“WHY ME?” You might be asking as your hairline recedes rapidly before your eyes… Well, there is no short answer. A balding head can be caused by a wide range of reasons, such as the “baldness gene” hormone imbalances, poor diet, illness, medication, stress or menopause. Did you know that 70% of men will experience some form of hair loss in their lifetime, 40% starting to be affected by their 20s (not to mention 25% of women by the age of 50 too). So be comforted in the knowledge that you are not alone! Is that comforting? Probably not. Here is the good news – it can often be treated. But before it can be helped, we need to know WHY it is happening. So, let’s delve into some common reasons.
Poor diet, an underrated reason for hair loss. But for our body to run smoothly, we need adequate vitamins, protein, minerals and antioxidants. If this is unbalanced over time, deficiencies occur – and our perfectly oiled machine breaks down. If we starve our body of nutrients, we also starve our hair. Hair By Science created a hair regrowth supplement to help with this common scenario. The dietary supplement capsules nourish the hair with all hair vitamins required to jump-start growth and stop further loss.
Thyroid issues and Autoimmune disease like Diabetes and Lupus are also common causes for hair loss. When the body’s immune system attacks it’s own cells, hair follicles can be affected either temporarily or permanently.
A genetic predisposition is one of the biggest reasons for Male Pattern Hair Loss (Male Pattern Baldness) e.g. The Bald Gene. The prolonged exposure of hair follicles to the hormone DHT caused hair follicles to get stuck to in the resting phase, instead of switching it up in the growing stage. The follicles shrink over time, and eventually cease hair production, causing baldness. This type effects predominantly males but can occasionally affect females too. Due to its hereditary cause, hair loss can be slowed down but often not prevented completely.
With most men, the process begins with a receding hairline, slowly spreading across the crown. If you’re unlucky, it could start as young as 20 years old (gasp!) and the journey between having hair to completely bald takes between 15 to 25 years. Again, if unlucky it could be just 5.
When stress has you “pulling out your hair”, it might be doing just that. High-levels of acute stress, anxiety or trauma can cause a condition called Telogen Effluvium that results in temporary hair loss. It can be brought on by physical stress, like childbirth or surgery, or mental stress such as a death in the family.
Treatments for serious illness and disease, like Chemotherapy are known to cause extreme hair loss, in male and females. Prolonged use of medications for Epilepsy, Thyroid disease or hormonal drugs like birth control can also cause hair loss down the track.
So, in conclusion it boils down to plain bad luck with a combo of genetics, hormonal factors and environmental factors. Talk to a professional to check whether your type of hair loss can be prevented, slowed down or helped. There are many natural regrowth shampoos or products, and clinical hair regrowth treatments available. Whichever you choose, your hair’s best chance is to get started early.