5 Things You Need to Know About Hair Loss Prevention

1. Stress Isn't Your Friend

Stress can be a leading cause of temporary hair loss. It's your body's way of telling you that something is wrong internally. The condition of your hair can tell a lot about your lifestyle. Think about it; people who are happy and content usually have healthy, shiny hair. People who have a lot of stress or anger in their lives have dry, lifeless or straggly hair. Teenagers can also experience temporary weight loss during a time when they're already dealing with changes to their body. Once you ease your stress and deal with the problem causing it, your hair will grow back.

2. Imbalanced Hormones

Hormonal fluctuations can cause hair loss. That's why female hair loss is common after pregnancy. Usually, three months after a woman has a baby, she notices some of her hair falling out. During pregnancy, high levels of hormones cause the body to hold onto hair that would normally fall out. Once hormones regulate themselves to pre-pregnancy levels, your hair starts to fall out. Rest assured that it's only temporary. You may also experience hair loss if your thyroid gland is underactive or overactive. See your doctor about treatment for thyroid disease. That treatment should also help any hair loss you're dealing with.

3. Check Your Meds

If your hair is falling out, check your medicine cabinet. Blood thinners, meds used in chemotherapy, medicines used for gout, birth control pills, too much Vitamin A and antidepressants can all cause hair loss. Read the labels and see if hair loss is listed as a side effect. Talk to your doctor about the hair loss. The best way to stop it is to switch to a new medication if possible. Once you do so, you should notice your hair start to grow back.

4. Loosen Those Pigtails

Yes. Pulling on your hair too tight can cause female hair loss. If you sport cornrows or pigtails or if you wrap your hair tightly in rollers, you may develop traction alopecia. If you pull on your hair long enough to cause scarring on your scalp, hair loss thinning prevention won't be a problem anymore because you won't be able to prevent it. Once scarring develops, you may fall victim to permanent hair loss. If you change your habits early enough, you can reverse the effects and your hair will grow back. In addition to traction alopecia, some hair styling chemicals can cause female hair loss. If you get your hair permed or treated with hot oil, your hair follicles may swell, which can result in scarring and hair loss.

5. It's Not Your Fault

You can thank your parents for male-pattern baldness. It's usually inherited and is the most common cause of hair loss for men. The earlier you lose your hair, the more you're likely to lose. Women can develop female-pattern hair loss, too. Their hair thins over their entire scalp. Talk to your doctor about hair loss thinning prevention. He will ask you questions about your diet, medications and recent illnesses. Your doctor may also perform a physical examination and take blood to determine the cause. He may be able to stop further hair loss by changing your medications or altering your hormone levels.

Last updated on: Aug 11, 2011

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments