Whether you're male or female, by the time you reach midlife, you've probably experienced even a little bit of hair loss.
Men may not like it, but they are used it, or at least can sometimes anticipate it coming. That doesn't mean they like it any better though.
For women it can be more alarming, and unexpected.
Before August gets away from us, it's time to take advantage of its designation as Hair Loss Awareness Month and get a handle on the situation.
First, a little bit of True or False (from a study done by Rogaine in recent years):
Most hair loss is hereditary.
True: Yep, 95% of all hair loss in both men and women is hereditary.
If your mother's father was bald, you'll go bald, or experience significant hair loss.
False! Newsflash: the "hair loss gene" can come from either the mother or father's side of the family.
Hair vitamins like Biotin can help treat hair loss.
False: Hair vitamins and a well-balanced diet can help overall hair health, but there's no evidence that they help stop or treat hair loss. (Healthier hair can help minimize he appearance of hairloss though.)
Crash dieting can cause hair loss.
True: Crash dieting can cause Telogen Effluvium — a limited and temporary hair loss that will grow back on its own. Thyroid conditions and certain medications (such as blood thinners, certain anti-anxiety medications, chemotherapy, and steroids) have been shown to cause Telogen Effluvium. But if you already have hereditary hair loss "gene", your hair may not regrow as thick as it was before the temporary loss.
Topical DHT (dihydrotestosterone, an "off switch" for normal hair growth) can treat hair loss.
False: Topical DHT-blockers claim to block this "off switch," but they need to be ingested to be effective. Finasteride, sold under the brand name Propecia, is the only DHT-blocker that effectively treats hair loss, since it is an oral medication
Salon treatments like Trichology can help treat hair loss.
False: treatments like Trichology claim to help stimulate hair regrowth, but there's no scientific proof they help hair loss.
Then we spoke to Dr. Robert Leonard Jr., a New England doctor of osteopathic medicine, Diplomate of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, fellow of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, and Hair Loss Expert for Johnson and Johnson, to further clarify some myths surrounding hair loss:
* "One of the biggest myths about thinning hair is that wearing a hat causes it. It doesn't, wearing a hat has nothing to do with hair loss at all."
* "Stress does not cause hair loss – this is another one of the biggest myths. On the other hand, a lot of women come to me who are stressed and think they're losing their hair, but they're not, they're just under pressure — everything is magnified with anxiety. 25 hairs looks like 250 to someone under a lot of stress, and they think they're going to go bald. "
"The best way to tell if you're thinning is to do a hair count. Do it first thing in the morning — it should take about an hour. Start with a clean bathroom, pillowcase, comb and brush. Count the number of hairs on your pillowcase when you wake up. Count the number of hairs in your drain after you shower, in your towel when you dry your hair, and in your comb or brush during your grooming routine. If you add them together and come up with more than 100, you may have hair loss and should see a specialist to assess your hair. If it's less than 100, you're probably fine. Don't worry about additional hair that may fall out throughout the day – the hair you lose in your morning grooming routine is the best indicator of hair loss."
* "It's important to count the number of strands, NOT the mass of hair. If you have long or thick hair, even two strands can look like a lot when they're wadded up. The only way to tell if you have significant hair loss is to count the strands."
* "Hair loss for men and women comes from the same genetic condition. Women also can trace hair loss back to women on both sides of the family. Plus, they can be additive – if there's a history of hair loss on mom's and dad's side, that person may encounter even more hair loss."
So I asked him about another old wives tale I'd heard:
They say pulling out gray hair causes 6 to grow in its place— maybe we should all pull them out to have more hair?
"That's impossible. One hair follicle equals one hair, and no more. The number of follicles you have at birth are the most number of hairs you will have for your life."
A friend of mine was diagnosed with Sjögren's syndromewhich caused significant hairloss for her. So she tried something called GH3 and noticed significant improvement. Have you heard of this?
""That is a connective tissue disorder, more to do with skin," he responded.
"For treating hereditary hair loss, which accounts for the majority of hair loss cases, I wouldn't recommend it. Nothing has been proven to combat hair loss except ROGAINE (minoxidil), Propecia (finasteride) and laser therapy."
Normal hair loss is about 100 hairs or less per day. If you have more than that, you might want to investigate what's causing it.
Article Source: http://style.lifegoesstrong.com/myth-busting-about-thinning-hair
Men may not like it, but they are used it, or at least can sometimes anticipate it coming. That doesn't mean they like it any better though.
For women it can be more alarming, and unexpected.
Before August gets away from us, it's time to take advantage of its designation as Hair Loss Awareness Month and get a handle on the situation.
First, a little bit of True or False (from a study done by Rogaine in recent years):
Most hair loss is hereditary.
True: Yep, 95% of all hair loss in both men and women is hereditary.
If your mother's father was bald, you'll go bald, or experience significant hair loss.
False! Newsflash: the "hair loss gene" can come from either the mother or father's side of the family.
Hair vitamins like Biotin can help treat hair loss.
False: Hair vitamins and a well-balanced diet can help overall hair health, but there's no evidence that they help stop or treat hair loss. (Healthier hair can help minimize he appearance of hairloss though.)
Crash dieting can cause hair loss.
True: Crash dieting can cause Telogen Effluvium — a limited and temporary hair loss that will grow back on its own. Thyroid conditions and certain medications (such as blood thinners, certain anti-anxiety medications, chemotherapy, and steroids) have been shown to cause Telogen Effluvium. But if you already have hereditary hair loss "gene", your hair may not regrow as thick as it was before the temporary loss.
Topical DHT (dihydrotestosterone, an "off switch" for normal hair growth) can treat hair loss.
False: Topical DHT-blockers claim to block this "off switch," but they need to be ingested to be effective. Finasteride, sold under the brand name Propecia, is the only DHT-blocker that effectively treats hair loss, since it is an oral medication
Salon treatments like Trichology can help treat hair loss.
False: treatments like Trichology claim to help stimulate hair regrowth, but there's no scientific proof they help hair loss.
Then we spoke to Dr. Robert Leonard Jr., a New England doctor of osteopathic medicine, Diplomate of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, fellow of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, and Hair Loss Expert for Johnson and Johnson, to further clarify some myths surrounding hair loss:
* "One of the biggest myths about thinning hair is that wearing a hat causes it. It doesn't, wearing a hat has nothing to do with hair loss at all."
* "Stress does not cause hair loss – this is another one of the biggest myths. On the other hand, a lot of women come to me who are stressed and think they're losing their hair, but they're not, they're just under pressure — everything is magnified with anxiety. 25 hairs looks like 250 to someone under a lot of stress, and they think they're going to go bald. "
"The best way to tell if you're thinning is to do a hair count. Do it first thing in the morning — it should take about an hour. Start with a clean bathroom, pillowcase, comb and brush. Count the number of hairs on your pillowcase when you wake up. Count the number of hairs in your drain after you shower, in your towel when you dry your hair, and in your comb or brush during your grooming routine. If you add them together and come up with more than 100, you may have hair loss and should see a specialist to assess your hair. If it's less than 100, you're probably fine. Don't worry about additional hair that may fall out throughout the day – the hair you lose in your morning grooming routine is the best indicator of hair loss."
* "It's important to count the number of strands, NOT the mass of hair. If you have long or thick hair, even two strands can look like a lot when they're wadded up. The only way to tell if you have significant hair loss is to count the strands."
* "Hair loss for men and women comes from the same genetic condition. Women also can trace hair loss back to women on both sides of the family. Plus, they can be additive – if there's a history of hair loss on mom's and dad's side, that person may encounter even more hair loss."
So I asked him about another old wives tale I'd heard:
They say pulling out gray hair causes 6 to grow in its place— maybe we should all pull them out to have more hair?
"That's impossible. One hair follicle equals one hair, and no more. The number of follicles you have at birth are the most number of hairs you will have for your life."
A friend of mine was diagnosed with Sjögren's syndromewhich caused significant hairloss for her. So she tried something called GH3 and noticed significant improvement. Have you heard of this?
""That is a connective tissue disorder, more to do with skin," he responded.
"For treating hereditary hair loss, which accounts for the majority of hair loss cases, I wouldn't recommend it. Nothing has been proven to combat hair loss except ROGAINE (minoxidil), Propecia (finasteride) and laser therapy."
Normal hair loss is about 100 hairs or less per day. If you have more than that, you might want to investigate what's causing it.
Article Source: http://style.lifegoesstrong.com/myth-busting-about-thinning-hair
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