hair loss info...maybe helpfull
Description & Prevention
Your hair stylist has been able to hide it so far. Those short, frizzy styles keep your locks looking full, and no one can tell the difference.
Last Updated: 10/29/2004 Copyright (c) Rodale, Inc. 2001
Still, it's getting hard to deny that just like 20 million other American women, you're starting to lose your hair. Now you're worried sick, checking the mirror constantly--and feeling older by the minute.
"Hair is very much part of a woman's body image," says Dominic A. Brandy, MD, medical director of Dominic A. Brandy and Associates, a permanent hair restoration practice in Pittsburgh. "Losing it can cause a great deal of stress and, in some cases, can make women lose a certain amount of respect for themselves."
It doesn't help that hair loss in women typically begins between ages 25 and 40, before you even reach middle age. "That doesn't seem quite fair," Dr. Brandy says. "You're supposed to be at your peak, and something's already happening that can make you feel older."
"The most common cause of hair loss in women is a shift in the growth cycle," says Rebecca Caserio, MD, clinical associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh. In other words, at any given time, some of your hair is growing and some of it is done growing. Most hairs have a life expectancy of 3 to 6 years. These hairs go into a resting stage for 3 months and fall out, then new hairs are produced from the same roots.
In other words, a certain amount of hair loss is normal. Think about it: Your cat probably sheds hundreds of hairs a day without going bald. "We normally shed somewhere between 50 and 100 hairs every day," says Dr. Caserio. "But there are a whole host of life events--namely, hormone shifts from birth control pills, pregnancy, and menopause--that affect growing conditions, so that we can sometimes lose hundreds of hairs a day." Rapid weight loss, severe dandruff, iron deficiency, and a low protein intake can also speed up the normal rate of hair loss by forcing hairs into a rooting stage. A serious illness or a physical stress, such as childbirth, can trigger dramatic (but temporary) hair loss in women of up to 50%, but this only occurs in extreme cir****tances, says Dr. Caserio.
"Hair loss, particularly when it occurs at the crown, can also be caused by genetics," adds Dr. Caserio. Hereditary baldness is not just a male problem, she points out. Women can inherit a predisposition toward baldness from either parent.
You can use proper nutrition to prevent hair loss:
Get adequate protein. Eat a couple of 3- to 4-oz servings of fish, chicken, or other lean sources of protein every day, says Elizabeth Whitmore, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. Protein is needed by every cell in your body, including the cells that make the hair. Without adequate protein, the cells in your body don't work efficiently and can't make new hair to replace old hair that's been shed.
Maintain iron levels. Since iron-deficiency anemia can also cause hair loss, make sure that you eat a well-balanced diet that includes a daily serving or two of iron-rich foods, says Dr. Whitmore. Good sources of iron include lean red meat, steamed clams, cream of wheat, dried fruit, soybeans, tofu, and broccoli.
Take vitamin B6. "I have no idea why it works, but 100 mg a day of vitamin B6 seems to decrease hair shedding in some people," says Dr. Caserio. Just don't take any more than that without consulting a doctor, she cautions. Larger amounts can be toxic, especially over a prolonged time. Related Discussions Related Topics
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Last Updated: 10/29/2004 Copyright (c) Rodale, Inc. 2001
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