Losing your hair can be a traumatic time. As you start to notice the crown thinning and the hairline receding you see all hope being swept away with it. Or does hope still remain? Does hair loss have to be permanent?
Can Hair Loss Be Reversed?
Hair loss, in some cases can be reversed. It will, however, depend on what is causing your bought of hair loss.
Male Pattern Baldness
Male pattern baldness or MPB occurs as a result of your genes as well as the male sex hormones. There is a pattern that is generally followed. This can be tracked under the Norwood Scale and most common cycles through; receding hairline followed by a thinning of the crown.
Overtime, the hair of those suffering from MPB will go through a process called miniaturisation. This is where the hair follicle becomes smaller and smaller until it is no longer possible for a hair to grow at that follicle. The hair then starts to thin. In some cases the follicle will remain alive. Here there is the chance that it could become active again at some future point.
How to Reverse Hair loss due to MPB
Treatment is not essential under any medical grounds. However, if you are unhappy with your appearance on an aesthetic level then there are things you can do. The simplest way is to cover up your hair loss. This can be achieved through changing your hairstyle or buzzing your hair short. Although these methods are the most readily available and least expensive, they do not correct the problem but merely disguise it.
There are some forms of medication that have been suggested to treat male pattern baldness. These medicines should not be take without first consulting a dermatologist and your doctor. They will also not work with every patient and may come with some potential side effects.
- Minoxidil (Rogaine): This comes in the form of a mixed solution. You apply this directly to your scalp on a daily basis in the hope that it will stimulate growth of your hair follicles. Generally, this treatment will slow down the balding process in some men. It may give you a few more years of hair but will not turn around the balding process for MPB sufferers.
- Finasteride (Propecia): This comes in the form of a pill. It works by stopping the production of a form of the male sex hormone, testosterone. Again, this solution will slow down hair loss in some men but not all.
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP): A revolutionary new treatment that works by injecting your own blood platelets back into the areas that are balding. This can help with the growth of new cells, in this cases, hair and follicle cells.
Hair Loss Caused by Anxiety
Anxiety has a complex relationship with hair loss. The catalyst for this correlation is stress. Stress can cause an imbalance of hormones in your body and in turn this can cause certain illnesses to manifest. Some of these conditions will lead to hair loss:
- Alopecia – Signs of this are a sudden loss of large sections of hair.
- Telogen Effluvium – This condition occurs where your hair ‘sheds’ due to more hair than usually going through he preparation phases to fall out.
- Trichotillomania – A condition where stress and anxiety causes a person to unknowingly tug at their hair as a way of pain diversion. This leads to hair becoming brittle and falling out.
If your hair loss is mild then the most common condition is likely to be Telogen Effluvium. However, if you are noticing a lot of hair loss then you are likely suffering form one of the other two conditions. A lower percentage of sufferers will fallen under this category.
How to Reverse Hair Loss Due to Anxiety
If you are suffering from hair loss due to anxiety then your lack of hair may not be permanent. The key to bringing back your hair is to reduce the stress and anxiety in your life. In order to best solve your anxiety you should visit your doctor to find out how severe your issues are. Anxiety can also lead to a form of teeth grinding called ‘bruxism’. Read more about bruxism and the potential solutions here.
Hair Loss Due to bad Habits
We all develop bad habits over the course of our lives. Sadly we often don’t even realise that what we are doing is bad until someone points it out to us. here are some common bad habits to avoid whilst looking after your hair.
Forceful Brushing
Brushing or combing your hair with too much aggression can put a lot of stress on it. Not only can you cause breakage and a weakening of the hair but excessively hard brushing can also result in the cuticle flaking and stripping away. The effects of brushing too hard can be worsened if your hair is wet or damp.
Don’t Wrap That Ponytail Too Tight!
Wrapping hair ties too tightly or opting for styles such as braids or corn rows is really not good for your hair. These techniques cause a lot of irreversible traction in the hair which can leave it damaged and in poor condition.
Over-use of Heating Tools
Finding a balance between style and condition is very important. Applying heating tools such as hair straighteners can cause the hair to become dry and brittle. This means that it is more likely to break or fall out causing thinner hair. It is advised to keep the heat to a minimum and to only use these tools when essential and for the shortest possible time.
Diet
A well balanced diet can make all the difference to a person’s hair. Both iron and zinc are vital in helping your hair follicles grow and so are essentials in the diet of those with a healthy head of hair. Believe it or not, protein is not just for your muscles. Your hair uses protein to promote cell growth and repair too! A great example of a food that will help your hair growth are eggs. Eggs are not only rich in protein but are also a great source of B vitamins which all work together to help keep your hair full and healthy.
