‘Hair’ today, gone tomorrow
HAVE you been noticing that you’ve been shedding more hair than usual after a brushing or combing session? Is the hair thinning at your edges or crown? Do you seem to have less hair to work with when you’re fixing your bun or ponytail? It’s natural for some people to lose their hair due to some medical conditions, hair products and also hairstyles. But what happens when you seem to be losing your hair, and there’s no identifiable medical reason?
Trichologist Dr Hyacinth Oates says as hair ages, its life cycle deteriorates and new growth is typically finer. Many hair follicles also stop producing new hair altogether.
She listed some of the other instances and conditions under which you can experience hair loss.
Extreme stress
Dr Oates said this can trigger genetic thinning in women with the predisposition. She said younger women experiencing problems with their ovaries or adrenal glands such as cysts, tumours, excessive facial hair, and an increase in oiliness of the skin, would need to have a blood test done to establish whether the ovaries or adrenal glands are at fault.
“The trichologist will care for the thinning hair or the shedding of hair at this time. The psychological aspect of hair loss can be stressful and can cause diffuse thinning (a form of hair loss in which hair falls out from all areas of your scalp). The positive side to this condition is that the lost hair is continually replaced so that baldness can never occur. Once the hair loss stops, the hair will recover as normal,” she said.
Prescription drugs
Dr Oates said many common prescription drugs cause hair loss and change in hair texture. These include anti-depressants, pain medication, blood thinners, high blood pressure medication, and some cholesterol-lowering drugs.
“In this instance, patients should speak to their doctors for a change in medication. The trichologist can also detox the hair to eliminate dryness and brittleness that cause breakage,” she said.
Dieting
Dr Oates said when entire food groups are sacrificed in pursuit of a svelte body, the hair, skin, and nails pay a hefty price.
“For example, many people seek to eliminate fats from their diets, when the truth of the matter is that the human body needs a certain amount of essential fatty acids that comprise fat to carry out vital bodily functions and to absorb fat-soluble vitamins like D, E, and K,” she said.
“The body also requires the calcium, protein, and iron which many dieters give up when they forgo meat and dairy products, as well as vitamin E, which is found in fatty foods such as nuts and oils,” she added.
She said when the body does not get enough of these nutrients, the hair, skin, and nails are the first to show signs of deficiencies, because the body protects and nourishes the vital organs. It will conserve its resources to save your kidneys rather than your hair. As a result, hair may become dull, thin and dry, and you face the possibility of breakage or full-blown hair loss.
She recommends eating an ample amount of whole grains and beans, if meat and dairy products are removed from the diet.
Hairstyles
Wearing tight hairstyles such as pigtails, ponytails, cornrows, or using tight rollers can pull on the hair and cause it to fall out, according to Dr Oates.
“This type of hair loss is called traction alopecia. In many cases, it will scar your scalp. However, provided there is no scarring, your hair will grow back normally after you stop the pulling,” she said, adding that hair buns and chignon knots can also cause hair loss.
In order to boost hair growth and for healthier hair, she suggested cleansing the hair without stripping natural oils, conditioning without ‘weighing down’ the hair, and preventing intense drying from the environment through the use of products containing sunscreen.
