Causes of Hair Loss, Prevention, Treatments and Restoration

When you think of hair loss, you may think of stress and other lifestyle choices (unhealthy food and drink habits, spending times in spoiled spaces like smoking areas), work toxic environment, genetic factors, hormones, thyroid problems, lack of vitamins and minerals from the body, infections, medications, and other diseases can all cause hair loss too.

Talk first with your doctor (dermatologist) about your concerns and the potential causes for your hair loss. A good doctor recommends a treatment that’s right for you after an appropriate medical checkup that include, diagnosed through a medical history and physical exam: scalp test, hair&scalp microscop test/analysis (a hair& scalp sample might also be taken), blood test (including testing for a specific condition, such as an overactive or underactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism), lack of vitamins or minerals, etc), other medical checkup conditions related with hair loss mentioned below in the article.

Losing hair normally doesn’t have much effect on your appearance or warmth, but when you start losing an unusual amount it can be cause for concern. Lets mention some of them:

Diseases and medical condition/ medications specially
Pharmaceuticals type can come with a long list of side effects, including hair loss. Example: thyroid medications, oral contraceptives, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, anticoagulants, others. Many medical conditions like chronic and other disease can lead to abnormal balding, renal failure, inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease, skin conditions like psoriasis and dermatitis.

Scalp Health Problems like eczema and dandruff if not treated it can become itchy and inflamed that it causes temporary hair loss. That’s another good reason to correctly diagnose the problem with your doctor and take the right medication (preferable herbal extracts).

Nutritional Deficiencies like zinc and iron deficiency are the most common nutritional links to hair loss. But some evidence indicates that low intakes of fats, vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin A, copper, selenium, and biotin could also be to blame.

Hormonal Changes & Physical and emotional stress
Women may lose hair following childbirth or while menopause, oral contraceptives, etc. Aside from genetic male pattern baldness, man can lose hair as their hormonal composition changes with age.

Physical and emotional stress can cause hair loss. Health problems like infections, surgery, high fevers, blood loss, autoimmune disease, medication can cause enough stress to cause excessive shedding. Fortunately, the causes of physical stress are often temporary and the hair loss subsides as the body heals.

In UAE and another country’s, one of the main problem may be the “Hard” water (desalinized water example is that has a high mineral content, high stores of copper and magnesium). Water with a high mineral content might make your hair feel drier and more brittle, which can contribute to hair loss.

If you’re experiencing hair loss or breakage, there might be more to blame than your over styling procedures and it is proven already that covering tight the hair (suffocating the pores/scalp breathing) are also some of the reasons.

Hair covering, shampoo and styling products affects the pH balance

Your hair and scalp contain a certain amount of acid, while dirt contains alkaline. A healthy pH balance is vital for the health of your hair, but your daily hair styling habits and hair products can actually throw off the balance, especially in some hard weather factor conditions.
Shampoo Strips Moisture, while washing your hair gets rid of everything, dirt, oil, and the moisture that your hair needs, so it ends up dry and unprotected, which is why conditioner is so important to help restore oils to your hair.
Beside bad environmental reputation and toxic ingredients, regularly use of NON natural cosmetic items cause hair loss especially if you have used it for years without being careful to wash your hair and scalp daily, particularly before bed, in order to prevent the clogging of your skins pores.
Hair grows in phases. Each individual hair on your head grows for a period (several years), then it goes into a resting period for around two weeks, before it falls out. The hair that has been shed will be replaced with a new hair.
Here are some things that may be in your hair products: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate — This is an ingredient that is supposedly “derived from coconut oil”, but it’s usually made synthetically using petroleum as the base. They can irritate your eyes, dry out your skin, and even damage your hair if the shampoo has a high concentration of the chemical.
Amodimethicone —This is a fluid form of silicone, and it helps to give the shampoo the smooth texture that makes it so much fun to apply. It can cause negative allergic reactions to those that are sensitive to it.
Cocoamide DEA — This is the stuff that makes the shampoo foam very nicely, but it is a synthetic material that gives us the thickness of the foam. It is often contaminated with nitrosamines, which can be carcinogenic.
CA-24 — This ingredient is also called acidamide, and it is used in many bath products to fight off microbes. The concentration of the ingredient is often as high as 0.3%, but even just 0.1% concentration can cause negative allergic reactions.
Propylene Glycol — This ingredient is used in brake fluid and antifreeze, but it’s also found in shampoos. It helps to moisturize your hair, but it’s made from mineral oil. Too much of this ingredient can cause kidney and liver problems.
Nitrosamines — This isn’t an ingredient that is included in shampoo, but it is a compound that can be formed by all the ingredients ending in “-amine” and “-amide”. The compound is known to be highly carcinogenic.

Using the wrong brush and going in the wrong brushing direction
Your best bet is a gentler option, like a boar bristle brush, natural hair brush (check for the best products Laverne Shop WTC Souq, Khalifa Street Abu Dhabi) or a comb with staggered teeth, which takes down knots without tearing them out. Most women make the mistake of brushing from roots to ends on dry hair, which creates more knots and ultimately adds unnecessary damage. You should start a few inches from your ends and brush it downward, moving upwards and closer to your scalp only when you’ve taken care of all the tangles in the section you’re working with at the moment. Going down the entire length of hair in one, long swipe makes it inevitable that you’ll snag your brush on multiple tangles, increasing your odds of breakage.

Excessive sun exposure, swimming pools, humidity, AC can be bad for your skin and hair. There is evidence that suggests abnormally high exposure to those environmental conditions, specially chlorine might cause the scalp to become agitated, dry, and flaky.

Tips by Mihaela:

1. Eat and drink healthy
Drink pure good water to hydrate your body.
There are more healthy food with benefits for the hair health, please make your own research and chose whatever make you happy and suit your diet. Is good to eat a balanced diet that includes some high-biotinfoods: peanuts, almonds, wheat bran, salmon, avocados, and low-fat cheese. Spinach is iron rich and it contains sebum, which acts as a natural conditioner for hair. The leafy green also provides omega-3 acids, magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron. All help keep hair lustrous, shiny and, most importantly, out of the drain.
Citrus fruits specially tangerines. Its vitamin C content makes it easier for your body to absorb iron, such as from spinach The vitamin B12 in tangerines promotes hair growth, reduces hair loss, and slows down the graying process.
Oats are rich in iron, fiber, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which stimulate hair growth, making it thick and healthy.

2. Soften your water by getting a shower filter
Softening the water, you use to wash your hair can help you have a healthy and strong head of hair. The most comprehensive way to do this is by lowering the mineral content of the water.
One of the practical and affordable option is just to get a filter for your shower head. These work in much the same way as a regular water filter, by neutralizing pH levels. You will need to replace your existing shower head, but this is a lot cheaper and easier than buying a full water softening system. I have mine from ACE Home Hardware&More store but I ve seen also good quality products but little expensive among city pharmacies.

3. Look for healthy shampoos with no sulfates and other chemical ingredients
My advice to those shopping for healthy skin care products including shampoos: CHECK THE LABEL!!! If it has a name you can’t pronounce, it may not be as natural as you’d life.
There are shampoos available that are specifically designed to help you clean healthy your scalp and hair. With natural ingredients, extracts from plants, nutrients from fruits and veggies, and healthy oils and also working well for hard water that can help you lower the chances of hair loss. These shampoos are designed to tackle and prevent mineral build-up in your hair. Look for a sulfate free shampoo, don’t have any colorants, and no ingredients that will make the shampoo foam up nicely. Only use this shampoo maximum twice a week. Use a moisturizing conditioner after you use this shampoo.

4. Try Natural Remedies
Add 10 drops of rosemary oil in your 100ml shampoo bottle, give a shake each time of use. Beside antifungal, antiseptic and antibacterial effect, is proven that when applied over the scalp rosemary essential oil helps stimulate hair growth. Many people also claim that it can prevent baldness, slows graying, and can be used to treat dandruff and dry scalp.

Add organic apple vinegar to the water you use to rinse your hair. Mix one tablespoon of vinegar with three cups of water and 2 drops of lavender essential oil.

Once a week use a hot oil treatment for your hair and scalp. I have a fantastic blend made with organic pure cold pressed oils and organic pure essential oils. Attached I will add the photo of it. But you can make your own simple mix. Before you proceed take a second to google search about the best carrier oils and the best essential oils for hair and scalp benefits.
In some glass jar 1 tablespoons of a castor carrier oil, 2 tablespoon of coconut oil and a 8 drops of rosemary essential oil. Place the jar in a bowl of hot water until the oil is warm.
Gradually massage the entire amount using your fingertips into your dry scalp for several minutes. Make sure to apply a little blend down the length of your hair until the ends. Wrap your hair with plastic wrap or plastic shower cap, and then cover it with a very warm damp towel.
Replace with another warm towel once the first one has cooled. Leave the blend for at least 30-45. You can stay with it overnight, and if you do this, remove the plastic wrap and sleep with a dry towel on your pillow to absorb the oil. Then rinse and lightly shampoo your hair with a chemical free shampoo. Follow with conditioner if you want.

5. Keep the scalp clean and the pores clear and unblocked, keep your hair uncover as much possible.

6. Dry your hair by wrapping it in a pure cotton towel after a shower or bath.

7. Keep brushing to minimum, excessive brushing can cause split ends.

8. Reduce the use of “long-lasting hold” styling products.

9. Allow your hair to partially air dry before you style or comb. Decreasing the number of times per week that you blow dry also helps limit damage.

10. Limit and if possible avoid flat irons (excessive heat can damage your hair), wear braids, cornrows, ponytails and hair extensions. These styles pull on the hair and can cause tension that leads to breakage. If the tension continues, permanent hair loss can develop.

11. Be sure to thoroughly wash and rinse hair after each swim session. Use ample amounts of shampoo to remove all chemical traces, and finish your post-swim wash with a protein-enriched conditioner that will replenish the hair’s natural moisture.

12. Avoid crowded places full of smoke and other toxic environmental products

13. Smile and love! Dont worry, be happy!

Research has tied hair loss to lower self-esteem, body image, and increased anxiety. Fortunately, many of these non-genetic causes for hair loss can be prevented and successfully treated and the hair loss averted and even reversed.

In the featured image HERBALSEVEN hair and scalp treatment oil made with love by Mihaela. A combination of pure cold pressed vegetable oils and pure essential oils.

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