What causes hair loss?

If you’re experiencing hair loss – it can be for a number of reasons. It might be hormonal, hereditary, nutrient dificiency and a whole host of other reasons. Here’s some reasons, thanks to Health.com…

Physical stress

Any kind of physical trauma surgery, a car accident, or a severe illness, even the flu—can cause temporary hair loss. This can trigger a type of hair loss called telogen effluvium. Hair has a programmed life cycle: a growth phase, rest phase and shedding phase. “When you have a really stressful event, it can shock the hair cycle, (pushing) more hair into the shedding phase,” explains Marc Glashofer, MD, a dermatologist in New York City. Hair loss often becomes noticeable three-to-six months after the trauma.

What to do: The good news is that hair will start growing back as your body recovers.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one example of the type of physical stress that can cause hair loss (that and hormones). Pregnancy-related hair loss is seen more commonly after your baby has been delivered rather than actually during pregnancy. “Giving birth is pretty traumatic,” says Dr. Glashofer.

What to do: If you do experience hair loss, rest assured that your hair will grow back in a couple of months. “It’s a normal thing and it will work its way out,” Dr. Glashofer says.

Too much vitamin A

Overdoing vitamin A-containing supplements or medications can trigger hair loss, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. The Daily Value for vitamin A is 5,000 International Units (IU) per day for adults and kids over age 4; supplements can contain 2,500 to 10,000 IU.

What to do: This is a reversible cause of hair loss and once the excess vitamin A is halted, hair should grow normally.

Lack of protein

If you don’t get enough protein in your diet, your body may ration protein by shutting down hair growth, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. This can happen about two to three months after a drop in protein intake, they say.

What to do: There are many great sources of protein, including fish, meat, and eggs.

Male pattern baldness

About two out of three men experience hair loss by age 60, and most of the time it’s due to male pattern baldness. This type of hair loss, caused by a combo of genes and male sex hormones, usually follows a classic pattern in which the hair recedes at the temples, leaving an M-shaped hairline.

What to do: There are topical creams like minoxidil (Rogaine) and oral medications such as finasteride (Propecia) that can halt hair loss or even cause some to grow; surgery to transplant or graft hair is also an option.

Heredity

Female-pattern hair loss, called androgenic or androgenetic alopecia, is basically the female version of male pattern baldness. “If you come from a family where women started to have hair loss at a certain age, then you might be more prone to it,” says Dr. Glashofer. Unlike men, women don’t tend to have a receding hairline, instead their part may widen and they may have noticeable thinning of hair.

What to do: Like men, women may benefit from minoxidil (Rogaine) to help grow hair, or at least, maintain the hair you have, Dr. Glashofer says. Rogaine is available over-the-counter and is approved for women with this type of hair loss.

Davines Naturaltech Energizing Lotion is a treatment for fragile scalps and hair that is prone to falling out. It stimulates skin microcirculation and improve scalp elasticity contrasting hair loss. Its formula is particularly recommended for hair loss due to stress and seasonal factors, but also as a preventive treatment in susceptible people. This is a Naturaltech product.

Apply 6ml. to washed hair and massage into the scalp until it is completely absorbed. Do not rinse off. Intensive treatment: every other day for 1 month. Maintenance treatment: twice a week for 2 months.