Losing it
You could be putting your hair through hell. Read on to know the causes of hair loss
You could be putting your hair through hell. Read on to know the causes of hair loss
Hair fall is natural. Every day,a person sheds at least a hundred strands of hair. But if your rate of hair fall is bothering you,it could be a sign of hormonal changes,stress or the simple fact that you have been experimenting too much.
Hair treatment: For most women and men,getting a new hairstyle every other month or fortnight is no big deal. But the strain of colouring,perming,straightening,and ironing hair is beginning to cause hair loss. Dr D.M. Mahajan,senior consultant,dermatologist,Apollo Hospital,Delhi says,The chemicals and heat used in straightening,hair extensions and ironing causes follicular damage. Direct heat and strong colouring or perming agents can cause permanent follicular damage,which cannot be reversed. In the long run,it does cause bald patches due to the severity of the treatments gone wrong.
Crash diets: Crash dieting is the biggest problem with youngsters. A crash diet makes your body store energy only for the vital organs. The body does not focus on hair and other additional growth,when there is a limited supply of food. Anaemia also causes hair loss, says Mahajan. A high-protein diet,say doctors,is ideal for good hair growth.
Stress: Another reason for hair fall in the age group of 20-late 30s is stress. Normally,the physiological reasons for hair fall in women are hormone-related,and one sees hair fall after pregnancy and before or after menopause in many women. But now daily stress is also a major factor for hair loss, says Mahajan. Stress affects the physiological growth cycle of hair,quickening it from the anagen phase active growth phase of hair follicles to the telogen phase,which is the state of dead hair.
Smoking: It is one of the most important factors that lead to hair loss. Smoking affects hair growth in both men and women, says Dr Sajal Haldar,consultant,Centre for Cosmetic Surgery,Moolchand Medcity,Delhi. Smoking reduces blood circulation,which,in turn,affects the growth of the hair as the blood flow to the hair follicles becomes inadequate.
Hormonal changes: Hormonal imbalance during menopause is the main cause of baldness in women, says Halder. Balding falls into two categoriespattern and non-pattern. Pattern balding in men is mostly seen as a receding hairline,while in women it begins from the centre and moves to the periphery,i.e. the hair on the top of the head starts thinning first. It is seen in both sexes after the age of 40. An instance of non-pattern balding is alopecia areata,which is an autoimmune disorder. It causes patchy hair loss that can range from diffused thinning to extensive areas or island baldness.
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