Filipino women tend to take good care of their hair. So much care that, to avoid a bad hair day, there is an unprecedented increase of hair salons and hair products in the Philippines. This kind of attention paid to women’s hair makes it easy to see why a significant number of them think that losing hair affects a woman’s entire well-being.
That’s why it’s quite alarming to know that hair loss, a condition thought to be exclusive to men, is now creeping up on women fast. 40% of women are currently plagued with varying degrees of the condition and the chances are increasing as they grow older. Suddenly, hair loss in women in their 30s is a very real scenario.
What do I need to know about hair loss?
Instead of panicking, it’s better to arm yourself with facts that will help you anticipate and address possible hair loss problems even before they take a firm hold. That’s why in this article, we’re providing you with 15 resounding truths about hair loss among women that you probably don’t know, yet.
1. A No-Meat Diet is a Bad Idea
The health of your hair mostly hinges on the state of your diet. Avoiding meat in your dietary plan may induce hair loss as your hair needs protein, iron, and zinc to be healthy. Add that to the fact that women tend to be more vulnerable than men when it comes to nutritional deficiencies especially iron. Iron deficiency is known to be a reason for hair fall in women and treating this problem generally enhances the hair’s ability to regrow and stop the persistent hair shedding dead in its tracks.
2. Your Family Plays A Huge Role in Hair Loss
Unfortunately, genetics can also cause hair loss commonly known as female pattern balding. Looking into your family history might reveal incidents of women going bald. If there are, all is not lost. Early diagnosis is the key. You can still address hair loss problems by anticipating the problem and implementing preventive measures that will delay, reduce, or actually solve the hair loss problems passed down by your family’s genes.
3. Daily Meditation Helps Combat Hair Loss
If you’re going to ask hair professionals what causes hair loss in women, they’ll most likely point towards stress. Not only does stress triggers hair loss for at least three weeks, it also leaves you befuddled in dealing with the stress-related conditions like Telogen effluvium, Trichotillomania, and Alopecia areata. That’s why it’s essential to add meditation to your daily routine. Meditation is cost-free and arguably the easiest way to manage stress. Keeping your stress levels consistently low will aid in regrowing your hair.
4. Shampoo is Not Involved in Hair Loss
There’s a persistent myth that blames daily use of shampoo is what makes hair fall out in women. In fact, it’s the other way around: not shampooing can lead to hair loss. Your hair requires proper hygiene, something that shampooing offers. It removes oils from the scalp that contain hair loss-inducing hormones and deals with the hair growth-limiting dandruff.
5. Hair Loss Can Be Drug-induced
Taking certain medicines may be one of the reasons for hair fall in women. Some of the culprits are arthritis medicines, antidepressants, and blood pressure medications. Consult your doctor on some ways to prevent or deal with hair loss without compromising your general health.
6. Hair Loss Can Be A Symptom of Something Worse
Believe it or not, losing your hair is not the worst thing that could happen when you’re suffering from hair loss conditions. It might be a mere symptom of something worse, like polycystic ovarian syndrome, which is a hormonal problem that causes infertility.
7. Braiding Will Result to Hair Loss
Braiding can cause traction alopecia, a hair loss problem caused by the force applied in pulling hair. Aside from braiding, wearing your hair in tight ponytails and pigtails will lead to a gradual hair loss. It’s best to lessen the tightness of the braids, ponytails, and pigtails or resort to hair-friendly hairstyles altogether so you can lessen the probability of hair loss.
8. Hair Pull Test Is A Reliable Method
The hair pull test is a reliable way to gauge the state of your hair’s health. The process is simple, your attending physician will gently pull a portion of your hair, generally 50 to 100 strands, in a single motion. The normal number of hair to be plucked from this test is around 1 to 3 strands of hair.
9. Sunshine is Vital
Even if going out without sunscreen might damage your scalp, exposure to sunlight doesn’t have anything to do with hair loss. In truth, sunlight actually reinforces the health of your hair by providing vitamin D, a crucial nutrient that aids in preventing the condition. Vitamin D plays a critical role in your hair cycle, it propels your hair to the growing phase.
10. Some Hair Loss is Temporary
Hair loss can be potentially a long-term scary problem. However, not all hair loss problems are here to stay; some of them may be temporary responses to the changes happening to your body. A good example is how sudden weight loss causes hair loss in women. This scenario is normal. Your body will eventually correct itself and regrow your hair normally in no time. Another example is high fever. The sudden change in body temperature induces hair shedding. Other causes of hair loss are surgery and childbirth. But you can also make sure that you’re not going through any serious conditions. A good advice would be to consult to a nearby, but trusted professional specializing in hair loss.
11. Silk Pillowcases Help Battle Hair Loss
Unlike cotton pillowcases, which can cause hair friction, hair binding, and hair entanglement, silk pillowcases’ smooth fabric protects your hair by gliding against the material when you move about while you sleep.
12. Testosterone Can Trigger Hair Loss
Your body’s hormonal process converts testosterone into Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that generally harms your hair follicles. While this hormone is predominant in men, a small dose can trigger female hair thinning. The hair loss situation is worse if your body can efficiently convert testosterone. Deal with this problem by asking your physician for an anti-androgen prescription, which will help in blocking the effect of the unruly hormone on your hair follicles.
13. Having Your Health Checked Will Help a Lot
A lot of things can cause hair loss aside from stress, hormones, and fungal infections. Some of these are thyroid disease, protein deficiency, anemia, and insufficient vitamin levels. By visiting your physician, you can quickly rule out other potential factors contributing to hair loss and immediately address the problem through the prescriptions provided and activities recommended.
14. Fungal Infections Can Be A Hair Loss Culprit
Sometimes, hair loss is not stress- or hormone-related, it can also be caused by a fungal infection that attacks the scalp and leaves bald patches. This hair loss-inducing fungus is family to ringworms and the athlete’s foot-causing ones. You can easily determine if this is the cause of your hair loss by having a trusted individual, a family member or a friend, to check your hair with an ultraviolet light as this kind of fungus glows under UV radiance.
15. Hair Loss Strikes at Any Age
Despite the belief that hair loss tends to target women in their postmenopausal age, hair loss can actually start as early as one’s teenage years. Combined with the hereditary factor and conversion efficiency of testosterone, the gradual thinning of the hair will eventually lead to inevitable hair loss.
Reading all about these facts on hair loss among women are, without doubt, scary. Most of the problems are caused by internal factors we can’t do anything about, and most of them can only be addressed with drastic measures.
However, foresight is a potent weapon when it comes to dealing with hair loss in women. Armed with the knowledge you gained from this article and a hair loss consultation, you’re prepared more than ever to take on potential and present hair loss issues with grace. Take the opportunity and avail yourself of NuHart Clinic Philippines’s free consultation so you can prevent hair loss problems even before the first signs show up.