Hair Loss Facts and Treatments
| Hair loss affects over 80 million men and women in the US alone. Many people suffer silently but have tried various, numerous ways, to counteract it, although a number of different factors contribute to it. |
These include but are not confined to: poor diet, medications, vitamin deficiencies, genetics, recent illnesses, chemotherapy, stress, and daily hair care habits.
Of course, Britney chose to get rid of her luscious locks, but it still goes to show what a shock it can be when someone loses their hair!
Looking for something specific? Be sure to check the information on this page first and then the Q&A section at the bottom of this page! 
Alopecia is a medical term for hair loss and sometimes results in baldness. It can also be caused by a psychological compulsion to pull out one's own hair, which is called Trichotillomania. Traction Alopecia is caused by excessively tight ponytails or braids, or burns to the scalp from hair relaxer’s or excessive use of hot irons. In some cases, Alopecia can be an indication of an underlying medical deficiency, such as iron deficiency. When the loss only occurs in one area, it is known as Alopecia Areata. This typically occurs as a result of a highly stressful event or lifestyle change. Once the stressful situation has passed or improved, the loss of hair diminishes then resolves itself. Alopecia areata is more often however, caused by an autoimmune disorder. Many years ago, when I was in Massage Therapy School, one of the students in my class had a bald spot develop in the crown of her head. She had beautiful blonde hair and unfortunately, the absence of hair was very obvious. But massage school was very stressful as many of us were taking over 30 credit hours a semester. Once the hard semesters were over, her hair started growing back. Your body is amazing, isn't it? It's obvious the cause of her balding was stress, but sometimes it isn't so clear! There is a cultural and social importance associated with hair, especially the health of your hair, it’s length and it’s thickness. Think about the vast amount of money you spend on hair services and hair products. Once someone starts losing their hair, a hot pursuit to find a solution and remedy ensues. There are many factors like diseases, hormonal imbalances, heavy amounts of stress, and improper hair care that contribute to sudden hair loss. Before you think about finding the right treatment for your lack of hair, read these interesting and informative facts: 
Hair Loss Facts At all times, about 10% of your hair is in the resting stage and 90% is in the growing stage.
Noticeable loss of hair becomes visible only when you lose more than 50% of your hair.
Europeans and Africans have more hair loss problems than Asians.
More than 50% of men, over the age of 50, suffer from a lack of hair.
There are more than 100,000 hairs over an average person’s head. People with natural blond hair have about 120,000; people with natural red hair will have about 80,000 hairs. The thickness of one single strand of hair measures from .02" - .04".
Hair growth happens between 10 AM to 11 AM and also between 4 PM to 6 PM.
One hair fiber is able to support a weight of 100 grams. (or .22 pounds)
Various drugs, pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical, are linked to Female Pattern Baldness or Male Pattern Baldness.
Keratin is the main component of your hair, which gives it strength. Elastin, found in keratin, gives elasticity to your skin, hair, and fingernails.
Every person loses around 40% of hair in a their lifetime. That equals to about 100 hairs per day.
Approximately 40% percent of middle aged women suffer from female pattern baldness.
Hair grows at a rate of about 1/2" per month.
Hair is the fastest growing tissue in the human body.
Research studies show that Asian hair grows the fastest and has the best elasticity.
Hair grows the best between the ages of 15 to 30.
40 million men and 20 million women suffer from baldness.
40% of men have noticeable loss of hair by age 35 and 65% by age 60.
Your hair cannot reveal your gender.
Androgenetic Alopecia, commonly referred to as 'genetic balding', is the main cause of male and female hair loss. This genetic 'programming' accounts for 95% of male hair loss.
Hair grows naturally in cycles of approximately 3 to 8 years. At the end of the growth cycle, the hair shaft is shed from the follicle and a new hair grows. With thinning hair or balding, each successive growth cycle is shorter and the hair produced is thinner and finer. This is called 'miniturization'.
Neither men nor women go bald overnight. Instead, it is a slow progression of thinning hair and loss of hair that eventually leads to baldness. In many cases, balding has progressed far enough that hair treatments aren't enough to reverse the balding process.
Female Pattern Baldness affects 1 out of every 4 women in the U.S. Recent findings have found that the incidence of FPB has been reported to be as low as 8% and as high as 87%. Most often, menopause is the main time period for women to experience a loss of hair.
Hair Loss Treatments Men and women react differently to various treatments. In men, hair loss may be halted or even reversed by Propecia. However, Propecia is not safe for women or children. Minoxidil (Rogaine) can be effective for both men and women in treating the problem.
Include Biotin in your daily supplements. If you want to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss, take biotin supplements. Biotin is a B vitamin and although many people don't lack the vitamin, there are no contraindications for taking more. (For example, I take Super Biotin which has 5000mcg./daily!) Biotin is essential for hair growth and maintenance. One major reason for hair loss in women, is a low thyroid function. It can be caused by an iodine deficiency. You can increase your thyroid function just by using more sea salt with iodine, or by taking iodine supplements. Most people need around 12 milligrams a day. Hair loss in men however, can be caused by a deficiency in omega 3 fatty acids. If you're not eating fish at least twice a week, take a fish oil supplement daily, to get more omega's. Bald spots and general hair loss over the entire scalp can also be caused by a yeast infection on the scalp. Most of the time, the culprit is seborrheic dermatitis, also called Cradle Cap. In seborrhea, greasy scales on the scalp are usually visible. When you remove the thick scales, hair will come off with the scales. The yeast infection can be resolved quickly and easily using Nizoral shampoo . Steroid shots are sometimes used to promote hair growth on balding areas. You will have to get them regularly and they can be expensive over time, and painful. There are many laser combs , infrared heat or lights, and laser light treatments on the market that all promise to help regrow hair. They only work for some people, some of the time, so it's up to you to decide which treatments you want to try, if any. If your hair loss is sudden, you should suspect that something is wrong with you physically. It can sometimes be the result of a highly stressful situation in your life, the development of an autoimmune disorder, or a thyroid malfunction. In all situations, sudden hair loss is not normal and you may need to have some blood tests run. Hair loss can be emotionally debilitating. If you are losing your hair but don't know why, talk to your family physician or health care provider. The answer may be as simple as a vitamin deficiency, but you'll never know for sure until you get checked out!
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