TOPIC · HEALTH · HAIR LOSS · EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
Every week I am posting about everything you need to know about hormones. This weeks topic is about hair loss.
Did you know – hair loss
- Hair loss and hair thinning are scary things – end of story
- Hair loss doesn’t cause physical pain but the scale of psychological suffering can be enormous for some
- Unfortunately hair loss is still a mystery and we haven’t found the cure, despite all the money and science being thrown at
- Both men & women can suffer with hair loss
- 95% of hair loss in men is caused by androgenic alopecia – aka male pattern baldness
- two-thirds of men will experience some hair loss by the time they reach the age of 35
- In fact 25% of men will start seeing hair loss before they turn 21
- Baldness is on the crown of the head can indicate an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease
- Race matters / men of African descent have the lowest hair thickness, followed by Hispanics, and then Caucasians
- UK men have slightly less hair loss than other European countries
- two-thirds of women experience hair loss after menopause
- Less than 50% of women will make it past the age of 65 with a full head of hair
- 29% of women with hair loss also reported two key symptoms of depression.
- Hair loss is a matter of both genetics & lifestyle
- Hair grows, on average, between 0.2 and 0.7 inches per month or 0.1 and 0.6 mm per day
- Hair loss can start as early as 15 or 16 years of age
- The average human has roughly 100,000 hairs on their heads
- We lose around 50 to 100 hairs naturally per day.
- The amount of hair loss does vary from person to person and it may be more apparent with those who have long hair
- Every strand of hair has a continuous growth cycle.
- Whenever a strand of hair sheds, new strand replaces it
- Head hair has an average lifespan of roughly 2 to 6 years
- Eyebrows and lashes 0.15mm per day and can last about 3 months
- 3 types of hair loss – Hair Shedding, Male & Female-Pattern Baldness aka Androgenic Alopecia and Autoimmune Alopecia
- Not every type of hair loss is preventable, however, there are a variety of methods and treatments which can help reduce the thinning of the hair, slow down the hair loss and increase hair growth.
Meet Sally and get to know all about hair loss
Intro
Different types of hair loss
The Life of a Hair
DHT - DiHydroTestosterone
Common Causes of Hair Loss
- Acute Telogen Effluvium / TE
Shedding - Chronic Telogen Effluvium / TE
Shedding - Androgenic alopecia / AGA
Male & Female Pattern Baldness and or Thinning - Autoimmune Alopecia
Areata, Totalis or Universalis - Trichorrhexis nodosa
Hair trauma, Chemical Breakage - Trichotillomania
OCD Hair Pulling/Plucking Disorder - Tinea capitis
Ring Worm
The Life of a Hair
3 Phases of a Hair Growth Cycle
- Anagen
- Catagen
- Telogen
- At any given time, a random number of hairs will be in one of these 3 phases
- Hair on the scalp grows about .3 to .4 mm per day or about 15 cm per year.
- Unlike other mammals, human hair growth and shedding cycles are random, not seasonal nor follow any other cycle.
Anagen phase
- Anagen is the active phase of the hair growth
- The cells in the root of the hair are dividing rapidly
- A new hair is formed and pushes the dead hair up the follicle and eventually out
- During this phase the hair grows about 1 cm every 28 days
- Those who have difficulty growing their hair beyond a certain length have a shorter anagen phase and vice versa.
- Arms, legs, eyelash, and eyebrow hairs have a very short anagen phase approx. 30 to 45 days, which explains the shortness.
- Scalp hair stays in the anagen phase 2 – 6 years
Catagen phase
- The catagen phase is a transitional stage
- About 3% of all hairs are in this phase at any given time
- This phase lasts about 2 to 3 weeks
- The outer root sheath shrinks and attaches to the root of the hair
- This is the formation of what is known as a club hair
- The pinching of the hair shaft signals the hair to stop growing and blood network to degenerate.
Telogen phase
- Telogen is the resting phase and usually accounts for 6% – 8% of all hairs
- This phase lasts for about 3 months for hairs on the scalp
- During this phase, the hair follicle is completely at rest and the club hair is completely formed
- Pulling out a hair in this phase will reveal a solid, hard, dry, white material at the root
- About 25 to 100 telogen hairs are shed normally each day, typically from brushing hair
- Stress can force this phase to start early and more hairs to be in this phase.
Exogen phase
- The actual shedding phase
- Club / old hair falls out and new hair pushes out of the follicle and the cycle runs again.
Why You Might Be Losing Your Hair
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is your hair loss onsetting slowly or quickly?
- Is your hair loss chronic aka you had it for a long time?
- Do you have a familial history of hair loss?
- Have you been under significant bouts of stress?
- Have you recently been pregnant / childbirth?
- Are you taking medications? – see the article regarding medication and hair loss further down the blog
- Do you have low Thyroid symptoms, such as tired all the time, cold hands/feet, brain fog, and/or irritability?
- Have you experienced gut problems and or poor digestion, maybe for several years?
- Have you ever tested low for iron, zinc, or vitamin D?
- Are the waterpipes in your house made from with copper or lead?
Check the Causes of Hair Loss Chart in this blog.
Pattern hair loss
Acute telogen effluvium
Chronic telogen effluvium
Specific areas with hair loss, such as crown/vertex of head and temples
General hair thinning often most visible in partings
General hair thinning often most visible in partings
Occurs during / after puberty, mostly late teens / 20’s / 30’s
Occurs at any age
Occurs at any age
Slow onset (years)
Sudden onset (days, weeks)
Gradual onset (years)
Hairs get thinner / weaker
Excess hair shedding – more than 100 hairs per day
Excess hair shedding – more than 100 hairs per day
Due to imbalance in Androgen hormone DHT, genetic preferences
Visible white hair bulb
Visible white hair bulb
Urine & blood tests to confirm
Often due to acute stress, pregnancy, extreme dieting, medication
Often due to Thyroid problems, nutritional imbalances, gut dysbiosis, aging, moulds, heavy metals
Chronic progressive
Temporary
Progressive
Hair loss 101
- Hair loss isn’t one-dimensional – it’s multifactorial
- Solutions are individual which means they will vary for everyone.
- Hair loss is hyper-specific, which means that the right treatment for you will rarely be found in a “one-size-fits-all” pill, shampoo, supplement, or topical cream.
- YOUR hair loss solutions depends entirely on your:
– Age
– Gender
– Hair loss type(s)
– Hair loss severity
– Cause of hair loss
– Time availability
– Finances
NB! – Don’t delay
- Fine, mini hairs are much easier to bring back to life than dormant hair follicles.
- This means the earlier you act, the better your chances of significant recovery.
Main Keys for Success
- Educate yourself about the life of a hair – see the article in this blog
- Diagnose hair loss type – need help?
- BOOK A 30 MINUTE ONLINE CONSULT WITH ME.
- Diagnose the cause – need help? BOOK A 30 MINUTE ONLINE CONSULT WITH ME.
- Start the road to hair rejuvenation – small steps every day
- Track your progress – before & after photos are a good way
- Maintain focus.
Hair loss in men
Causes
- Genetics, or having a family history of baldness especially the maternal side of the family.
- Male sex hormones called androgens which regulate hair growth, especially DHT
- Weak or short Anagen / Growth cycle phase
- Hair follicle shrinks, producing shorter and finer strands of hair.
- Eventually, the growth cycle for each hair ends and no new hair grows in its place
- Also known as Androgenic Alopecia.
Male-Pattern Baldness
- Can begin in teenage years
- Most common in adult men
- Usually starts with receding hairlines / temples and thinning of the hair at the crown
- Some men get a single bald spot
- Others the “M” shape.
- Others the horseshoe hair pattern around the sides and the back of your head.
- Others the hairline continues to recede until all or most of the hair is gone.
What to do
- Hairstyles – men with limited hair loss can sometimes hide hair loss with the right haircut or hairstyle.
- Wigs or hairpieces
- Weaves – wigs sewn into your natural hair. Requires enough hair to sew the weave into.
- Advantage – they always stay on, even during activities such as swimming, showering, and sleeping
- Disadvantages – they must be sewn again whenever new hair growth occurs, which can be expensive and can damage your natural hair.
- Hair transplant – permanent but expensive
- Low level laser therapy to the scalp
- Head Tattoos – micro-pigmentation a tattoo of many small dots giving a ‘buzz cut’ look
- Laser combs and helmets use light energy to stimulate hair regrowth. More research needed
- Platelet-rich plasma therapy – drawing your blood, spinning it down, then injecting your own platelets back into your scalp to stimulate hair growth. More research needed.
- Some supplements may help, such as iron, biotin, folates and Omega 3 fatty acids aka fish oils
The Medical Approach
- Minoxidil (Rogaine) is a topical medication applied to the scalp which slows hair loss for some men and stimulates the hair follicles to grow new hair.
– 4 – 12 months for visible results
– Hair loss happens again when you stop using the medication. Side effects can include dryness, irritation, burning, and scaling of the scalp, weight gain, swelling of the face, hands, ankles, or abdomen, trouble breathing when lying down, rapid heartbeat, chest pain, laboured respiration
- Finasteride an oral medication that slows hair loss in some men, works by blocking the production of the male hormone DHT responsible for hair loss.
– Finasteride has a higher success rate than minoxidil.
– When you stop taking finasteride, your hair loss returns
– 3 – 12 months before you see results
– Side effects can include depression, itching, rash, hives, breast tenderness, breast growth, swelling of the face or lips, painful ejaculation, pain in testicles, difficulty getting an erection, rare cases breast cancer
– Lowers prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests used to screen for prostate cancer.
The Holistic Approach
Treatments to increase Blood Flow to the Scalp
See video in this blog
Shoulders and neck treatments to increase blood flow to the head and scalp
See video in this blog
Address Androgen imbalances
TEST YOURSELF
Address stress
TEST YOURSELF
Combination test for stress & androgens
BUY HERE
Address inflammation
Blood test, such as CRP, ESR, s.Ferritin, IL-6, TNFalpha
Improve the gut microbiome
TEST
Probiotics
BUY HERE
Reduce blood sugar
TRE – Time Restricted Eating / Intermittent Fasting is a powerful tool. READ MY BLOG HERE
CGM Continuous Glucose Monitors to monitor your success
Address nutritional deficiencies or excess
Blood test, such as Vitamin D, Iron, Vitamin B12, etc.
BUY URINE TEST
Address hair products and styling techniques
SEE ARTICLE WHAT YOU DON’T WANT IN YOUR HAIR PRODUCTS IN THIS BLOG
Address scalp pH
Somewhere between 3.5 – 5.5 pH is optimal. Check the shampoos for high pH
Check medication
See article medication & hair loss in this blog
Stop smoking
Nothing good to say about smoking – it decreases blood circulation to the hair follicles.
Hair loss in Women
Causes
- The hair’s growing phase slows down
- Takes longer for new hair to begin growing
- Hair follicles shrink, so the hair that does grow becomes thinner and finer
- Hair easily breaks
- Genetics can play a role, you’re more likely to have female pattern baldness if your mother, father, or other close relatives have experienced hair loss
- Androgen hormones may be part of the picture for post-menopausal women in those who may have a higher level of DHT.
Female pattern baldness
- Normal for women to lose 50 to 100 hairs each day, but those with female pattern baldness can lose many more
- Women lose hair from all over their head, often starting at their parting line
- Usually at the top of the head first
- Hair at the temples may also recede
- Woman are less likely to go completely bald, but a lot of thinning throughout your hair, giving that see-through appearance
Doctors divide female pattern baldness into. three types:
Type I – is a small amount of thinning that starts around your parting.
Type II – involves widening of the parting, and increased thinning around it.
Type III – is thinning throughout, with a see-through area at the top of your scalp.
What to do
- Camouflage the hair loss – adopt a new hairstyle
- Use extensions – best for general hair thinning not for bald patches
– Clip-In Extensions
– Tape-In Extensions
– Sew-In Weave Extensions.
- Buy a wig
- Hair transplant
- Laser combs and helmets use light energy to stimulate hair regrowth. More research needed
- Platelet-rich plasma therapy – drawing your blood, spinning it down, then injecting your own platelets back into your scalp to stimulate hair growth. More studies needed.
- Some supplements may help, such as iron, biotin, folates and Omega 3 fatty acids aka fish oils
The Medical Approach
- Minoxidil (Rogaine)
Available in 2% or 5% formulas, 5% best, applied to the scalp every day.
– Won’t fully restore all the hair but a significant amount can grow back giving an overall thicker appearance.
– Give it 6 to 12 months.
– Possible side effects, redness, dryness, itching, hair growth on areas where you didn’t want it, such as your cheeks
Finasteride and dutasteride
Medication to block DHT
– Approved to treat hair loss in men but not in women, but some doctors do recommend them for female pattern baldness
– Results are varied
– Side effects can include headaches, hot flashes, and a decreased sex drive, increase the risk for birth defects
Spironolactone
A diuretic which blocks androgen production
– May help regrow hair in women
– Side effects such as electrolyte imbalances, fatigue, spotting between periods, irregular menstruation, tender breasts, birth defects
– You may need to have regular blood pressure and electrolyte tests while you take this drug.
The Holistic Approach
Treatments to increase Blood Flow to the Scalp
See video in this blog
Shoulders and neck treatments to increase blood flow to the head and scalp
See video in this blog
Address Androgen imbalances
TEST YOURSELF
Address stress
TEST YOURSELF
Combination test for stress & androgens
BUY HERE
Address inflammation
Blood test, such as CRP, ESR, s.Ferritin, IL-6, TNFalpha
Improve the gut microbiome
BUY TEST HERE
Probiotics
BUY HERE
Reduce blood sugar
– TRE – Time Restricted Eating / Intermittent Fasting is a powerful tool
READ MY BLOG HERE
– CGM Continuous Glucose Monitors to monitor your success
Address nutritional deficiencies or excess
Blood test, such as Vitamin D, Iron, Vitamin B12, etc.
Address hair products and styling techniques
SEE ARTICLE WHAT YOU DON’T WANT IN YOUR HAIR PRODUCTS IN THIS BLOG
Address scalp pH
Somewhere between 3.5 – 5.5 pH is optimal. Check the shampoos for high pH
Check medication
SEE ARTICLE MEDICATION & HAIR LOSS IN THIS BLOG
Stop smoking
Nothing good to say about smoking – it decreases blood circulation to the hair follicles.
What Increases DHT Production?
- Inflammation
Especially in the scalp - Elevated insulin
TEST HERE - PCOS
TEST YOUR HORMONES HERE - Obesity
- Genetics
- Alkaline scalp
Above 5,5 pH - Low oxygen
– Testosterone needs oxygen to convert to Estrogen but not to convert to DHT
– Blood tests for haemoglobin and iron levels
- Gut dysbiosis
Increased reabsorption of DHT
TEST YOUR GUT HEALTH HERE
- Poor liver clearance
Pepper can decrease clearance
TEST YOUR LIVER FUNCTION HERE
Hair shedding
Possible Causes
- Stress – emotional, mental and or physical
- Low Estrogen and Progesterone
- Higher Androgens
- Medications – see the article on medications and hair loss in this blog
- Nutrient deficiencies – iron, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin D, etc
- Nutrient surpluses – vitamin A, selenium
- Hypothyroidism
- Hyper- parathyroidism
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
- Gut dysbiosis
- Trace element / heavy metal toxicity – cadmium, aluminium, arsenic
- Over-treating your hair – colour treatments, perms, relaxers, and more.
- Using harsh hair products – such as extreme-hold hair sprays and gels.
- Wearing your hair up too tightly – traction alopecia can cause thin spots over time.
- Can occur at any age
What to do – The Holistic Approach
Treatments to increase Blood Flow to the Scalp
SEE VIDEO IN THIS BLOG
Shoulders and neck treatments to increase blood flow to the head and scalp
SEE VIDEO IN THIS BLOG
Address Hormone Imbalances
– TEST SEX HORMONES
– TEST THYROID
Address stress
TEST YOURSELF
Combination test for stress & androgens
BUY HERE
Address inflammation
– Blood test, such as CRP, ESR, s.Ferritin, IL-6, TNFalpha
Improve Gut Health
BUY TEST HERE
Probiotics
BUY HERE
Test for SIBO
BUY HERE
Reduce Blood Sugar
– TRE – Time Restricted Eating / Intermittent Fasting is a powerful tool
READ BLOG
– CGM Continuous Glucose Monitors to monitor your success
Address Nutritional Deficiencies or Excess
– Blood test, such as Vitamin D, Iron, Vitamin B12, Vitamin A, etc
– Urine test
BUY HERE
Address Hair Products and Styling Techniques
SEE ARTICLE WHAT YOU DON’T WANT IN YOUR HAIR PRODUCTS IN THIS BLOG
Address Scalp pH
Somewhere between 3.5 – 5.5 pH is optimal. Check the shampoos for high pH
Check medication
SEE ARTICLE MEDICATION & HAIR LOSS IN THIS BLOG
Stop smoking
Nothing good to say about smoking – it decreases blood circulation to the hair follicles.
Autoimmune Alopecia
An autoimmune disorder where immune system attacks the hair follicles causing hair loss. The damage caused to the hair follicles is often not permanent and can be recovered with the right treatment.
- Areata – patches or spot baldness often on the scalp, can involve areas all over the body
- Totalis – the loss of all skull and facial hair
- Universalis – the loss of all body hair, including eyebrows, eyelashes, chest hair, armpit hair, and pubic hair.
Can Hair Loss Be a Sign of Poor Health?
The body communicates its imbalances and level of health in many ways. Are any of the following the underlying factors causing your hair loss:
- Diabetes
- Thyroid disorders – such as Hypothyoird or Hyper-Parathyroid
- Lupus
- Stress
- Chemotherapy
- Various medication
- Autoimmune issues
- Falling Estrogen levels after giving birth or menopause
- Sudden weight loss
- Protein deficiency
- Eating disorders
- Anaemia
- Fungal infections
You will find many answers and solutions in the other articles in this blog.
Medications and Hair Loss
- Hair loss is a common side effect of many medications.
- Often temporary that goes away once the drug adjusted or stopped.
- Medications damage the hair follicles themselves, disrupting growth at different stages.
- Short-term.
– temporary hair loss when the “resting” phase called telogen effluvium of the hair follicle is disturbed but new hair growth continues.
– Longer-term type – takes place in the hair’s “new growth” phase called anagen effluvium resulting in thinning or loss of other body hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes.
Which medications cause hair loss?
- Vitamin A – High doses of vitamin A and medications derived from it can cause hair loss.
- Acne medications – Vitamin A-derived medication, isotretinoin (Accutane) and tretinoin (Retin-A) can cause hair loss. Because there can be other serious side effects as well, you may want to discuss other options with your dermatologist.
- Antibiotics – Prescription antibiotics can cause temporary hair thinning. Antibiotics can deplete your vitamin B and haemoglobin, which disrupts hair growth – low haemoglobin anaemia causes hair loss. Normal levels of vitamin B are also critical to maintaining healthy hair.
- Antifungals – Antifungal medications are indicated for fungal infections and have been linked to hair loss in some people, such as voriconazole.
- Anti-clotting drugs – Anticoagulants like heparin and warfarin are used to thin the blood and prevent blood clots can cause hair loss that begins after taking these medications for about three months.
- Cholesterol-lowering drugs – Some statin drugs like simvastatin have been reported to cause hair loss.
- Immunosuppressants – Some immune-suppressing drugs used to treat autoimmune conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis can cause hair loss, such as methotrexate, leflunomide, cyclophosphamide and etanercept.
- Anticonvulsants – Medications that prevent seizures, like valproic acid and trimethadione can lead to hair loss in some people.
- Blood pressure medications – Beta blockers, including the following, can cause hair loss, such as Metoprolol, Timolol, propranolol, atenolol, nadolol.
- ACE inhibitors – can also lead to thinning hair, such as enalapril, lisinopril, captopril
- Antidepressants and mood stabilizers – Some people who take medications for depression and mood stabilization may experience hair loss, such as paroxetine hydrochloride, sertraline, protriptyline, amitriptyline, fluoxetine.
- Weight loss drugs – Weight loss medications like phentermine can cause hair loss, but the side effect isn’t often listed. This is because dieters who lose their hair are often also nutrient-deficient or may have underlying health conditions contributing to their hair loss.
- Medications for gout – like allopurinol have been reported to cause hair loss.
- Chemotherapy – Chemotherapy drugs used to treat certain types of cancer and autoimmune illness can dsrupt anagen effluvium (new hair growth). This hair loss includes eyelashes, eyebrows, and body hair. These drugs are designed to destroy the fast-growing cancer cells in your body, but they also attack and destroy other cells that grow quickly, like the roots of your hair. Regrowth occurs after treatments have ended.
What you DON’T want in your hair products
- Sulfates – are the number one ingredient to avoid.
– Found in shampoos used for their foaming, detergent like action.
– The worst sulfate is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), which can cause damage to the immune system, separation of skin layers, rashes on the skin and scalp and inflame your skin leaving it dry and irritated.
– At a minimum can strip your hair of the essential oils, break down protein and retard healthy hair growth.
- Parabens – are the second chemical to avoid.
– Parabens are commonly found in shampoos and conditioners. Methylparaben, ethylparaben and propylparaben have been linked to breast cancer.
– Parabens can cause irritation of the skin, hormonal imbalance, which can result in hair loss.
- Propylene Glycol -also called PEG, Polyethelyne or Polyoxyethelyne
– a thickening agent in shampoos
– strips hair (and scalp) of their natural moisture.
- Diethanolamine (DEA)
– can cause scalp irritation or bad allergic reactions, destroy keratin
– make hair dry, brittle, and lifeless.
- Imidazolidinyl Urea – antimicrobial preservative used to protect hair products from
– bacteria, yeast, and mould by releasing very small amounts of formaldehyde.
- Sodium Chloride – salt
– can affect the colour of your hair
– dehydrate the strands.
· Isopropyl alcohol – is found in some conditions.
– It is also used in antifreeze, wood finish and shellac
– strips your hair of its natural oils
– can cause damage to your hair
- Synthetic colours and fragrances –
– can irritate the scalp.
- Behentrimonium Chloride – also known as Docosyltrimethylammonium chloride found in some conditioners
– can cause skin and eye irritation.
Questions? Please don't hesitate to contact me
