Temporary hair loss often occurs after an illness or a period of stress, or could be of a skin infection such as ringworm. Factors that contribute to hair thinning and hair loss included:
- Periods of increased stress
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Hormone shifts
- Childbirth
- Environmental factors
- Underactive thyroid
- Chemical hair treatments and hairstyles
- Immune disorders
- Cancer chemotherapy
- Exposure to radiation
- Side effects of medications and drugs
- Long-term illness
- Genetic disposition
What you can do yourself?
There is little we can do to prevent hereditary hair loss, but treatments may reverse some of its effects. For temporary hair loss, there are some simple preventative measures, supplements, and home remedies that may help.
Typically, our hair grows an average of an inch every two months, and average head can shed up to 100 of its 100,000 hairs every day. The discarded strands are usually replaced by the same number of new hairs growing in. We may want to know that our hair is made up of keratin, the same fibrous protein in fingernails and toenails, hence a constant supply of nutrient-rich blood is needed to nourish the follicles in the scalp from which each hair grows.
You may want to try the following to slow hair thinning and encourage regrowth:
Simple preventative and self-care remedies
- Fad diets and crash diets may contribute to hair loss, however, diet that contain plenty of protein and iron in your diet will help as protein helps to build and repair our hair while iron helps to maintain healthy hair.
- Avoid using hair dyes and treatments to perm or straighten your hair. They contain chemicals that may make hair brittle and liable to break at the roots. If you use perms, straighteners, or dyes, you may compensate for the damage they cause by babying your hair with gentle shampoos and extra conditioners.
- Don't wear your hair in a style that pulls on your scalp, or wear a cap or hat continuously unless you have to wear headgear for your work. For protecting and preventing:
- Scalp and hair from damaging sun rays – try to wear a comfortable hat.
- Hair to rub off (called friction alopecia) - don't wear tight wigs or hats.
- Hair fall out due to tight pulling (called traction alopecia) - keep braids or ponytails loose.
- Let your hair dry naturally if possible, rather than using a hairdryer. Don't pull on your hair with a brush or comb when it is wet.
- If your hair is thinning, especially for women, a good haircut for a short hair style can make a difference. Short, blunt cuts can make hair appear thicker and fuller. Some men prefer to cut their hair very short, or shave it off, to disguise a receding hairline. Use only a small amount of mousses, gels, and hairspray to lend extra body and hide thinning hair, so that the cells and hair follicles can breathe.
- Use a mild shampoo and gently towel hair dry and use a conditioner.
- Massage your scalp weekly to stimulate blood flow and to relieve stress. Sluggish blood flow and stress can both cause hair loss.
- Quit smoking. Medical researches have found that smokers were four times more likely to have gray hair than nonsmokers and were more prone to hair loss.
In general, they work by deliver the needed nutrients to the hair roots and help build stronger, healthier hair. They can safely be taken with each other and with prescription hair-restoring drugs such as minoxidil too.
Protein and iron - is essential for building, repairing and maintain healthy hair. Foods that are rich with protein included meat, fish, cheese, and nuts; iron-rich foods included cereals, beans, fish, poultry, meat, and leafy green vegetables.
Flaxseed oil - contains omega-3 fatty acids that can make hair more glossy and healthy looking. It may soothe the itching and flaking of dandruff and help get rid of psoriasis and eczema on the scalp.
Evening primrose oil (or borage oil) – can act as a hair and scalp moisturizer.
Grape seed extract - is a high-potency antioxidant capable of protecting virtually every cell in the body from free-radical damage, and works to increase hair growth too.
Mineral zinc - builds healthy hair and may slow hair loss. Because mineral zinc can stimulate the thyroid, thus it is especially helpful to people whose thinning and brittle hair is due to an underactive thyroid. If you're taking zinc long term, it's wise to take with copper for absorption reason.
Copper - is an essential component of melanin, the pigment in our hair and skin. It is helpful to those whose gray hair is caused by a copper deficiency, taking copper may restore hair to its natural color.
Selenium – work to promote hair growth, but you should follow the prescribed amount usually not exceed 200 mcg of this mineral a day as higher amounts may be toxic.
Vitamin A – is an antioxidant that can remedy a flaky scalp if we have a deficit of this nutrient. What you need to take note of is that more isn't always better, e.g. too much vitamin A (more than 25,000 IU a day) taken over a long time can actually cause hair loss, liver damage and birth defects, among other bodily problems.
Biotin and vitamin B complex – help to strengthen the hair, as a hair and scalp conditioner, and to slow down hair loss. Biotin may even stimulate new hair growth if the hair loss is caused by a biotin deficiency. Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), a B vitamin, may protect hair roots, reverse graying and help prevent hair loss if the cause is due to a deficiency of PABA or other B vitamins.
Saw palmetto and pygeum africanum – helpful in conditions of male pattern baldness in either men or women.
Chinese herbs - such as dong quai, polygoni multifiori radix (ho-shou-wu) and Siberian ginseng have been used traditionally in China to prevent the hair loss and graying that come with age.
Drug and medication remedies
Minoxidil preparations (in solution and foam) can slow down or prevent hereditary hair loss in a proportion of men and women. Generally, Minoxidil solution and foam are used to help hair growth in the treatment of male pattern baldness and to help hair growth in women with thinning hair, but is not used for baldness at the front of the scalp or receding hairline in men, for sudden/patchy hair loss, unexplained hair loss (e.g. no family history of hair loss), or hair loss after giving birth.
The treatment is usually applied twice daily to clean, dry hair and scalp, and needs to be used continually, as its effect starts to wear off as soon as it is stopped. You may have to wait for a few months before you notice any improvement. Side effects: brief scalp irritation, and hair loss may increase slightly at first. Precautions: avoid eyes and sensitive or broken skin and do not use this product if you are 18 years old or younger.
However, If your condition does not improve or worsens after using this medication for 4 to 6 months, or if you think you may have a serious medical problem, tell your doctor.
We may want to know that Minoxidil belongs to a class of drugs known as vasodilators.
Another popular hair drug, finasteride, is a pill that is to be taken once a day. This medication is used to treat male pattern baldness (i.e. androgenetic alopecia) at the crown and in the middle of the scalp. It should be used by adult men only. This medication works by decreasing the amount of a natural body hormone (DHT) that will lead to increased hair regrowth and slower hair loss. Hair growth on other parts of the body is not affected by finasteride. You may want to know that finasteride must be taken daily, if not any regrown hair will gradually be lost, and within 6 to 12 months your scalp will most likely appear the same as before treatment. Side effects: sexual related, such as reduced desire for sex. Precautions: women and children should not use this medication.
Make an appointment to see your doctor if:
- You are pulling your hair out;
- You have been losing hair rapidly or in patches in recent weeks; and
- You have a serious medical condition or are taking medication, it’s always a wise idea to talk to your doctor before starting any hair remedy program.
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