Hair loss and thinning of hair may occur if you lack essential vitamins in your diet. Heredity, age, medical conditions and hormone production are also key elements of hair loss. Taking actions by supplementing your diet with vital hair loss vitamins and taking certain treatment medication can help create healthy hair follicles and prevent further damage from occurring.
Hair Cycle
The growth period of hair can last between two to six years, with 90 percent of hair always growing. The other 10 percent is shed in the resting period, and this resting period last around two to three months. New hair is replaced in the same follicle replacing the hair that was shed, and the growth cycle begins again. According to The American Academy of Dermatology, hair growth slows down as people age, and it is completely normal to shed around 50 to 100 hairs per day.
Heredity
Heredity plays a vital role in hair loss and the age at which you will begin to lose hair. Androgenetic alopecia is a genetic condition in which males and females begin to bald, according to MayoClinic.com. This baldness occurs as a result of shortened hair growth cycles. The hair becomes thinner and less sturdy, and can fall out much easier. If any relatives on your mother or father's side of the family has this condition, you are at a much higher risk of developing baldness.
Vitamins
Taking vitamins and eating foods that are rich in vitamins may help decrease the chances of thinning hair and baldness. According to Holistic Online, "when the diet is lacking B vitamins hair loss may occur; the most important vitamins include folic acid, inositol, B6 and biotin; and the minerals magnesium, sulfur and zinc." Vitamin-B enriched foods include vegetables such as carrots and peas, beans including soy, walnuts, brown rice and oats. These foods help promote healthy growing hair.
Treatment
Depending on the cause of the hair loss, whether it be hormonal, genetic or from a lack of vitamins, there are treatments available to help stimulate hair growth. Medication such as Rogaine and Propecia comes in liquid or foam and pill form. If you don't see results within six months to a year, MayoClinic.com says you should discontinue use. Other more expensive methods include a hair transplant or a scalp reduction.
Considerations
If you notice a dramatic loss of hair, seek medical advice from your doctor. He can refer you to the proper specialist needed to help gain control of your hair loss. Each person may react differently to the various treatment methods; the best way to find out if it will work for you is by trying them out.
Member Comments