Hair Loss: CAUSES AND PREVENTION
Testosterone is a male sex hormone, but does grow body hair, mustache and beard, is also the cause-oddly-the loss of head hair. In the scalp, by binding to receptors in hair follicles orders them to stop their function. These follicles do not work continuously but every so often take a break.
In a span of 3 to 5 years ago grow hair, about a 1 cm. per month, is what is called the anagen phase, then starts the transition or catagen and then telogen phase of inactivity or that last approximately three months and during which hair loss occurs, after that the hair follicle returns to its normal activity and begin to develop a new hair.
The one hundred thousand to one hundred and fifty thousand hair follicles containing the scalp does not work at the same pace, some are in the anagen phase, and the other being finalized and the others are at rest, hence the importance of this process to achieve an understanding of the causes and arrive at an effective treatment
Most common causes:
Poor nutrition: It found that a diet deficient in minerals, vitamins and protein is important causal for hair loss, although the symptoms of an inadequate diet are not felt immediately in the hair, it needs a long time to see its effects this, once the reserves are depleted in the body.
PREVENTION:
* Increase your intake of proteins: incorporate or increase the proportion of meals with red meat, white meat and fish. Milk, egg and cheese are also helpful. Soybeans and soy milk can be useful for those who do not eat meat or dairy products.
* Eat more iron and other minerals: chard, lettuce, spinach and other green leafy vegetables are a good supply of iron, and other important minerals for the hair (such as zinc and selenium).
* Take vitamins and amino acid complex: there are special preparations with B vitamins, pantothenic acid and essential amino acids (cysteine, cystine and methionine). One or two tablets daily for three to six months can effectively reverse hair loss.
Stress: Studies show that stress causes hair loss, so the importance of avoiding emotional tension especially in people suffering from hair loss.
Prevention:
* Relaxation techniques to relieve stress and visualization are essential to rebut the damaging effects that produce emotional tension.
* Stressful emotional situations can be treated through psychotherapy and psychoanalysis.
* The topical minoxidil in causes dilation of blood vessels of the scalp in young males with alopecia on the crown of not more than 5 years duration, although its effects are noticeable after a period of 6 to 9 months of use.
* The Aminexil: prevents hair drowning by inhibiting the rigidity of collagen in the root, thus preventing premature aging of the hair. Studies show an increase of up to 5% of the capillary density after six weeks of application.
After menopause. After menopause, women’s ovaries stop producing estrogen. The reduced synthesis of female hormones, comparatively, is equivalent to an increase in androgen production. As a result, it is common for women’s hair tends to thin, weaken and fall at this stage of life.
Prevention:
* The use of estrogen helps restore hormone levels after menopause.
* The use of antiandrogens for a period not less than one year help restore the balance between estrogens and androgens. Also, finasteride blocks the conversion of testosterone into dehydro-testosterone (DHT). This drug has proved effective in both men and women, although the former has found that its use can produce side effects such as decreased libido and reduced number of sperm in men so their use is limited in women shows that the best results occur in postmenopausal stages.
Hair abused: The constant use of hair dryers, electric curlers, dyes, bleaches, prolonged exposure to sun, wind, sea water, chlorine in swimming pools, and even bad hair hygiene are also causes direct thinning of hair, aggression and abuse are causes of their loss.
Prevention:
* Choosing the right shampoo for every hair type and wash it often helps keep it healthy, shiny and easy to comb, conditioners are also effective, the freely dried with a towel and detangle with fingers only prevented from falling.
We need to ask our doctor when hair loss is accompanied by itching, change in texture and color when hair is lost not only hair but also other body parts when the loss is accompanied by fatigue, weakness, nervousness , lack of appetite, loss of concentration, slowed reflexes, dry skin or rough, is that we are facing various tables that may be due to bacterial infections, anemia, symptoms of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, etc.
When is it necessary to resort to surgery?
When we face a healing alopecias box, the result of burns or infections, the same applies in the case of androgenetic alopecia, common baldness in men. In cases like these techniques are used mini grafts and micro grafts consisting of hair transplant in groups of one to four hairs.