Education
The 3-Phase Cycle of Hair Growth
How Does Hair Grow
Understand what is causing your hair loss, it is important to know what is happening inside your scalp. Hair grows from the hair follicle at an average rate of one-half inch per month. Each hair grows for four to seven years, after which it enters a dormant phase, and then falls out. A new hair begins growing in its place between three weeks and three months later. At any one time, 85% of hair is growing while 15% is resting.
What Causes Hair Loss?
Hair Thinning and Loss can be brought on by a number of different internal and external factors and is usually more pronounced as we age. Some of the factors that contribute to loss of hair include:
Genetic disposition
Hair loss can be passed down through generations, Inherited from either the mother or the father.
Hormones
Testosterone can combine with an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, the combination of the two can create a hormone called dihydrotestosterone or DHT. Increased DHT can attack and shrink the papilla (the tissue connecting and nourishing the hair bulb) creating thin looking hair and eventually hair loss.
Environment
Every day our skin is exposed to many different environmental factors that can greatly affect our skin. Sun exposure, air pollution, smoking, and stress are just a few of the negative factors that can damage the skin over time speeding up the aging process.
Lifestyle Factors
Lifestyle choices also have a great impact on the skin’s health and overall quality. Skincare choices, diet, and the types of vitamins and supplements you take impact the skin’s firmness, texture, and appearance.
Pregnancy
Women can experience hair loss during pregnancy due to increased hormonal activity. Following the birth hair often never returns to its original fullness or density.
Stress
Bodies under stress produce increased levels of hormones specifically the male hormone which produces 5-alpha reductase, forming excess DHT, which impacts the health and structure of the follicle.
Diet/Vitamins
Fast foods high in animal fat offer poor nutritional value and can contribute to a number of health issues including loss of hair. The scalp like the rest of the body needs nutrients and vitamins to thrive, and a poor diet can deprive the body of these building blocks.
Diseases & Conditions
Medical conditions such as thyroid disease, lupus and anemia can contribute to hair loss.
Cancer Treatments and Medicine:
Treatments designed to target specific diseases and illnesses can lead to loss of hair, including radiation, chemotherapy and hormone replacement.
Medical Stress
Major illnesses and surgeries can also stress out the body leading to hair loss, severe infections, influenza, as well as high fevers are all known factors.
Trichotillomania
A recognized impulse control disorder compels sufferers to pull out or pick at their hair resulting in thinning and hair loss.
Traction Alopecia
Wearing tight hairstyles can pull the hair or loosen it from the follicle and result in hair loss.
Age
Most men and women will lose their original density as they grow older.
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