The real reason behind your hair fall could be…

1. Iron deficiency. Probably the commonest one I see in my patients. If you are anemic, your hair follicles don’t receive enough oxygen and nutrients. This can almost certainly lead to hair loss.

2. Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D helps stimulate the hair follicles to grow new hair. When you don’t have enough vitamin D, it can disrupt this hair growth cycle and lead to hair thinning and hair loss.

3. Zinc deficiency. Zinc is an important mineral for hair health. When you don’t have enough zinc, it can lead to hair follicle miniaturisation, which simply means that the hair follicles become smaller and produce thinner, weaker hair strands! This can eventually, obviously, lead to hair loss.

4. Thyroid dysfunction. When the thyroid gland is not functioning properly, it can lead to an imbalance of hormones that can disrupt the hair growth cycle and lead to hair loss. Hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid gland) is commonly associated with hair loss.

5. Excess androgens. Androgens are male hormones that are present in both men and women. When the body produces too much androgens, it can lead to hair loss. Androgens can bind to receptors in the hair follicles and cause them to shrink, leading to hair thinning, and hair loss. This is why thinning is very commonly seen in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

“Speak to your doctor, get these values checked and then take the correct prescribed dose of supplements based on your blood values,” she concluded.

 

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What causes hair loss?

Agreeing, Dr Smriti Naswa Singh, Consultant Dermatologist and Cosmetic Dermatologist, Fortis Hospital, Mulund told indianexpress.com that hair fall can have many causes. “One of the commonest causes is nutritional deficiencies like anaemia, iron deficiency, vitamin B12, vitamin D deficiency or trace element deficiency,” she said, adding that there are other reasons that can cause hair fall, too.

To this, Dr Ishaan Sardesai, aesthetic practitioner, ENT and Hair Transplant Surgeon added that hair loss can be due to “genetic reasons (androgenetic alopecia i.e. male or female pattern baldness) or due to certain acquired factors like smoking, lack of sleep, poor diet, stress, recent viral infection or even due to autoimmune diseases like alopecia areata”.

Why does our hair start thinning as we age?

Again, hair thinning can be due to various reasons. “Hormonal changes and genetic factors play a big role. Along with this, stress, smoking, exposure to environmental pollution, poor diet and lack of sleep contribute to hair fall and a gradual reduction in hair density,” said Dr Sardesai.

Common medical treatments to cure hair loss

Common medical treatments to cure hair loss include:

– Anti hair loss serums containing various peptides and growth factors,
– Anti hair loss medicated shampoos, hair growth supplements,
– Other topical serums like minoxidil or redensyl,
– Finasteride either as a serum or tablet to tackle androgenetic alopecia.

Therapies such as:

– Hair mesotherapy,
– GFC/PRP
– Laser helmets using laser phototherapy can be used twice daily at home

Hair loss can be caused by many different factors (Pic source: Freepik)

Lifestyle changes that help manage hair loss

Dr Singh shared some lifestyle changes that can help prevent hair loss. They are:

– Balanced diet – Have balanced nutrition, like 2-3 seasonal fruits, 4-5 vegetables every day. One can even consume the vegetables by boiling them, but do not over boil and over cook because they lose their vitamins.

– Have proteins in every meal –  E.g., dal, khichdi, peanuts, sprouts.

– Include fibre – A high fibre diet is important. Avoid processed and carbohydrate-rich foods like maida, sugar as they cause hormonal imbalance.

– Sleep cycle – Circadian rhythm has to be followed. Good sleep helps maintain thyroid. Also, melatonin, the sleep inducing neurotransmitter, liberates properly if you are having a circadian rhythm and melatonin secretion is closely linked to good thyroid functioning and healthy dark hair.

– Regular exercise – Exercise helps in increasing the oxygen and nutrient supply to the organs, including the hair. Three hours of exercise a week, taking 10,000 steps per day should be the minimal goal.

– Healthy mind – This can begin with small steps like incorporating relaxing routines for 15 minutes everyday. E.g. do activities like journaling, doodling, art, dancing, listening to soothing music. One can even have relaxing teas like jasmine or chamomile at bedtime, do meditation, yoga , EFT/tapping. All these activities will keep the stress at bay.

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