn here.
About every second 50-year-old man is affected by hair loss. At the age of 80, only one fifth of men still have a full head of hair. In women, age-related hair loss is much rarer. Out of ten 70-year-olds, about three to four lose hair that no longer grows back.
Causes of hair loss
Everyone loses between 80 and 100 hairs a day – this is perfectly normal. Hair loss, on the other hand, is generally said to occur when you lose significantly more than 100 hairs a day. The suffering caused by hair loss is usually great. The causes can be different. Damaged or poorly perfused hair roots and hair follicles are usually to blame. This can occur due to hormonal fluctuations, stress or malnutrition. In most cases, hair loss is genetic. In the case of hereditary hair loss, so-called DHT hormones ensure that the hair follicles develop hypersensitivity and thus the hair falls out faster and more easily.
There are four common forms of hair loss:
- Constitutional
- Diffuse
- Circular
- Scarring
The most common type is constitutional hair loss. About 20 percent of men are affected. In women, it happens much less frequently and it occurs much later. They also lose much less hair. Men start it earlier and do it more completely. In men, hair loss usually shows up first with receding hairlines or a “helicopter landing pad.” In women, the crown thins out. Both are genetically programmed.
In women, on the other hand, so-called diffuse hair loss occurs relatively frequently: “You throw out more hair, but at the same time more hair grows back.” At first this seems very worrying. You look in the sink and there are hundreds of hairs. The thought immediately comes to mind: Oh God – if this goes on for another three weeks, I won’t have a single hair left on my head.
The hair grows back just as it fell out. The catch, however, is that long hairs fall out, but when they grow back they are naturally short for the time being. The result is often a short haircut. The causes of diffuse hair loss are very diverse. Mostly it is a thyroid disorder and in young women the cause is sometimes iron deficiency as a result of menstruation.
The so-called scarring hair loss is very rare, but permanent. The scalp is scarred and no hair can grow back. Triggers are rare skin diseases.
Circular Hair Loss
Behind this is an autoimmune disease that leads to hair loss. The medical term for this form of hair loss is “alopecia areata”. One or more coin-sized patches of light hair form on the head. But other hairy parts of the body, such as the beard, can also be affected. The causes of the disease are largely unclear. It is an autoimmune phenomenon. The body’s own defense cells have learned nonsense here and think it’s a great idea to mute hair roots, but not to break them. As a result, the hair can grow back at any time. And that is as soon as at some point someone tells the defense cells that what they are doing is nonsense and that they should please leave it alone. But that can sometimes take years.
In addition to these causes, the growth of hair in women can also change during pregnancy. Due to hormonal changes, many women lose less hair during pregnancy. If the breastfeeding period then begins, the young mothers lose the extra hair then again.
Tips for hair loss
You can actually do whatever you want with your hair, it has no effect on hair loss because this is a problem of the scalp. Advertising claims such as “doping for the hair” for shampoos containing caffeine, for example, are empty promises. Hair loss cannot be influenced by such products for external use. Daily hair washing, no matter with which shampoo as well as coloring, tinting and blow-drying as well as combing – all this has no effect on hair loss.
Proper hair care is an important prerequisite for hair growth. Even when choosing a shampoo, you can do something good for your scalp – because it is sensitive and should not be exposed to aggressive ingredients. In order not to slow down healthy hair growth, you should therefore use a mild shampoo without silicones and alcoholic additives. This is because silicone lays down like a layer on the scalp. This means that the scalp cannot breathe properly and is supplied with too little oxygen. If you avoid silicone-containing care products, it is advisable to comb the hair several times a day with a brush, so that the natural greasy film of the scalp is distributed in the hair and thus cares for it. The best brush for this purpose is one with boar bristles.
To preserve the natural greasy layer of the scalp, the hair should not be washed every day. Aggressive combing and styling of the hair when wet, as well as straightening or blow-drying the hair with heat should also be avoided. Split, broken hair should be cut regularly to prevent hair breakage. Also, avoid frequent hair coloring and using chemical hair products such as hairspray and hair gel. Furthermore, it is recommended to sleep on a silk pillow as it does not rough up the hair as much as a cotton pillow.