Do you know that nearly 80% of men and 50% of women will experience hair loss at some point in their lives? Yes, it’s true!
How about the lifespan of your hair? Do you know that it can reach from two to six years? Yes, it is true too.
Nowadays, you hear so many facts that are simply not true or based on anecdotal evidence. Facts should be based on research and studies conducted by professionals.
Today, we will share facts about hair loss and hair loss treatments that you may have encountered but don’t fully understand what the truth is. These statements are based on evidence from top researchers and doctors.
So if you’re curious and want to know the truth regarding hair loss, keep reading along!
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#1. Male Pattern Baldness Can Be Inherited
Male pattern baldness is also known as androgenic alopecia. And as its name suggests, this condition can be inherited both from the genes of your father and mother.
The most common hair loss symptom from this disorder is a receding hairline. The hairline slowly moves backward and usually forms an “M” shape on the top of your head.
Pattern baldness is caused by too much dihydrotestosterone (DHT) level in our body that attacks hair follicles, resulting in severe hair fall and baldness. This disorder will develop after puberty, as it requires enough androgen to occur.
Women are not also safe from this disorder. This condition can also affect women and is called female pattern hair loss.
#2. Link Between Hair Loss And Gut Health
Do you know that your digestive system plays a significant role in your hair health? Yes, because having a healthy gastrointestinal system can help our hair follicles become healthy, preventing thinning hair and increasing hair production.
But how can that happen? Remember that our hair is not only made by proteins from our body. It also needs vitamins and minerals that our body cannot produce, which we can only get from foods we eat and digest in our gut.
If you have digestive problems, there is a big chance that your gut cannot convert and absorb nutrients from the food you take. And when our body does not have enough nutrients that are needed for the hair growth cycle process to continue, hair loss is inevitable.
#3. Stress Can Induce Hair Loss
We all know that too much stress, if left unchecked, can lead to many health problems. And one of them is alopecia areata.
This hair loss illness is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks hair follicles that cause hair loss and prevents hair growth. This condition is believed to be triggered by severe anxiety, such as the traumatic experience of the death of someone you love.
Symptoms of hair loss induced by stress are usually temporary and can resolve on their own. But if hair loss continues, talk to your doctor and ask for a prescription drug that can treat hair loss and aid in hair regrowth.
#4. Minoxidil Prove To Grow Hair Back
The use of Minoxidil is one of the standard treatment options to battle hair loss problems such as male pattern hair loss.
This drug belongs to a class of drugs known as vasodilators. These medications prevent hair loss by increasing blood flow to the head and scalp by providing enough oxygen and essential nutrients for our hair follicles to regrow hair again.
It can also reverse the miniaturization of hair follicles and enable hair follicle movement to the growth phase.
It is one of the main hair loss treatments used in the US that has received FDA clearance as a proven hair growth product.
#5. Lack Of Fitness Can Increase Alopecia
According to several studies, the risk of having severe female pattern baldness is higher for most people who are overweight and obese.
This study proves enough regular exercise can maintain good circulation of blood flow in our body, including our head and scalp, to deliver nutrients used by our hair follicles to support healthy hair regrowth.
It is true that being physically fit by having regular workouts does not cure any single type of hair loss. But it is also a fact that it can reduce stress and help produce natural antioxidants, which are also essential for hair growth.
#6. Smoking Is Responsible For Androgenetic Alopecia
The negative effects of smoking are not only restricted to your lungs and respiratory system. You can also lose hair and experience pattern baldness because of this addictive product.
In 2020, a study including people ages between 25 to 30 showed that most people who smoke are more prone to have noticeable hair loss on their scalp compared to non-smokers.
This is because smoking increases the body’s capability to produce free radicals that can potentially damage the DNA of cells in our body, including cells found in our hair follicles.
#7. Asian Men Are Less Likely To Experience Androgenetic Alopecia
Men are more affected by pattern hair loss than women, and we all know that. But the question is, do racial differences affect the risk of having this condition? And the answer to this question is yes. But why?
Mainly, this is all because of genetics. Asian hair follicles are usually round, which makes the hair grow naturally straight. Because of this, it can retain more moisture, which helps it to become much stronger and thicker than others.
Additionally, Asian hairs are also proven to grow much quicker, with an average growth of 1.4 centimeters per month.
Caucasian men and people with Afro-Caribbean genetics tend to experience the highest levels of hair loss.
#8. Androgenetic Alopecia Causes Hair Loss In Over 30 Million Women
Yes, you heard it right. Female pattern baldness is the most likely suspect if a woman suffers severe hair loss on their scalp. Currently, approximately 30 million women suffer from this condition in the US alone.
This is because of several factors, such as aging, hormonal imbalance, medical conditions, and medications. It is also more common after the menopause stage when estrogen levels start to reduce.
This is similar to male pattern hair loss, except that the hair loss tends to appear in a different pattern.
#9. Hair Pulling Can Cause Permanent Hair Loss
Trichotillomania, or hair-pulling disorder, is a mental condition that refers to irresistible desires to pull out hair from your scalp and other areas in your body.
People with this condition often pull their hair as they see this as a way of coping with stress. For them, self-harm can provide relief from the emotional despair they feel inside.
The repetitive pulling of hair can damage the hair follicle, which may result in patchy bald spots on the head. If this continues, permanent hair loss will be unavoidable. That is why people with these symptoms need to consult a doctor immediately.
#10. Hair Loss Caused By The Use Of Hair Dyes
Dyeing our hair is one of the go-to services we often receive whenever we visit our favorite hair salon. But do you know that the more often you dye your hair, the chances of hair shedding are most likely to happen?
Yes, it is, and this is backed with evidence from different medical studies.
Chemical components of hair dyes can cause damage to hair strands, making them more sensitive and prone to breakage.
Ingredients of these hair dyes include hydrogen peroxide and ammonia, which can lead to telogen effluvium, a type of hair loss disorder characterized by excessive thinning and shedding of our hair scalp.
#11. Telogen Effluvium After Hair Transplantation
It may sound ironic, but telogen effluvium (hair shedding) can actually happen right after a hair restoration surgery such as a hair transplant.
Temporary hair loss or telogen effluvium after a hair transplant may come naturally as this is triggered by trauma that our scalp has received during the hair restoration surgery.
This will cause extreme hair fall, uneven hair growth in the head, and a temporary halt in hair production.
But do not worry. As we said earlier, this is only temporary and will usually be resolved on its own after a few months before the hair grows again.
#12. Deficiency In 3 Main Vitamins And Minerals Can Lead To Hair Loss
Clinical studies show that particular vitamin deficiencies can also lead to hair loss problems. This is because our hair needs certain nutrients that it can use to maintain hair’s health and promote hair growth.
According to medical nutritionists, some of the most common vitamin and minerals deficiencies that can lead to hair loss are the following:
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Lack of zinc in our body
- Iron deficiency
You can resolve these deficiencies by taking the best hair growth vitamins and supplements. But also don’t forget to consult with your doctor.
#13. Signs Of Hair Loss Can Detect Further Health Issues
Sometimes hair loss is not just a simple hair health-related problem. Losing your hair can actually be a red flag that can indicate a much more worrisome health conditions.
One example of this is male pattern hair loss. This condition might happen because of a lack of blood circulation in the hair follicles, which may also suggest cardiovascular problems related to your heart functions.
If you think that this might be the reason behind your hair loss problem, we recommend consulting your doctor as soon as possible.
#14. Traction Alopecia Affects 1 of 3 African Americans
Traction alopecia is a kind of hair loss problem caused by repetitive trauma to the hair follicles after pulling back your hair. You can acquire this condition if you often wear hair-tight hairstyles such as braids and dreadlocks.
This condition affects almost one-third of women of African descent, making it the most common type of alopecia affecting black women.
Some of the symptoms of this condition are itching, redness and inflammation, multiple broken hairs, and thinning hair or hair loss.
#15. Oral Finasteride Helps Increase Hair Growth By 48%
Finasteride is the generic name of the drug most commonly known as Propecia. It is an FDA-approved prescription medication used as a treatment for male pattern baldness.
This exceptional drug can effectively block the action of an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase, which is essential in converting testosterone into DHT and thus helping our new hair to grow.
Evidence from clinical studies suggests that patients using finasteride can benefit and improve their hair count by up to 48% after only 1 year of use.
Conclusion
And there you go! Those are 15 mind blowing facts about hair loss which are based on clinical research and studies. We hope that you have learned a lot about this topic and used this knowledge to improve your hair health.
This list of facts is not only intended for entertainment purposes but also as a guide in keeping us informed about potential hair loss problems in the future.
Here’s a quick recap of the 15 facts about hair loss:
#1. Male Pattern Baldness Can Be Inherited
#2. Link Between Hair Loss And Gut Health
#3. Stress Can Induce Hair Loss
#4. Minoxidil Prove To Grow Hair Back
#5. Lack Of Fitness Can Increase Alopecia
#6. Smoking Is Responsible For Androgenetic Alopecia
#7. Asian Men Are Less Likely To Experience Androgenetic Alopecia
#8. Androgenetic Alopecia Causes Hair Loss In Over 30 Million Women
#9. Hair Pulling Can Cause Permanent Hair Loss
#10. Hair Loss Caused By The Use Of Hair Dyes
#11. Telogen Effluvium After Hair Transplantation
#12. Deficiency In 3 Main Vitamins And Minerals Can Lead To Hair Loss
#13. Signs Of Hair Loss Can Detect Further Health Issues
#14. Traction Alopecia Affects 1 of 3 African Americans
#15. Oral Finasteride Helps Increase Hair Growth By 48%
Fact Checked by our Director of Dermatology – We know that understanding how your skin and hair work can seem scary, so my team and I devote our time to thoroughly researching every single topic and product we write about. We hope you find our reviews helpful and informative.
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