Causes of Hairloss - What Can Be Done?

We all suffer from hairloss. It's a fact that even if we're not genetically inclined to alopecia or pattern baldness, we still lose hair regularly. On average, a person can lose up to about 120 strands on a single day. That goes for the whole body. The hair on our scalp is where the loss clearly displays itself. It's cyclic which means hair growth will last between two to six years. Right now, ten percent of the hair on your head is dormant or not growing at all and is ready to shed. New hair will grow in it's place which will grow to about a centimeter per month.

But of course, if the skin on your head is already reflecting light, you should at least do something, right? Because that's no longer the result of cyclic shedding. The good news is that there are solutions to baldness, and the one right for you will depend on the reason you're losing your hair.

A pretty common reason for baldness, is of course, your genetic predisposition to hairloss. In other words, it may run in the family. You may have ancestors who were bald. You may have inherited genes that cause hair follicles in specific areas of your scalp, like the crown, to become sensitive to certain natural hormones like dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that cause hair to fall out. One day, some genetic therapy will be available to fix this. But that's in the future.

Mild male pattern baldness at the crown area of the scalp in men can be dealt with easily with remedies like once-a-day finasteride tablets by reducing DHT. Shampoos with minoxidil can also help by making shrunken hair follicles larger, thereby making them less prone to disangaging from the scalp. Unlike finasteride, minoxidil shampoos have versions for women. Minoxidil shampoos often have to be used for up to eight months before the ideal hair quality is achieved.

Apart from genetic causes, hairloss can also be the result of medicins being taken and treatments like chemotherapy, which destorys cells. Its's been siad that stress also causes hairloss, but it really has to be physical stress that puts a toll on your hair, like when some chemical accidentally spills onto your head. Hairloss can also be caused by comedones or sebaceous pugs in the opening of the hair follicle. Comedones are often associated with the face, but they also occur on the scalp and affect hair growth. Keeping your scalp clean is a good way to keep comedones away.

If you also lack nutrients in your body essential for a healthy hair and scalp, you may also experience more hair loss than the usual. Taking multivitamins is okay, especially if they are maximized for antioxidant benefits.

Before trying out a treatment for hairloss, always consult a dermatologist first. People are different, like the many colors of hair, and one treatment for someone may not exactly be suitable in your case.

Top wallpaper picture is of Nelly Furtado, who sang Let My Hair Down.

Gene for Hair Loss May Have Been Discovered: Baldness Cure Forthcoming?

Japanese researchers have studied hair loss in mice and they may have discovered the gene that causes hair loss. They believe it is the same gene that is associated with alopecia (inherited hair loss) in people. The gene is called Sox21 and the researchers bred mice that did not have this gene. These mice experienced regular hair loss that began at the crown of their head until all the hair fell out, including the whiskers. This happened within 25 days. Any new hair growth was followed by hair loss.

The repeated hair loss in the subject mice was observed for two years. It was also noted that the mice had larger oil-secreting glands around hair follicles and had thicker skin during periods of hair loss. After analyzing human skin samples, the scientists led by Yumiko Saga of the Division of Mammalian Development at the National Institute of Genetics in Mishima, discovered that the same gene is expressed in the hair shaft cuticle of people.

The findings could pave the way for cures to specific hair loss in the future.