Hair loss affects more men than women, but this doesn’t mean the latter is not susceptible to it. Some signs are hair thinning, receding hairline, and bald patches. There are a lot of different factors contributing to the damages in the hair follicles which eventually causes hair loss in women.
1. Post-Pregnancy/Childbirth
Estrogen levels increase during pregnancy – which means your hair remains in a growing phase and becomes more glossy, fuller, and thicker. Unfortunately, hair loss may start showing signs in post-pregnancy or approximately 3 months after child delivery.
Prevention:
It is as simple as supplementing yourself with fruits and vegetable that are rich in zinc, Vitamins B, C, and E to help improve hair growth. If you’re still worried, it is best to consult your doctor to identify if there are any underlying causes.
2. Emotional or Physical Stress
Severe anxiety, physical injury, or any traumatic experience may cause a shock to the hair cycle and may make you go through a temporary halt in hair growth. These kinds of stressful events may push more of your hair into the shedding phase.
Prevention:
Stress can be conquered, and therefore your body can get back to normal and restart your hair growth cycle. Be sure to take care of yourself mentally and physically. Do some meditation or regular exercises to lower your stress levels.
3. Nutrient Deficiencies
Since we were kids, we are taught how a healthy diet is essential for overall health. Just like the cells in the body, the hair needs necessary nutrients for it to grow and stay healthy continuously. Lacking some nutrients may damage your hair and cause hair loss.
Prevention:
Be sure to eat foods rich in protein, zinc, antioxidants, Vitamins C, and omega-3. Examples are eggs, fish, yogurt, beans, nuts, and green leafy vegetables. Eat enough of these nutrients to make sure new hairs will grow to replace the old ones and to speed up hair growth.
4. Overdoing your hair
Women tend to over style their hair with perms, relaxing procedure, dyes and just about anything that uses harsh chemicals on their scalp and hair. All of these procedures can damage hair follicles that may cause permanent hair loss.
Prevention:
Lower the temperature for heated hair tools. Frequently dyed and styled hair should be given a break from these habits for at least a month to ensure they are really the cause of hair loss. Scalp massage with castor oil or unrefined coconut oil to promote hair regrowth.
5. Genes/Hereditary
Androgenetic alopecia is one common cause of hair loss inherited either from the mother, grandmother, or aunts. To diagnose if this is the cause of your hair loss, just ask your family if they have similar amounts of hair loss.
Prevention:
This may not be prevented, but you can still slow down hair loss by using minoxidil on your scalp twice a day. Women should use a lower dose to prevent side effects. Pregnant women shouldn’t use minoxidil.
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6. Seasonal
Summer and winter seasons can cause damage to the hair – harmful UV Rays, chlorinated pool, or the cold weather. They all cause dehydration on the hair which can be harmful.
Prevention:
During summer, it is best to get a trim as the sun may do extra damage to your dry hair. It is best to have your hair regularly trimmed to snap those damaged hair strands to make your hair grow healthier and be less prone to breakage.
7. Sudden Weight Loss and Crash Diets
Sudden excessive weight loss can shock your system and trigger telogen effluvium – this is when your hair is forced into a resting state. A crash diet that doesn’t contain sufficient nutrients may cause hair to fall out because of the deficiencies.
Prevention:
Ensure you maintain a balanced diet of eggs, meats, fruits, vegetable, and whole grains. Supply your body with the essential nutrients that promote hair growth – zinc, Vitamins A and C, iron, and protein.
8. Medications
Some medication may be toxic to the hair follicles and may disrupt the hair cycle. Blood thinners are the most common hair loss-inducing medicine as it may trigger telogen effluvium. Gout medication, blood pressure drugs, and large doses of Vitamin A can also cause hair to fall out.
Prevention:
It is best to consult your doctor to find out which medicine you’re taking is causing your hair loss. They may prescribe a different medication, lower the dosage, or recommend a treatment to minimize your hair loss.
9. Autoimmune Diseases
This may be Crohn’s disease, Grave’s disease, lupus, anemia, thyroid disease, and psoriasis. Hair loss happens when the white blood cells attack healthy cells in hair follicles, damaging the follicle which disrupts the production of hair.
Prevention:
Changes in lifestyle and diet and some hormonal treatments can help combat autoimmune diseases. Although some drugs may also cause hair loss, and combining this with your disorder can compound your situation and lead you to extreme cases.
10. Aging
Hair loss because of aging is because of the body’s inability to regenerate cells as quickly as when we were young. Menopause also causes hair loss as the body undergoes hormonal changes. A decrease in hormones means slow hair growth and thinning.
Prevention:
It is best to stick to a balanced diet of vitamins, minerals, and lean protein. If your hair is usually dry, moisturize it with products containing Argan oil to nourish it.
Bottom Line
Knowing all these common causes of hair loss in women will help you take some time to check if you’re doing any one of these blunders that can be detrimental to your hair.
With these preventions, most of the issues are conquered and the hair grows back or the loss is reversed. But it is still important to consult a professional to be sure of what the ultimate cause is.
There are more serious health issues that can trigger hair loss in women but these may require more advanced treatments. Regenera Activa treatment for hair loss is an advanced treatment without downtime and side effects. Hair loss problem can dwindle one’s confidence, but it’s such a great thing that this problem can be effectively treated with medications and advanced procedures.
Great article! Thank you for the informative post. I have damaged hair due to over-styling, and it frightened me every time I woke up in the morning and saw some of my hair in my pillow. I don’t have an idea about this, so I seek professional help, after a few weeks of treatment I did not see any progress. So now I’m looking for natural remedies. Thanks.