Hair loss is a common condition and can affect men and women equally, at some point in their lives. There is a difference between hair loss and balding. While hair loss can be caused by stress, hygiene, allergies, and nutrition, balding has a different component.
Balding is caused by genetics and hormone metabolites that damage hair follicles that are genetically susceptible. Things such as thyroid disease, chemotherapy, anemia, and certain medications can cause baldness. Your Doctor may want to take blood work to check your iron levels, vitamin B levels, thyroid function, and possibly a biopsy of your scalp. All these things will help to determine the cause of your balding and rule out other factors.
While there is no cure for baldness, there are medications that have given good results such as minoxidil that both men and women can use, and Propecia that is for men only. Be aware that some of the side effects can be less than desirable, for instance, impotence or decrease in libido or unwanted hair growth in other areas that the medication could have been accidentally applied.
If you are trying to keep the hair that you still have, here is something to consider, that may assist you in your endeavors. While you have no control over your genetics which is a primary culprit in baldness, there is another major culprit that affects your hair loss that you do have some power over, and that is, “Hormone Balance.”
Hormone balance relies on the foods we eat, the exercise and rest we get and even the amount of stress we are under.
- Bad Carbohydrates:
- Processed foods such as chips, donuts, candy, and other junk foods, cause unhealthy spikes in insulin, which is counterproductive to hormonal balance.
- Excessive Animal Fat:
- Fat promotes hormone production; the body needs healthy fat such that come from things like nuts, seeds, avocados, salmon, and much more to encourage the creation of healthy hormones and enhance hormone balance.
- Stress:
- This causes the body to release Cortisol which affects the adrenals, by putting it into a fight or flight mode, which has a profound effect on your hormonal balance.
Along with staying away from things that create an imbalance in your hormones, here are a few things you can do to create an environment for healthy hair.
- Rosemary oil:
- Consider massaging rosemary oil into your scalp to help stimulate circulation in the scalp and thus reduce hair loss.
- Vitamin E oil:
- Vitamin E oil strengthens the keratin in hair follicles decreasing the amount of breakage.
- Atlantic Cedar oil:
- Atlantic Cedar oil is not only used in soaps, and perfumes but also an excellent insect repellant if you happen to be camping in the woods. Besides, it promotes hair growth and reduces hair breakage.
- Lavender Oil:
- Lavender Oil not only prevents hair loss, but it also promotes a good night’s rest.
- Lemongrass oil:
- Because lemongrass oil contains the active ingredient citral, this is a property that is anti-fungal, antibacterial and antiseptic, which makes it a great natural remedy for natural hair growth by reducing the inflammation and bacteria around the hair follicles.
Fighting hair loss may take an investment of time along with trial and error as you find what works for you but making a complete approach to not just your hair but your whole health will yield fuller results.
