HOW TO FIGHT HAIR LOSS, FIVE EFFECTIVE WAYS
Hair loss, causes and treatment in women and men. What is the best remedy for hair loss in women?
Article written by: Alex Ericsson, Founder of Anabolic Health
As we age, many physical changes occur in our body, one of which is hair loss. Although this change is usually associated with men, many cases also occur in women. This brings us to some difficult and important questions: how to prevent hair loss? And, if this is already happening, is there anything that can be done about it? How to stop hair loss?
Before we get an answer to the three questions listed above, it is important to understand that hair loss can be caused by completely different factors.
Genetics, stress, life turmoil, certain medical conditions, or the effects of prescription drugs, drugs, or stimulants of all kinds, just to name a few.
Although there are many causes, one of the common causes of hair loss in men and women is due to androgenetic alopecia .
WHAT IS ANDROGENIC ALOPECIA?
Androgenetic alopecia is a hair loss condition caused by the way your body (or your hair follicles in particular) reacts to dihydrotestosterone or DHT.
This hormone is present in everyone; however, there are people who are genetically predisposed to having hair follicles that are sensitive to it. This sensitivity leads to a reaction where the follicles shrink, reducing blood flow to the area and thus causing hair loss.
WHAT ARE THE COMMON CAUSES OF HAIR LOSS?
Until now, science has not fully explained the main cause of hair loss. However, there are several underlying causes that seem to increase the chance of hair loss. These include the following:
Genetics is perhaps the most important and determining factor that increases or decreases your chances of losing hair, as explained above. If you have family members with obvious hair loss, you are more likely to suffer from this too.
Stress - Stress can be exactly the trigger that starts the process of premature hair loss due to the imbalance of hormones it causes. Simple anxiety about something can also cause hair loss. Hair loss can also be caused by other daily life factors such as illness, mental conditions, poor diet, and pregnancy.
estrogen level . Another factor for men is the level of estrogen in your body. There is evidence that high levels of estrogen may also lead to an increase in DHT levels in the body, as DHT prevents male feminization and counteracts the effects of estrogen.
DHT creams have been used in studies in Europe as a treatment for BPH in men (benign prostatic hyperplasia), a condition often associated with high estrogen levels. Once you raise your estrogen levels, you can significantly increase hair loss.
Medications - Some medications your doctor prescribes affect how hair grows by interfering with the hair growth cycle. Or they may also lower certain hormones, such as testosterone, that play a big role in hair loss.
Other drugs that can cause hair loss are drugs containing retinoids, drugs that suppress the immune system; hormone replacement therapy procedure and thyroid medication.
Diseases . Some conditions, such as autoimmune diseases, scalp infections, and skin conditions, can also cause hair loss in men and women.
HOW TO FIGHT HAIR LOSS. Consider 5 ways...
If you've started to find some hair loss, you might want to jump right into treatment by buying hair loss products. Before doing this, it is important to determine the most likely cause.
How to reverse hair loss? While most cases may indeed be genetic (your follicles respond to DHT), it would be a good idea to rule out other factors.
Find out more about the medications you take on a regular basis. Perhaps hair loss is a reaction to the active substances contained in these preparations.
For androgenetic alopecia associated with hair loss (the most common cause in men), here are our recommended effective treatments that we think both women and men can take into account:
- Ketoconazole . Originally developed as an antifungal drug, ketoconazole has potent antiandrogenic properties in the scalp. It works by binding itself to the androgen receptors in your follicle, preventing DHT from causing the follicle to shrink. In addition, it also fights hair loss and in case of a fungal infection of the scalp.
- Minoxidil - Minoxidil does not prevent hair loss or stop the effects of DHT on your follicles. However, it helps to accelerate the synthesis of nitric oxide and increase blood flow to the follicles.
Minoxidil solution is a vasodilator, which means it helps widen blood vessels. Minoxidil will also dilate blood vessels in the scalp area, which can subsequently improve hair follicle function and stimulate hair growth.
- Spironolactone. Originally created to treat hypertension, it works similarly to ketoconazole by binding to androgen receptors in the follicle and preventing the negative effects of DHT.
Spironolactone is available in the form of an ointment and is best used by men in this form, as taking it as a pill can have a strong hormonal effect (releasing the female hormone) in men. When spironolactone is applied to the scalp, it is metabolized and does not enter the bloodstream, thus causing no hormonal side effects.
- Soy Isoflavones - soy isoflavones can be defined as polyphenolic compounds capable of exerting estrogen-like effects. So why are they good for treating hair loss?
They are especially good for treating hair loss because soy isoflavones can effectively reduce DHT in humans. About 60mg of soy isoflavones daily reduced serum DHT in healthy young adults by 15% in recent experiments.
You can effectively supplement with soy pills or capsules, and they are usually easy to buy at any drug store. This particular hair loss treatment seems to be very effective in promoting real hair growth, so it's definitely worth a try.
- Essential oils. Sometimes nature can provide you with everything you need when it comes to hair growth. Essential oils from hair loss save a sufficient number of women and men.
Two nourishing essential oils you should try are rosemary and cedarwood oil. First, rosemary oil is believed to increase cellular metabolism, thereby stimulating hair growth, which is why it has been used for centuries for natural hair growth as well as thickening hair.
Cedar essential oil is also another centuries-old remedy that can help stimulate hair follicles by increasing scalp circulation. These two essential oils are not only great for hair growth, they are also great for promoting the health of your scalp.
Massage your scalp until your fingers hurt, this will increase scalp circulation, stimulating skin renewal. And a healthy scalp means healthy, dandruff-free hair, which can also contribute to hair loss.
Separately, it is worth mentioning Bay essential oil.
Bay oil has a beneficial effect on the general condition of the hair and scalp. Regular use of bay oil soothes the skin, nourishes and strengthens the hair structure, and restores hair follicles, slowing down the process of hair loss. Bay essential oil, among other things, accelerates hair growth, gives them elasticity, glamorous shine and density.
It can be used by owners of any type of hair, but it is especially necessary for those whose hair is thin and weakened.
(For more on essential oils, see the article "Overview of the most popular essential oils")
The above five treatments are a healthy blend of natural and medical hair treatments and are some of the best treatments you can get today.
Doctors do not recommend systematically lowering DHT when using drugs such as finasteride because it can have persistent side effects in men, DHT is indeed essential for a healthy libido and mental health.
It just needs to be less in our scalp. Apart from these medications, there are also more natural alternative therapies you can consider, such as capsaicin and raspberry ketones, to reverse hair loss.
Capsaicin (chili pepper extracts) stimulates blood flow to the follicles, while raspberry ketones increase the production of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in the skin through stimulation of sensory neurons, and thus stimulate hair growth and increase skin elasticity.
Researchers believe that these natural extracts have medical value in treating aging skin and may prevent hair loss or even cure baldness in some people.
HEAD MASSAGE AGAINST HAIR LOSS
It's not just another supplement, it's a treatment and it's good to use to boost hair growth and keep your scalp healthy.
A properly done scalp massage, when done with sufficient pressure and circular motions, can increase blood circulation in the hair follicles on the head, stimulating the scalp and strengthening the hair roots. (You may be interested in this article "Psychological effects of massage" )
At the same time, it can give relaxation and reduce the stress level of the whole body, which is of great benefit because stress can also be a major factor in hair loss. Jojoba oil massage is a popular remedy for improving scalp health and stopping hair loss.
-- COSMETIC OILS FOR FACE AND HAIR --
Properties and use of natural cosmetic oils in skin and hair care. "Be beautiful"
THE BEST HAIR LOSS REMEDY..?
Although we have written about several of the most effective methods for treating hair loss or even restoring lost hair, it is impossible to choose the "best" of them. This does not mean that the ones mentioned above do not work, but some of them can help you, and some of your friend or girlfriend. Also, all of them can be used simultaneously to create an overall powerful and effective treatment method.
To effectively address hair loss, you could use a therapy that takes into account the effects of DHT on the scalp, in the form of spironolactone and ketoconazole, and then continue with minoxidil, carnitine, or capsaicin to increase blood flow and stimulate hair growth.
Or, if you're a little apprehensive about pharmaceutical products, you might want to consider alternative therapies like soy isoflavones and scalp massage, which can have similar effects in the long run. Check with your doctor and no matter what you choose, remember that all of the treatments mentioned have been proven effective in combating hair loss.
Alex Ericsson