Hair begins to fall out over time with the effect of aging, hormones and environmental factors. Weakened and thinned hair falls out and baldness occurs over time. In hair loss, the effect of external factors is as great as the effect of hormones. Due to reasons such as stress, work tempo, unhealthy diet, the rate of hair loss increases.
Apart from environmental factors, some diseases cause hair loss. Diseases are treated with medication. When the hair starts to thin, you can prevent shedding with some care you will apply. Taking early precautions when the first spills start will prevent major problems in the future.
Causes Of Hair Loss?
Hair strands have a certain life cycle. In a cycle of 4-6 years, hair goes through the phases of growth, stopping and shedding. Losing 50-100 hair strands in daily life is considered normal. If this number is high, baldness occurs over time.
Some causes of hair loss are;
- Genetic factors: Genetic hair loss is generally seen in men. Those who have baldness problems in their families also experience hair loss and baldness over time. In women, although rare, male pattern hair loss is experienced. The general reason for hair loss in women is related to hormones. If no precautions are taken, the shed hair becomes permanent. If precautions are taken early, hair loss can be stopped by applying hormone therapy. In the last stage of male pattern hair loss, a permanent solution is provided by performing a hair transplant operation.
- Skin problems: Skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema, acne and fungus on the skin cause hair loss. Permanent hair loss may occur as a result of skin and fungal diseases in oily skin. When skin diseases begin to occur, if they are treated, the shed or thinned hair grows back in a healthy way.
- Wrong nutrition: Bad foods consumed unknowingly during the day cause hair loss. Since irregular and inadequate nutrition causes the loss of vitamins and minerals necessary for hair growth, the hair becomes weak and shed over time.
- Vitamin deficiency: Some vitamins and minerals are needed for hair growth and elongation. Hair loss occurs when vitamins and minerals such as B12, vitamin D, biotin, zinc, iron, and folic acid are deficient in the body. If the missing vitamins and minerals are taken, hair loss slows down and stops over time.
- Hormones: Hair loss occurs as a result of hormonal imbalance, especially in women. Shedding can be stopped with a blood test to learn hormone levels and a hormone supplement to be applied according to the result.
What Are The Growth Stages Of Hair?
There are some stages of hair growth. The growth stages of hair follicles are;
- Anogen phase: The growth phase of hair follicles is called Allogen phase. 85% of the hair is formed in this phase and begins to grow. The hair growth phase lasts about 2-4 years.
- Catogen phase: it is the second phase of the growth phase of the hair. The catogen phase, also called the transition period in the growth phase, lasts about 3 weeks. And over time, hair growth slows down.
- Telogen phase: is the last phase of the hair growth phase and is known as the resting phase. At this stage, the hair falls out and the first phase begins again, that is, new hair replaces the lost hair.
What Are The Ways To Prevent Hair Loss?
Losing 50-100 strands of hair in daily life is considered normal. In some people, this number is higher. Since some points are not taken care of in daily life, hair is shed more than normal. In order to prevent hair loss, you need to pay attention to the points that we will mention below, so that hair loss will decrease and stop completely over time.
Things to consider in order to prevent hair loss are;
- Do not wash frequently
If you constantly wet your hair, hair breakage occurs. As a result of the contact of hair follicles with water, swelling occurs in the roots and forces the skin, which causes shedding.
- Do not neglect the cleaning and care of the scalp
The scalp is one of the most important points for shedding, and if the skin is cleaned and cared for, there is no shedding problem. Care and cleaning of the scalp prevents clogging of hair follicles, so hair follicles breathe and shedding is minimized.
- Be careful with your shampoo choice
The choice of shampoo according to the hair type and the way the shampoo is used are very important. Those who have oily, dry or normal hair and skin structure should choose a shampoo according to the needs of the hair. The shampoo should be applied to the scalp and completely removed from the hair during the washing phase.
- Do not use hair dryer
Hair dryer or devices that apply heat treatment it damages the hair. As a result of the heat treatment, drying and burning problems occur in the scalp and hair. When drying your hair, it is best to dry your hair by using the cold air part of the dryer, not the hot air part.
- Do not wash your hair with hot water
It is correct to wash your hair with warm water. Very hot water damages the scalp and hair strands. Hot water causes hair follicles to produce more oil.
- Comb your hair slowly
You should be slow and gentle when combing your hair. Using a hard comb and combing it quickly causes scratches on the scalp and breakage of hair strands.
- Washing according to hair type
How many times a week you need to wash is determined according to the type and structure of the hair. People with dry hair can wash their hair 2-3 times a week, and those with oily hair can wash their hair 4-5 times a week. In case of washing hair every day, they should apply shampoo every 2 days.
- Be careful when your hair is wet
Your hair is more unstable when wet, so you should not comb your hair when it is wet and dry it with a towel.
- Use of quality products
It is very important that the products you use for hair care are of high quality. Products that do not contain sulfates, parabens, phthalas should be preferred.
Products with vegetable oils such as coconut, olive, jojoba are good for hair.
- Take a zinc supplement
If your hair is breaking and falling out a lot, it may be due to zinc deficiency. Hair loss is reduced in the form of additional supplements or as a result of adequate zinc intake from vegetables and fruits.
- Pay attention to iron deficiency
Iron deficiency causes severe hair loss, especially in women. You can solve this problem by learning the iron level by having a blood test, taking medication and especially consuming red meat.
- Get your hormones checked
Especially low thyroid hormone levels cause hair loss in the person. You can prevent hair loss by keeping the thyroid hormone level in balance.