Hair loss can be a result of so many causes out there!
Did you know that if you have a habit of obsessively pulling your hair, it might be a disorder?
It’s a psychological disorder called Trichotillomania. This alone may cause 40-70% of hair loss from a person’s head.
Well, that is one cause.
And the others are stress, nutritional deficiencies, infections, diseases, and the list goes on.
But in the article, we will talk about one major and common cause of hair loss, that is hormonal hair loss, and how to treat it.
So what is Hormonal hair loss exactly?
If you have hair loss due to an excess or lack of production of certain hormones, you have what is called, hormonal hair loss.
The hormones that are associated with hair loss are:
It affects the function and cyclic regulation of hair follicles. In high levels, it causes disturbance in cell division and growth, and oxidative stress can damage and disrupt the hair growth cycle.
This has a detrimental action on hair follicles as it causes them to shrink. This can happen in both males and females. Although it is a male hormone, females also have minute levels of this hormone in their bodies. In males, the level of DHT must be very high to have this effect, while in females, even a little rise will do the bad deed.
PCOS is a female endocrine or hormonal disorder but it presents mainly with higher levels of male hormones (hyperandrogenism). Here, hair loss is seen in the scalp but there is unwanted hair growth in other parts of the body.
Pregnancy is another period of hormonal fluctuation and stress for women. The hair loss during pregnancy is temporary and growth returns to normal afterward.
Treatment of Hormonal Hair Loss
Minoxidil
It stimulates the hair growth cycle and helps to increase hair thickness.
It is useful in both males and females. It is available over the counter as topical minoxidil and comes in different concentrations:
2% solution is used twice daily, while 5% solution can be applied once a day.
It has few side effects such as scalp irritation or allergy.
Low Light Laser Therapy
This is a painless, non-surgical treatment for hair loss that uses laser light to stimulate hair growth. It also acts to amplify the benefits of other treatments.
It is a safe and effective treatment for hair growth in both men and women. This has no serious side effects.
Slight headaches, scalp redness, burning, and itching sensation have been reported in some cases.
Finasteride
It is a drug in the form of a pill that is prescribed for men. It is to be taken once daily. It has to be taken indefinitely to reap its benefits. However, it is known to be less effective in older men.
It takes a few months to properly appreciate the effects of Finasteride. It drastically reduces hair fall. Men have reported more hair growth after taking this medication.
Side effects are rare and include decreased sexual function and libido (sex drive).
Ketoconazole
Ketoconazole (Nizoral) shampoo is known to inhibit 5 alpha-reductase enzymes responsible for converting testosterone into DHT. Therefore, it counteracts the hair loss due to increased levels of DHT in men.
It greatly improves the strength and looks of hair.
Hormone therapy and Anti-androgens
Hormone therapy for hormonal hair loss is a form of treatment prescribed for women.
Birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy is usually recommended by doctors if the reason behind your hair loss is menopause. Birth control pills contain Progesterone or a combination of both Progesterone and Estrogen. It works similar to Hormone Replacement therapy where Estrogen and Progesterone are given to balance the lack of these hormones in the body.
For those women suffering PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), where androgen levels are increased, antiandrogens like Spironolactone are given.
Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
This is a treatment for androgenic alopecia, which is hair loss due to hormonal changes. It is known as male or female pattern baldness.
Platelet-rich plasma is separated from a person’s blood and injected into their scalp.
This process of injection is called PRPT or platelet-rich plasma therapy.
PRPT reduces hair loss and increases the density and diameter of the hair by speeding up the tissue repair process.
Hair Transplant
This is a very effective method that can be employed for long-term benefit. This is not a major surgery so you do not have to be hospitalized for this procedure.
Your dermatologist will take a graft of the scalp with hair and transplant it to another part with no hair. This way, multiple pieces of scalp containing a few hair strands will be transplanted in bald patches all over the scalp.
This process is a bit painful so a sedative is given to ease the pain.
There are a few side effects which include bleeding, swelling, bruising, and infection.
If you suffer from hereditary hair loss, the process will eventually progress regardless of the transplant process.
Good Food and Stressbusters
The answer to all ailments is good food. If you take your food well, you will rarely require medication.
For example, if you suffer from hormonal hair loss due to a lack of estrogen, foods that boost estrogen concentration can be taken. Almonds, flax seeds, soybean, tofu, and sesame seeds are such foods.
If you are looking to improve your thyroid function, seafood like roasted seaweed, shrimp, cod, tuna, and dairy products can be taken.
To reduce cortisol, the stress hormone, stress-busting foods are best.
Dark chocolates, nuts, yogurt, pumpkin seeds, and foods rich in omega-3-fatty acids are the well-known stressbusters that reduce stress as well as hair loss.
(Isn’t this the best excuse so far to eat some yummy food? Go on, grab some dark chocolate, and bust that stress!)
Did you know that if you have a habit of obsessively pulling your hair, it might be a disorder?
It’s a psychological disorder called Trichotillomania. This alone may cause 40-70% of hair loss from a person’s head.
Well, that is one cause.
And the others are stress, nutritional deficiencies, infections, diseases, and the list goes on.
But in the article, we will talk about one major and common cause of hair loss, that is hormonal hair loss, and how to treat it.
So what is Hormonal hair loss exactly?
If you have hair loss due to an excess or lack of production of certain hormones, you have what is called, hormonal hair loss.
The hormones that are associated with hair loss are:
- Cortisol: The stress hormone
It affects the function and cyclic regulation of hair follicles. In high levels, it causes disturbance in cell division and growth, and oxidative stress can damage and disrupt the hair growth cycle.
- Dihydrotestosterone: The male sex hormone
This has a detrimental action on hair follicles as it causes them to shrink. This can happen in both males and females. Although it is a male hormone, females also have minute levels of this hormone in their bodies. In males, the level of DHT must be very high to have this effect, while in females, even a little rise will do the bad deed.
PCOS is a female endocrine or hormonal disorder but it presents mainly with higher levels of male hormones (hyperandrogenism). Here, hair loss is seen in the scalp but there is unwanted hair growth in other parts of the body.
- Estrogen and Progesterone: The female sex hormones
Pregnancy is another period of hormonal fluctuation and stress for women. The hair loss during pregnancy is temporary and growth returns to normal afterward.
- Thyroxine: The thyroid hormone
Treatment of Hormonal Hair Loss
Minoxidil
It stimulates the hair growth cycle and helps to increase hair thickness.
It is useful in both males and females. It is available over the counter as topical minoxidil and comes in different concentrations:
2% solution is used twice daily, while 5% solution can be applied once a day.
It has few side effects such as scalp irritation or allergy.
Low Light Laser Therapy
This is a painless, non-surgical treatment for hair loss that uses laser light to stimulate hair growth. It also acts to amplify the benefits of other treatments.
It is a safe and effective treatment for hair growth in both men and women. This has no serious side effects.
Slight headaches, scalp redness, burning, and itching sensation have been reported in some cases.
Finasteride
It is a drug in the form of a pill that is prescribed for men. It is to be taken once daily. It has to be taken indefinitely to reap its benefits. However, it is known to be less effective in older men.
It takes a few months to properly appreciate the effects of Finasteride. It drastically reduces hair fall. Men have reported more hair growth after taking this medication.
Side effects are rare and include decreased sexual function and libido (sex drive).
Ketoconazole
Ketoconazole (Nizoral) shampoo is known to inhibit 5 alpha-reductase enzymes responsible for converting testosterone into DHT. Therefore, it counteracts the hair loss due to increased levels of DHT in men.
It greatly improves the strength and looks of hair.
Hormone therapy and Anti-androgens
Hormone therapy for hormonal hair loss is a form of treatment prescribed for women.
Birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy is usually recommended by doctors if the reason behind your hair loss is menopause. Birth control pills contain Progesterone or a combination of both Progesterone and Estrogen. It works similar to Hormone Replacement therapy where Estrogen and Progesterone are given to balance the lack of these hormones in the body.
For those women suffering PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), where androgen levels are increased, antiandrogens like Spironolactone are given.
Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
This is a treatment for androgenic alopecia, which is hair loss due to hormonal changes. It is known as male or female pattern baldness.
Platelet-rich plasma is separated from a person’s blood and injected into their scalp.
This process of injection is called PRPT or platelet-rich plasma therapy.
PRPT reduces hair loss and increases the density and diameter of the hair by speeding up the tissue repair process.
Hair Transplant
This is a very effective method that can be employed for long-term benefit. This is not a major surgery so you do not have to be hospitalized for this procedure.
Your dermatologist will take a graft of the scalp with hair and transplant it to another part with no hair. This way, multiple pieces of scalp containing a few hair strands will be transplanted in bald patches all over the scalp.
This process is a bit painful so a sedative is given to ease the pain.
There are a few side effects which include bleeding, swelling, bruising, and infection.
If you suffer from hereditary hair loss, the process will eventually progress regardless of the transplant process.
Good Food and Stressbusters
The answer to all ailments is good food. If you take your food well, you will rarely require medication.
For example, if you suffer from hormonal hair loss due to a lack of estrogen, foods that boost estrogen concentration can be taken. Almonds, flax seeds, soybean, tofu, and sesame seeds are such foods.
If you are looking to improve your thyroid function, seafood like roasted seaweed, shrimp, cod, tuna, and dairy products can be taken.
To reduce cortisol, the stress hormone, stress-busting foods are best.
Dark chocolates, nuts, yogurt, pumpkin seeds, and foods rich in omega-3-fatty acids are the well-known stressbusters that reduce stress as well as hair loss.
(Isn’t this the best excuse so far to eat some yummy food? Go on, grab some dark chocolate, and bust that stress!)