THINNING HAIR: THE CAUSES AND THE CURES

Thinning hair is not just a male problem, it has been believes that thinning hair is becoming more common in women. But there is no need to panic if your hair looks less plentiful than it used to, as there's a cure for many common causes of hair loss.

Genetic hair loss
This occurs in women who have genetically predisposed hair follicles that gradually become sensitive to normal levels of male hormones in the body. The hair follicles will become increasingly finer until eventually growth stops altogether. This type of hair loss mostly affects the top area of the scalp and happens over a number of years rather than months. If you notice your hair getting finer but there are no more hairs clogging up your plughole, you should visit a trichologist for a diagnosis. And do not hold off until the problem becomes very noticeable, as genetic hair loss is totally preventable, but only partially reversible. The best treatment is topical hormones applied to the affected area at night.

Increased shedding
There are many reasons why you may be seeing more hair on your clothes or in the plughole but it has been believes that in normal healthy women the most important things to ensure are adequate iron stores (ferritin) and vitamin B12. Ask your doctor for a blood test, results should be at least mid-range (if in doubt,take your result to a trichologist). Hair shedding is often self-correcting, but if the amount of hair coming out continues past six to eight weeks, visit a trichologist.

Hair can be a great barometer of health, which means everything from a course of antibiotics to poor diet can affect it, and in most cases the hair you are losing today will have been caused by something that started three months ago. It has been recommends a good balance of protein and carbohydrates and never going more than four hours without eating. Hair follicles are one of the fastest-growing cells in the body so need a lot of energy, but as hair is low in your body's priority list (losing your hair is not life-threatening, after all), not giving yourself enough nutrients means your hair is one of the first things to suffer.

Postnatal hair loss
It is estimated that around 50% of new mums suffer hair loss, some more dramatically than others. The reason for this is simple. When you become pregnant a surge of female hormones means more hair is retained on your head (usually 10% of our hair is in its 'falling stage), and most women say their hair has more volume during pregnancy. But once your baby is born, your hormones start returning to normal and the hair you would have lost naturally over the last nine months starts falling out (in a far shorter space of time!). This is absolutely temporary and self-correcting, so although a little unsettling it is really nothing to worry about.

In most cases your hair should return to normal after two to three months (recovery time can be delayed due to breast-feeding), but if there is no improvement after this time, the best advice is to visit a trichologist, as your hair loss could be due to other reasons.

Aggressive styling
There is no doubt about it. Certain hairdressing techniques can damage your hair, causing breakage that looks like hair loss. An easy way to tell the difference is to feel the roots of your hair (spiky broken ends will feel very different to hair shedding from the roots). Whether it is a hot hairdryer held too close to your hair, brushing your hair when it is wet or pulling out Velcro rollers too harshly, aggressive handling and heat both evaporate your hair's moisture levels. Styling your hair is fine; just do it gently. Swap your bristle brush for one with wide spaced plastic prongs or a wide-tooth comb,and use a good 'moisturizing' conditioner, which will help your hair retain elasticity and moisture levels.




Styling your hair is fine; just do it gently. Swap your bristle brush for one with widely spaced plastic prongs or a wide-tooth comb, and use a good
'moisturizing' conditioner.