Most people will experience hair shedding daily; the normal amount of which is anywhere between 50-100 hairs a day. Hair shedding is very much part of the natural cycle of your scalp function. As some hair falls out, it makes room for new regrowth.
There are 3 cycles that our hair goes through:
- ANAGEN (growing phase)
Takes between 2-8 years and around 80%-90% of the hair on your head would be in this phase.
- CATAGEN (transition phase)
When the hair follicles shrink and is ready for shedding and regrowth.
- TELOGEN (resting phase)
This is the ending phase whereby the hair begins its natural cycle of shedding.
As our hair goes through these cycles, you will notice that in certain circumstances there is hair loss and not hair shedding. The main characteristic of hair loss is that as hair falls out, fewer or none grows back—this is what is medically termed as “alopecia”, and is a condition that affects both men and women to varying extents.
Whilst there are still many ongoing studies conducted into the causes of hair loss, the most common include:
- Long term use of chemically harmful products
- Hairstyles that pull the hair and damage the roots
- Hereditary hair loss
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Stressful events
- Thyroid disease
- Medical treatments or medication
Symptoms of Hair Loss and Do I Have It?
Every individual goes through hair loss in different ways, depending on what is causing it. Below are some indicators or symptoms to look out for:
- Loss of hair on your scalp and body
- Empty patches of hair on your scalp
- Receding hairline (typical of male pattern baldness)
- Obvious widening of the scalp showing on your hair parting
- Thinning hair all over the head (typical of female pattern hair loss)
Whichever stage of hair loss a person is at, losing your hair—whether temporary or permanent—can be emotionally difficult. However, depending on what is causing it and at which stage, proper management and care have shown promising results to slow down the extent of hair loss. Although there are many factors that come in to play, prevention and doing our best to care for our hair and scalp is always helpful.
What Can I Do to PREVENT or SLOW DOWN Hair Loss?
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet that includes protein, carbohydrates, making sure to include iron-rich foods such as spinach.
- Take the appropriate daily supplements:
C Complex—vitamin C helps to reduce inflammation throughout the body and prevent hair loss by improving our absorption of both iron and calcium, which promote hair growth.
B Complex—the B vitamins play an integral role in hair health/growth. Deficiency of vitamin B can trigger genetic hair loss conditions.
Niacin—in addition to improving blood circulation to the scalp, Niacin
directly impacts hair health as it helps with keratin production. Keratin is a fibrous protein that forms the main structure of hair. Niacin also helps to seal in moisture.
Kelp—rich in minerals such as magnesium and zinc that can help to prevent hair loss.
Calcium Complex with Boron—calcium helps with the secretion of both biotin enzymes and hormones that help to strengthen hair. It also supports the absorption of iron, which is essential for healthy, strong hair. In addition, boron is a vital trace mineral required for normal hair growth.
Zinc—also regulates DHT (male hormone) levels in the body, which is one of the common causes of hair loss.
- Avoid hairstyles that causes long-term damage to the scalp (tightly pulled hairstyles, chemical perms, hair extensions, etc). Chemical dyes, bleaches and highlights can also damage hair and negatively affect scalp health.
- Use natural, gentle shampoos and conditioners that do not contain any harmful chemicals, such as NewLife™’s Organic Care Natural Shampoo and Natural Conditioner .
NewLife™’s Organic Care Natural Shampoo uses gentle and natural ingredients. It contains argan oil and essential oils of rosemary, orange and patchouli, along with vitamin E that all work together to improve scalp and hair health, promote hair growth and prevent hair loss.
NewLife™’s Organic Care Natural Conditioner contains organic extra virgin coconut oil, organic castor oil, essential oils of orange, patchouli, and rosemary oil and is fortified with vitamin E. Regular conditioning after every wash strengthens, smooths and increases the resilience of hair.