Fight hair loss. Video reviews
Every day a person almost imperceptibly loses on average up to 80 hairs, but if the number of lost hairs grows, this cannot but be alarming. Someone begins to sound the alarm when they see that there is more hair left on the comb than usual, and someone does not begin to worry until they notice that the hair has thinned significantly. However, increased hair loss is not only an aesthetic problem, it can indicate pathological processes in the body. Therefore, the sooner the cause of baldness is identified and the fight against it begins, the more chances you have to maintain health and thick beautiful hair.
Before you start fighting hair loss, you need to determine the cause. Pathological progressive hair loss is called alopecia by experts. There are several types of alopecia, caused by various causes and requiring different treatment:
- androgenetic (androgenic)
- diffuse
- nested (focal)
- traumatic
- cicatricial
Androgenetic alopecia is caused genetically and is caused by the damaging effect of male sex hormones on hair follicles – the hair becomes thinner, partially discolored and falls out very easily. Most cases of male pattern baldness are caused precisely by androgenic alopecia.
In women, this type of alopecia is usually manifested with the onset of menopause, but there are cases of baldness that began in adolescence. Hair thinns from the middle parting, baldness does not affect the back of the head and temporal areas.
For the treatment of androgenic alopecia in women, the drug minoxidil, produced in forms for external use, has been successfully used. Hormonal agents with an antiandrogenic effect are also used, including some oral contraceptives. Low-intensity laser therapy is effective.
Taking multivitamins, the use of various kinds of caring masks and physiotherapy procedures for androgenic alopecia have no effect
Transplantation of own hair from the occipital zone is used successfully in women, but less often than in men, due to the difference in the forms of baldness. In women with androgenetic alopecia, hair falls out over a larger area of the head, but the areas completely devoid of hair are much smaller, and hair transplantation often does not have the desired cosmetic effect.
The earlier treatment with a specialist is started, the more favorable the prognosis, since over time the hair follicles die and hair loss becomes irreversible.
With diffuse alopecia, hair falls out evenly over the entire area of the head. Women suffer from it more often than men. This type is also called symptomatic alopecia, since baldness with diffuse alopecia is a consequence or a sign of disturbances in the functioning of the body. Therefore, its treatment involves, first of all, eliminating the cause that caused hair loss.
Diffuse alopecia is divided into telogen and anagen forms, depending on the stage of hair loss. Telogenic alopecia means the hair follicles enter the resting (telogen) stage too early. Hair loss begins 1-2 months after exposure to a damaging factor, gradually the intensity of hair loss decreases and the rate of hair growth is restored.
Most often, telogen alopecia is caused by stress, long-term chronic diseases, including anemia, and strict diets with limited protein. Also, hair loss can begin after taking certain medications (antibiotics, hormones), as a result of thyroid disorders, after childbirth.
In the anagen form, the hair begins to fall out while still in the stage of active growth. In this case, hair loss occurs more quickly and intensively, the hair itself becomes thinner and breaks off easily. Most often this happens 7-30 days after a strong toxic effect on the body (poisoning, radiation exposure, chemotherapy).
Diffuse alopecia is practically the only type of baldness in which folk remedies can help, increasing blood circulation in the scalp and restoring nutrition to the hair follicles
Treatment of diffuse alopecia consists in eliminating the damaging factor (treating the underlying disease, discontinuing the drug or replacing it with a more gentle one). A good effect is given by a rational balanced diet, taking vitamins, iron preparations. Trichologists also recommend the methods of hardware cosmetology and physiotherapy.
Alopecia areata, traumatic and cicatricial alopecia
With alopecia areata (alopecia areata), hair falls out strongly in limited, rounded areas. As the disease develops, the foci can increase, merge, sometimes foci of baldness appear not only on the head (hairy part, eyelashes, eyebrows), but also on other parts of the body. The causes of alopecia areata have not yet been identified. It is characterized by a sudden onset and spontaneous healing.
According to recent studies, rubbing a mixture of essential oils (thyme, rosemary, cedar, lavender) with a base oil is effective in the treatment of alopecia areata.
Cicatricial alopecia occurs as a result of injury or as a result of damage to the hair follicles by a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection. At the same time, in place of the hair follicles, scar (connective) tissue appears. Cicatricial alopecia is treated exclusively with surgical methods – with small lesions, the baldness sites are removed, in other cases, hair follicles from healthy areas are transplanted to the affected areas.
Traumatic alopecia is more common in women, sometimes in children. In this case, the hair falls out due to their long-term mechanical, chemical or thermal damage:
- hairstyles with strong hair tension (bun, tight braid, ponytail)
- the use of low-quality hair dyes and perms
- using a hair dryer, hair straighteners
Hair loss is possible with constant pulling out (trichotillomania). In this case, you will need not only a consultation with a trichologist, but also the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist.
This type of baldness is completely reversible if the hair follicles are not seriously damaged. Treatment consists in stopping the effect, it is possible to use medicinal shampoos and balms to restore damaged hair, a complex of vitamins for hair, and means to restore blood circulation in the scalp.
Next, read about hand skin care with folk remedies.