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Common Conditions That Cause Hair Loss

 

ACauses of hair losss we age our hair can become weak and brittle, resulting in hair thinning, hair loss and even bald spots.  This can be just a normal side effect of ageing, but in some cases it can be caused be a medical condition, an unhealthy lifestyle or the continued use of certain medications.

If you are suffering from hair loss that is not age related, you may be concerned as to why this is happening.  A trip to your doctors, dermatologist or trichologist (hair specialist) will help to ease your concerns, but as a rough guide, here are some of the most common conditions that can cause hair loss.

Hereditary Hair Loss

Sometimes the way our body behaves is literally just a consequence of our genetic make up.  Hereditary hair loss is medically known as androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness, and is usually the most common cause of hair loss in men. The gene can be inherited from either side of your family, and you are more likely to suffer if both your parents exhibited symptoms. The condition can start in your 20’s and can spread across the entire scalp leading to large patches of baldness.

Hyperthyroidism

The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate the body’s metabolic rate, heart and digestive function, amongst other things. If your body does not produce enough of the hormone responsible for metabolism, you can develop hypothyroidism, which will start to effect the skin, hair and nails. The condition can cause dry and brittle hair, with obvious signs of thinning over time. These symptoms are particularly prevalent in women over 50 years of age. The goods news is that hair can grow back fully after receiving treatment for hyperthyroidism.

Telogen Effluvium

Unusual, but not uncommon, this phenomenon is often reported after pregnancy, major surgery, dramatic weight loss or extreme stress.  Large amounts of hair are shed on a daily basis and symptoms usually start to appear within 3 months of a stressful event. It can also be the side effect of some medications.  In most cases the hair loss will start to slow and you can expect your hair to regain its former glory over time.  If medication is the culprit, talk to your doctor about alternative solutions.

Lupus

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks healthy tissues. If often attacks women during their childbearing years and symptoms include extreme fatigue, headaches, mouth ulcers, and painful, swollen joints and hair loss. You may find that you simply lose more hair when brushing, or your hair might begin to come out out in larger clumps. Loss of eyebrow, eyelash, beard and body hair also is possible. If your hair loss is accompanied by any of these symptoms, make an appointment to see your doctor to rule out Lupus.

After treatment for the condition, hair loss should slow down and eventually stop completely.

Iron Deficient Anaemia

Iron deficiency anaemia is caused by low numbers of red blood cells and is usually caused by severe blood loss or a poor diet.  If you are losing hair, or you have noticed that it is not growing at its normal rate, you may want to have your iron levels tested.  Taking iron supplements and changing your diet to include more iron-rich foods, including red meats and green vegetables, can help to slow the hair loss caused by anaemia.

RESTRAND For Hair Loss

Whatever the cause of your thinning hair, it can make you feel far less confident. RESTRAND Instant Hair Thickening Spray can instantly transform the way you look and feel about your hair.  Developed by experts to give the appearance of thicker, fuller hair, RESTRAND Instant Hair Thickening Spray is available in a variety of shades, and is applied in seconds, providing a completely undetectable solution to hair loss.

Ageing Hair And How To Handle It

Over time, hair can become very thin and brittle, and you may mourn the loss of your glorious thick locks.

A healthy diet, gentle hair care products and keeping well hydrated can all help you hair to look and feel that little bit younger once again.  Whilst nothing can completely prevent the march of time, and the inevitable effects it will have on your hair, here are some great ways to treat it kindly in the meantime:

 

1. Start with your scalp

Your scalp often gets forgotten about when it comes to the condition of our hair.  The scalp is simply an extension of your skin, and therefore requires the same amount of pampering as your face.  Choosing shampoos or conditioners that contain Vitamin E, Panthenol oil or coconut oil help to increase the suppleness of your scalp, making it feel smoother, and healthier all over.

2. Choose A Shampoo With Anti-Ageing Properties

Older hair can feel limp and lifeless, but it can also become weighed down with the use of too much shampoo.  The natural loss of proteins and lipids over time, can leave hair looking dull and feeling coarse.  Put some life back into your bonnet by choosing a shampoo that is designed to replenish lost nutrients, whilst adding subtle volume.

3.  Try An Instant Hair Thickener

You can purchase products that will instantly give your hair the appearance of being fuller and thicker all over.  These are perfect for anyone suffering with thinning hair or looking to hide hair loss or cover bald patches. Instant hair thickeners come in a range of colours to seamlessly blend in with the rest of your hair.  RESTRAND Instant Hair Thickener is the UK’s best selling Hair Thickening Spray.  It gently coats and matches each hair to give you added texture and thickness, cleverly covering bald patches and scalp show-through until you choose to shampoo it away.

4.  Change Your Colour

A new colour can add new life to ageing hair.  As we age, cell renewal slows down and our complexion becomes duller and paler, causing subtle changes in our skin tone.  This means the colour of your hair will also start to look different.  Choose subtle tones, not too far removed from your natural colour to help enhance shine and add light reflecting pigments to your hair.  A new colour will not only make your hair look grand again, it can also make you feel 20 years younger!

5.  Keep Visiting The Hairdresser

Thinning hair, or bald spots may make you feel concerned about going to the hairdresser.  But actually, you should still make regular trims a priority as keeping the hair in good condition eradicate spilt ends and will keep your hair looking well groomed and frizz free.  Your hairdresser will understand your concerns about hair loss, and will be gentle with you.

We all get older and our hair, face and bodies change with age.  Embrace the changes and live your best life with the help of RESTRAND Instant Hair Thickener.

Cancer and hair loss

If you or someone in your family is battling with cancer, finding even the smallest things to boost confidence and keep on fighting is extremely important. Coping with cancer is difficult and the treatments can bring about stress that isn’t needed. Hair loss is one of the primary causes of post-treatment stress – having to go through the process of watching your hair thin or fall out is not easy. While not all cancer treatments cause hair loss, it is common in many of the widely used ones. Knowing what to expect, in terms of hair loss, before the treatment starts can go some way to preparing yourself.

Radiotherapy and Hair Loss

Radiotherapy treatments can differ in scope depending on whereabouts on your body treatment is required. Unlike some other treatment options, radiotherapy only causes hair loss in the area of your body where the treatment is being directed, so the effects won’t be widespread. However, the resulting hair loss can differ significantly from person to person.

The extent of hair loss can be dependent on the amount of treatment that is needed and the degree of dosage required. There can also be some changes to how the hair grows back, with some patients seeing all their hair regrow, while others only having partial regrowth after the treatment. In rarer cases, the hair loss can also be permanent.

Chemotherapy and Hair Loss

Hair loss in chemotherapy, like radiotherapy, can vary depending on which treatment is being undertaken. Certain chemotherapy drugs will hinder the body’s natural growth cycle for hair, causing hair to fall out and stop growing during the treatment. As the treatment attacks cancer cells, it also affects those that control the growth of hair, but in the majority of cases this will only last during treatment.

Some chemotherapy drugs don’t cause hair loss, while others can bring about complete hair loss very quickly. Combinations of different drugs can result in individual results, with many internal factors such as your reaction to the drugs and dosage of drugs playing a vital role in the type of hair loss suffered. Most chemotherapy patients will see their hair growth return to normal, but in very few cases it can remain thinner or hair loss could be permanent.

Going Forward With A Hair Loss Concealer

When suffering with hair loss due to cancer treatment, there are a few options available to patients to keep their confidence up. Some patients choose to wear tailor-made wigs that are close to their original style or in a brand-new style, while others like to wear head scarves to make themselves more comfortable.

In cases where there isn’t complete hair loss during treatment or during the regrowth stage, RESTRAND hair loss concealer is a very popular option. It is usually used by those who suffer from hair loss due to inherited conditions, ageing or external stress. RESTRAND hair loss concealer is an easy to apply option that makes thin hair look thicker and fuller, giving you the appearance of a full head of hair.

Hair loss can be a daunting prospect when going through cancer treatment, but staying confident and knowing there are options to help can make the process a little easier.

Woman fighting cancer

6 weird and wonderful hair loss remedies from history

The thinning of hair, for both men and women, is nothing new. This has been occurring for thousands of years, but for those who do not find their bald patches or thinning regions overly dignified, ways to combat the problem have only relatively recently become viable.

Sutherland Sister Hair Cleaner
Sutherland Sisters Hair and Scalp Cleaner

Treatments and preventions have always been available, as far back as 400 B.C., but of course, they have all had very ‘interesting’ levels of success, as you might expect. Fortunately, for those who are looking to hair thickening sprays today, there are wonderful options available to overcome the issue at hand. This got us to thinking about the weird and wonderful remedies that have arisen through the ages. We have listed six of them below, so why not take a look and see how it used to be done…

Tea

Tea. Yes, the quintessentially English beverage that is enjoyed in the thousands of cups-full, daily, was, in 19th-century England used as a hair loss treatment. Tea was used by people suffering from thinning hair by rub “cold India tea”, teamed with wedges of lemon, into their scalps. Did it work? We’re pretty sure you can guess the answer, which was a resounding no!

The Ancient Egyptian Solutions

For those enduring hair loss during the times of the Ancient Egyptians, there were, believe it or not, remedies on offer. The Ebers Papyrus, a medical text that dates as far back as 1550 B.C., highlights a host of recommended ‘cures’. A mix of fats from a tomcat, snake, hippopotamus, crocodile, and ibex was on option. Another was to use the leg of a female greyhound which had been sautéed in oil with the hoof of a donkey. Thirdly, they had the option to try a mixture of porcupine hair which was boiled in water then applied to the scalp for four days! Again, none of these were overly successful.

Hippocrates’ Theory

Hippocrates, a renowned historical figure, who was an ancient Greek physician born around 460 B.C., is regularly considered as the father of Western medicine. He personally suffered from male pattern baldness, and so prescribed himself, along with others with the same issue with a topical blend of spices, beetroot, opium, horseradish, and pigeon droppings. And guess what? Hairlines did not stop receding, post-potion.

Julius Caesar

When the famous dictator of Rome started losing his hair, he gave everything a go in order to try and reverse the effects of his balding. To begin with, he grew his thinning hair long at the back of his head and brushed it over his scalp in what was an early version of the comb-over. Following the failure of this idea, his lover Cleopatra suggested a home remedy consisting of horse teeth, ground-up mice, and bear grease. As you would expect, this did little for hair recuperation, and so the Roman dictator took to covering his scalp with a laurel wreath, which is widely seen in historical pictures of the leader.

Toupees

Popular in ancient times, hairpieces were revived during the 17th century by royals. King Louis XIII of France was one such royal who sported a toupee in order to hide his balding scalp. Massive wigs, often featuring elaborate curls that had been peppered with white powder, soon became all the rage among the noble figures in England and France. Wealthy American colonists took on the trend of donning this accessory as a status symbol up until the American Revolution, which killed off fashions with monarchy-inspired roots.

Snake Oil

In the United States, the 19th century witnessed the emergence of so-called “snake oil” salesmen. These people were, to every intents and purposes, swindlers masquerading as doctors who peddled sham potions that promised to treat all that ails you. A number of these tonics were cited to be formulated to reverse hair loss, including an ointment called Seven Sutherland Sisters’ Hair Grower, inspired and promoted by a family of sideshow performers with cascading locks.

 

Image: Joe Mabel under Creative Commons.