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I Am Losing My Hair, What Can I Do?

By David McEvoy

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 15Mar2010 Word count: 833 Viewed: 267 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Female pattern baldness is not the same as male pattern baldness and is less well understood. Whereas men's hair usually starts to recede at the hairline, women will usually start to see overall thinning of the hair or hair loss at the top or back of the head.

There are many reasons why a woman's hair might start to thin or fall out and part of the solution is to try and identify why it's happening to you. Once you have figured out the underlying cause you can start to look at possible treatments.

The following are some of the most common reasons for female hair loss.

- A genetic tendency towards hair loss - if it runs in your family then there's a higher risk of you losing your hair too

- Poor diet - your hair needs the right vitamins and nutrients for healthy hair growth

- Illness - some medical conditions can result in hair loss or hair thinning, such as thyroid problems or anaemia, but it can also occur if your health is poor in general

- Medication - again some types of medication can increase the chances of you losing your hair

- Stress - prolonged and severe stress will take its toll on your health and can cause hair loss and hair thinning

- Childbirth - after giving the birth the effect of hormones can result in temporary hair loss, this type of hair loss is known as Post Partum Alopecia. The hair should start to grow again a few months after giving birth

- Chemicals - harsh chemicals in some products can cause hair to fall out, as will some types of chemotherapy. This type of hair loss is often temporary.

- Infections - if you have a scalp infection then this could contribute to hair loss so make sure any scalp problems are dealt with before looking at other options as healing the scalp may be all the action you need to take

- Hormones - hormonal changes in the body can trigger hair loss in some women

If you don't know the cause of your hair loss then you need to seek the advice of your doctor. He or she will be able to carry out a physical examination, take into account your full medical history, perhaps take some blood tests to identify your blood count, hormone levels and test for thyroid problems, and advise you on the best course of action for you, or he or she may refer you to another professional for more specialist help.

Once you are aware of the possible cause of your hair loss then you can look at possible treatment options. Sometimes it's just a case of adjusting your lifestyle, correcting diet, avoiding stress, but in other cases you might have to look at more drastic options.

There are literally thousands of hair care products on the market that will claim to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss but think about this, if they worked we would all know about it and no one would be suffering from hair loss anymore. The simple truth is that hair loss products are big business because there is such a huge demand. Beware of any products claiming to reverse hair loss unless they have been recommended by your doctor or a hair specialist. So what does work?

Minoxidil (Rogaine)

This is a hair loss solution that can be used by women and depending on where you live, could be available without prescription. Minoxidil was a drug that was initially used to treat high blood pressure but when some people took it they found that one of the side effects was that it promoted hair growth. It is now used by both men and women to combat hair loss.

Diet

Are you sure you are getting the right vitamins and minerals? For example, you need range of vitamins and particularly Biotin and Zinc. If you eat a healthy balanced diet then you should be getting enough. However, one thing that is all too often missing from the average diet is enough of Omega 3 essential fatty acids, particularly Eicosapentaenoic acid. This fatty acid is only found in fatty fish and in fish oil and is necessary for healthy hair growth and good condition of the hair. You could try supplementing with fish oil and you could see results in around 3 months.

Stress

If stress is the underlying reason for your hair loss then it would be in your best interests to reduce your stress levels as much as possible. Perhaps this means changing your job, reducing your hours, learning relaxation techniques, making more time for yourself, taking up a hobby or whatever. The important thing is to find ways of reducing your stress levels not just to help combat hair loss but for your health in general.

Wigs

If you know your hair loss is likely to be permanent then there are some very stylish and flattering wigs available today, which look so realistic no one would be able to tell the difference.

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