Women of The World

We all lose hair everyday - this is part of the natural hair growth cycle. The balance 90% is in a phase that is growing. When loss of hair reaches a higher proportion than the usual limits, then it is a matter of concern. These include: Plenty of reasons cause hair loss. The usual looks involve one or several spots on the scalp. When there is a mal-function of the immune system the intrinsic white cells attack the hair follicles and result in this ailment. Alopecia Totalis is another reason for hair loss where all the scalp hair has fallen. When all the body hair is lost it is called Alopecia Universalis, a rare condition.

Hereditary factors: This can affect 25% of men by the time they are 30 years of age. It is primarily genetic but is also due to the male hormone testosterone. This hormone either retards or stops growth and produces weak and unhealthy hair. Men not having any testosterone would not suffer from male pattern baldness.

Skin diseases: this can affect the scalp and be the reason for hair loss. Some of the skin diseases include dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, scalp fungus such as ringworm and tinea captis.

Sudden illness or fever: after any serious illness or fever, you could experience large chunks of hair falling out. This is generally a temporary condition however.

Childbirth, menopause, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and aging are some of the other factors which could be behind hair loss. Though these are the primary reasons for hair loss, there could be several others also.

Treating hair loss can be done successfully by which you not only stop hair fall but help in re-growth too. Some natural hair loss treatments are:

1. Vitamins A, B, C and E are excellent for promoting new hair growth. What are the roles of these vitamins? They provide sebum, promote blood circulation to the scalp by enhancement of oxygen absorption and collagen.

2. Taking care of your scalp: Learn to massage your scalp regularly with herbal oils like olive oil, jojoba oil, amla oil. If you want to treat conditions of alopecia areata, try some essential oils like that of thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedar wood.

3. Beware of scalp abuse: Avoid using harsh chemical shampoos daily and do away with blow drying. You can severely damage hair and scalp by coloring as well as straightening. Daily hair wash with hot water depletes hair of natural oil and turn break-prone.

4. Using herbal care: Using powders of amla, shikakai, henna and ritha as shampoo and conditioner can be an effective treatment. This is also the richest source of natural vitamin C. Shikakai also known as Fruit for the hair has a natural low pH and is great as a shampoo because it cleanses without removing natural hair oils. Henna then acts as a natural conditioner.

5. Lifestyle - Stress is a very important factor in hair loss. Try and reduce stress by meditating and exercising. Smoking is bad for the scalp: This is because the nicotine from cigarettes restricts blood flow to the scalp by constricting the relevant blood vessels. Avoid over exposure to the sun as the UV rays could damage your scalp.