April 14, 2008

Can the Causes of Thinning Hair Include Stress, Hair Styles, and Other Common Things in Life?

What causes thinning hair?  Causes of thinning hair vary from one person to the other, but let’s discuss some of the basic reasons for hair loss and myths about the cause of thinning hair.
•    Stress – The health of your hair is related to your overall health.  In keeping with that, it makes sense that stress can be one of the reasons for thinning hair.  We have all heard tales of people under stress turning gray or losing hair.  Perhaps it is not usually that extreme, but those stories stem from a basic truth.
•    Pregnancy & Childbirth – Hair loss is associated with hormone changes.  Pregnancy can cause hair to become thicker.  At some point during pregnancy, or more likely after childbirth, hair will thin out considerably.  This is normal.  Take good care of your hair and overall health and you should see an improvement.
•    The use of drugs and alcohol can also affect your overall health.  Anything that impedes your diet or the absorption of proper nutrients can affect your ability to grow healthy hair.
•    Birth Control pills – As in pregnancy and childbirth, birth control pills affect every individual differently.  It is possible that a shift in hormones may affect the development of new hair.
If you really want to know what causes thinning hair, you need to consider your individual situation.  Many health issues, including the health of you hair, boil down to common sense.  Causes of thinning hair may be related to lifestyle choices that you can alter for the better.

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April 10, 2008

Androgenetic Alopecia - Type Of Hair Loss For Men

Androgenetic alopecia is a very common type of hair loss for men, generally referred to as male pattern baldness.  It is also a cause of thinning hair in women, although it presents differently for women.  Men experience a receding hair line and thinness at the top of the head.  Women usually have overall thinness instead of the pattern of balding men usually exhibit. 

Even though there are genetic and environmental reasons for androgenetic alopecia, you can seek treatment for thinning hair that can be effective.  This disorder is generally related to hormones call androgens.  One in particular that has been linked to hair loss is dihydrotestosterone, or DHT.  It has function for both males and females.

Research indicates that genetic contributions from both parents affect this disorder, but paternal hair loss has often been seen as passed down to sons.  Hormone levels affect the hair loss, which is supported by the fact that aging, pregnancy, and child birth have an affect on the thickness of people’s hair. 

Environmental factors can affect hormone levels and hair loss.  Help for thinning hair can be as simple as developing a routine and rigorous exercise schedule.

Help for thinning hair can be found through hair transplants, the use of commercial products that are formulated to re-grow hair, or the use of herbal remedies, such as saw palmetto extract and shampoos that contain herbs that invigorate the scalp, increasing blood circulation and hair production.

Androgenetic Alopecia is a reason for thinning hair in women and men.  Thinning hair treatment is available, even though genetics may not be on your side.

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