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Female Hair Loss

Female Hair Loss

Across the many years of my work as a hair & makeup artist I have encountered countless women who have suffered internally due to hair loss or hair thinning. It is a common theme for many, especially as we enter the later stages of life, the cycle of menopause. Hair loss can negatively impact a person’s self-esteem and requires great emotional maturity to deal with and embrace, as with many of our body’s changes; but like anything relating to our appearances, we can take this to heart. We are so critical of ourselves and too often make judgements on others as we project our own fears and insecurities onto them. It is this human behaviour that thousands of companies continually make money off and the fear that hair loss is somehow something we should feel ashamed of or that we cannot embrace, is detrimental to our mental health and wellbeing – they feed on our insecurities. It is a perpetual cycle.

I understand all the many factors around how advertising works to make you feel like your physical appearance is an issue to start with and how a quick fix can seem the best solution. True, there are some proven ways to help prevent, slow down or reverse hair loss, but you have to be diligent enough to work through the causes, patience to find solutions and of course as we all know, use prevention methods, which is always better than finding a cure. Alas, for many, there is no cure.

Hair loss comes in many forms and all under the name of Alopecia.
Most people think that Alopecia is a disorder singular in itself; but there are six names for hair loss that fall under this.
These are:
Androgenic Alopecia aka: male or female pattern baldness. It is the most common and it is hereditary.
Telogen Effluvium is a type of sudden hair shedding and is linked to trauma or shock to the persons emotional or physical body. It can come on after giving birth, but hair growth usually returns to normal.
Aragen Effluvium is hair loss associated with chemotherapy, but once medication has stopped, hair usually grows back.
Alopecia Areata is when hair loss is generally in patches and caused when the body’s immune system attacks hair follicles.
Alopecia Totalis is total loss of scalp hair, while Alopecia Universalis is total loss of body, face and nose hair. The root cause is an immune system attack or otherwise known as an auto-immune disease.

Self-esteem
We are very much governed by what society tells us we should be. Why? Because our ego draws us to feel inadequate if we do not fit societies standards on how we should appear, and our hair comes under much scrutiny. Therefore, we seek to find acceptance in our appearance and our hair never escapes our view; we see it on our heads every day and we try to do something with it.
Some women have sought out radical treatments such as medication to solve their hair loss issue and many have failed. It can be exhausting and debilitating. Losing your hair can bring on low self-esteem. Maybe a personal identification with our hair as our crowning glory is the cause. Were you fussed over as a child and had your hair done all the time?, did you once have luscious locks?, did you attach your self-worth to this? and that somehow our hair makes us who we are? These can cause a negative thought process. Hair loss can trigger a gross response in us, it hurts our ego and we cannot get past it. However, a quick fix is not the answer and time and patience are required to investigate first, ask questions and then look for what you can do to help yourself.

Causes
Some women experience hair loss for reasons such as illness, emotional or physical trauma, long term medication, protein deficiency bought on by excessive dieting and there are other associated vitamin deficiencies that can be a result of eating disorders. Hormonal changes like pregnancy, puberty and menopause can also cause hair loss, but are not always permanent. There are several other health conditions such as auto-immune diseases, thyroid disease (which can account for many women losing and gaining facial hair), celiac disease, anaemia, stress and rapid weight loss. Inflammation in the body as a result of poor diet has also been viewed as a cause of hair loss amongst a host of other physical ailments this can cause.

I know women who have lost their hair for all sorts of reasons and they have all dealt with this differently. Some years ago, I wrote for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, Look Good Feel Good page and addressed the challenges associated with hair loss, scalp irritation, sensitivity, and then auto-immune responses that come about after chemotherapy. I offered some advice for treatment after speaking to many women who had experienced Aragen Effluvium. If you notice you are losing large amounts of hair, you can seek help, because some forms respond well to treatment, especially if you start early. A dermatologist can help in areas of severe health issues, but often prescribe medication. I will go over some of the more non-invasive ideas about hair treatment soon.

Diet & Deficiencies
The body responds in a number of ways to any of the aforementioned health issues, but the result is often a deficiency in one or all of the following: B Vitamin – biotin, Iron, Magnesium, Vitamin D, Zinc and essential Fatty Acids. These nutrient level responses can have a major impact on our bodies because they help to balance our Endocrine system and can be easily disrupted. It is a finely tuned operation with this system of Hormones and a vitamin deficiency of any or all of these can disrupt some 50 different hormones being secreted by endocrine cells, most of which are in glands – but this is not a biology lesson. I am merely pointing out how infinite the role of what you put into your body plays on such physically noticeable symptoms. This can result in slow hair growth or hair loss. How many of us go to have routine blood tests to see what our bodies are doing and what they are responding to? A yearly blood test is recommended if you want to be aware of where your vitamin, mineral and hormone levels are at and then more equipped to solve your hair loss problem or at least look for answers.

Diet is the focus when looking at what is affecting both skin, hair, and nails and usually the last thing to be looked at. Often a Dermatologist won’t even ask you what you have been eating, or not eating and so I find that a good behavioural nutritionist or Naturopath along with a specialist can assist in supporting the body to recover or heal as a whole, whilst finding the cause. I would always recommend requesting a blood test first from your GP and then go from there. If you want to fix a problem, then you must start with the cause. Many of us never want to look closely at diet, it is just too hard, but then we suffer as a result. So, I ask the question; what is more important to you? The health of your whole body or just the hair loss? You cannot solve one without the other.

Hair is made up of Keratin, which is a natural protein, therefore a diet high in protein can help to keep hair strong and healthy. However, we need to be aware of the role that all food plays in our bodies and how your body may be responding to the food we eat and how this differs to the next person. This is where an expert in foods can help. The following foods are perfect for prevention and reversal of hair loss unless there is a hereditary cause. Carrots, prunes, eggs, berries, spinach, sweet potatoes, avocados, nuts, seeds, sweet peppers, beans, soybeans, fatty fish, and oysters. It is also thought that supplements like Evening Primrose Oil or others that helps fight off inflammation and free radicals that impair follicle function can help. However, there is no scientific proof that taking a supplement whilst ignoring all other triggers and natural vitamin deficiencies will do anything. Only a well-managed diet and awareness of lifestyle impairments can truly support you.

If you are trying to avoid inflammatory foods, then sugar, artificial trans fats, refined carbohydrates, alcohol, processed meat and grain fed meat products should not be consumed regularly or at all, and there is evidence to suggest that dairy products can also cause inflammatory responses. But I am not a health professional and not going into all the finer dietary points here, but if you asked me “what product can I put on my head to help stop my hair falling out? , my answer is, “there is not one”. If you address the nutritional aspects of hair loss first, then there are other things you can do to support this. Like anything that is science based, it is time that will help, even natural remedies take time. It is about an accumulation of good substances in the body, as well as topically applied products, allow up to 6 months for anything to take full effect. There is no quick fix.

Treatment of any kind must be holistic, as this is the only way to ensure you have done all you can. Some other points to consider are the treatment of your hair. There are many myths around what will make your hair fall out, but none are true except the following: Hair extensions can cause more hair loss than people are aware of and often people with thinning hair think this is a viable option. Extensions are attached to your own hair and so constant tension/pulling on your own hair strands can make them break or worse, fall out. Excess dyeing can cause hair loss and breakage, especially when extreme colour changes are used and often.

Natural Treatments
Geranium and Rosemary oil are thought to help with hair loss and studies have shown that over time hair became thicker and stronger with use. Castor oil is also another product that has been well known for supporting full and healthy heads of hair. Essential Oils should be mixed into a carrier oil and massaged into the scalp on a regular basis, leaving in for as long as possible to help stimulate the scalp and follicle. Carrier oils such as Castor, Olive, Avocado, Sweet Almond and Apricot Kernel can be used. Head and scalp massages in general (being sure not to scrape or scratch the scalp) can increase blood flow and provide direct stimulation. Rosemary and Geranium oils can always be added to a shampoo and used when washing hair. Be sure to always massage and scrub the scalp well when washing, not only to remove build up on the scalp, but to help penetration of the oil. Pregnant women should avoid these oils. There are other hair products than can be topically applied and many hair care companies will make claims to attract the buyer and relieve anxiety but be sure to stick to a good diet too.

Trico-lab.com have a range of teas and other hair tonics specially designed to build condition, revitalise, repair, and strengthen hair. The brand has worked hard to market their products by encompassing all facets of inner and outer health care. They understand that education is always first when helping people address these issues. The teas are not only for oral consumption but can be topically applied as a rinse throughout the hair after washing. There are many shampoos, conditioners, lotions and potions that will make your hair feel thicker and some claim to re-grow hair but are they actually scientifically proven to work? – except that the ingredients used are based on some scientific evidence. Most claim that by supporting keratin production, scalp health, lazy follicles, or damaged ones, you may grow more hair on your head or prevent further loss.

Lastly, if everything I have discussed is no longer an option for you and your genetically inherited hair loss is irreversible, then there are some wonderful wig stores around, truly decorative head turbans and a plethora of beanies and hats to choose from. Alternatively, you can do what a Man would do and shave your head and learn to embrace yourself with a new fashioned look. Who said bald heads are for Blokes?! ….. at least we still have makeup.

In summary:
• Whether you are dealing with a hereditary condition or a temporary one, be wise to do your research and take my advice.
• Listen but do not be misguided by your hairdresser. They may know a lot about the products they are selling, including how to sell them to you.
• Do not believe everything you read. My article is based research of the topic, collation of evidence and facts.
• Make sure that any product you buy is not the thing you end up blaming when it doesn’t work, because ultimately only you can answer what may be going on for you, as I have discussed in this blog.

Good Luck and take care of you and your hair.