Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Hair Loss Prevention Tips

Hair it is full of nonsense, but it does contain some good information for those of you who are seeing some troubling hair loss symptoms.

I’m sorry I just don’t buy into these hair re-growth claims no matter who they come from. I have yet to see a legitimate double blind scientific study from any source that has proven you can re-grow hair with any product. Just save your money, when and if a product ever does scientifically prove to re-grow hair you won’t have to worry about being in the loop. It will be front page headlines in every news media in every corner of the globe. You could be living in a cave and the news will get to you. It will be the biggest medical story of the decade. You’ll get tired of hearing the story.

In the meantime just say no to all these claims.

But if you begin to see the telltale signs that you are losing your hair there are some pro active things you should do immediately they are:

  1. Make an appointment immediately to see a Doctor. Many times it can be a simple chemical imbalance.

  2. Take the braids, ponytails and other tight hair pulling Hairstyle off the table immediately

  3. Stop all chemical treatments immediately.

  4. Change to a healthier diet and drink lots of water.

You can’t re-grow your hair but you can for sure slow down the losses.

Female hair loss not so rare
Contra Costa Times

CHERYL BREWSTER was the envy of every gym rat, with her hard body and shoulder-length, sun-kissed locks.

So when her hair began falling out two years ago, the personal trainer was devastated.

‘My part was getting wider, I could see more of my scalp and it was no coincidence that clumps of hair were falling out in the shower,’ says Brewster, 40, of Orinda.

A slew of vitamins and thickening shampoos later, Brewster’s dermatologist diagnosed her with female-pattern baldness and started her on Rogaine — the drug minoxidil — which initially caused Brewster to shed more hair. It is only recently, after a year of use, that Brewster is seeing regrowth.

‘I was horrified,’ recalls Brewster, who went on anti-depressants. ‘I didn’t want to be the trainer with the bald head.’

It’s likely that stress and anemia exacerbated Brewster’s genetic condition. In fact, there are endless triggers for the millions of women who suffer from hair loss — from medications and crash dieting to thyroid problems and autoimmune disorders, says Alexander Lewis, a Walnut Creek dermatologist. Millions more suffer from traction alopecia, a hair-loss epidemic caused by cornrow braids and other tight hairstyles.

Unlike male-pattern baldness, which is triggered by a known hormone, women with the condition often find themselves on a frustrating journey with more dead-ends than answers. Often they become depressed, coping with the loss of their crowning glory in a society that favors full, youthful heads of hair. For that reason, many don’t seek help. But a growing online community is now spreading the word on what works and where to get help.

‘Women have camouflaged their hair loss for a long time,’ says Alan Bauman, a Florida hair transplant surgeon whose clientele is 40 percent female. ‘But it is definitely coming out of the closet, thanks to new treatments.’

Hair loss is perfectly normal. The average woman sheds 50 to 100 hairs daily, experts say. With age, follicles produce less quality hair, particularly after menopause. Regardless, dermatologists see just as many women in their 30s and 40s as post-menopausal women, says Dr. Lewis, a Stanford University adjunct associate professor of dermatology