Could Health Be The Cause Of Hair Loss
COULD HEALTH BE THE CAUSE OF HAIR LOSS
Article by Melva Williams
Photo Credit: Victor of Valencia
Magazine: Issue #35
So many people are unaware of how their health can cause hair loss. Some of us have not made the connection of how our medical issues and hair issues are related. Anything that affects your blood stream is going to affect your hair. Most people see hair loss as an external problem; things that cause external hair loss such as too tight weaves, braids, and chemical over-processing. But there are internal reasons why we lose our hair as well, such as poor diet, hormones, stress, medications, over exercising, and hydration. All these things have to do with internal issues that can lead to hair loss but often over looked.
The roots of your hair are nourished by tiny blood vessels called capillaries. If the circulation to these blood vessels is disrupted, they can fall or break. It is for this reason that the internal issues can cause hair loss.
Hair growth is regulated by hormonal changes in the body. These hormones can affect not only how much grows, but whether growth stops and new hair grows.
The hormones with the most direct effects on the hair growth are androgens, the male sex hormones that include testosterone. Changing your diet, avoiding excessive caffeine, and exercising. This reduces stress and gives you balance. When it comes to medication and medical issues, always check out the side effects yourself to see if they list hair loss. These drugs interfere with the hairs normal growth cycle allowing the follicles to go into a resting phase for a longer period of time. Consult with doctor for any changes in medication if you notice hair loss. For strengthening your hair, talk with stylist or hair care professional about protein treatments that build up your hair.
Then there are the stress factors...
Severe stress causes white blood cells to attack the hair follicle, stopping growth and making the hair fall out.
Emotional or physical stress pushes large numbers of growing hairs into a resting phase, after a few months the affected hairs suddenly fall out when combed or shampooed. Last, the irresistible urge to pull hair from your scalp (picking in head); this is a way with dealing with anxiety, tension, loneliness, fatigue or frustration.These that I have outlined are just a few, but there are many other reasons for internal hair loss causes.
I see so many women today going natural for various reasons. One of the concerns is that I heard some say it’s the stylist or the chemicals that brought out my hair. The truth of the matter is it could be one of those or neither. It could very well be what’s going on with your body that's causing your hair loss. When going natural the whole idea is to go back to the basics. Taking it back to the roots, so to speak. For some this works, for others it may not if there are issues lying dormant. So what happens when you go natural and your hair is still not healthy, not growing, or you’re still having hair loss?
We can’t continue to cover up what’s going on with our hair. It’s ok to wear wigs, weaves, and braids as an extension of ourselves. What happens when you can no longer wear chemicals because of hormonal issues or high blood pressure medication because your body is reacting with the chemicals? When you’re tired of all this and finally decide, I want to wear my own hair!
This is where you must educate yourself, whether client or stylist. You must expand your knowledge of the internal things that cause hair loss. First, by knowing your body, giving an honest account of where you are in your health, diet, and fitness regimen. Next, are you on any medications or have medical reasons that cause hair loss? What is your stress level, any hormonal imbalances, or anemia? Last, are you hydrating yourself properly?
I have given you information on some of the internal cause of hair loss. Have you begun to connect your dots of how your medical issues and your hair issues are related? Remember, whatever is going on inside will eventually show up on the outside.
