Archive for the ‘Female Hair Loss’ Category
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Hair loss is not restricted to men only. Women, and to some degree children, are susceptible as well. These days more and more women are experiencing hair loss, and the reasons are not the same as for men. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, female hair loss is a growing problem, affecting roughly 30 million women in the United States — with some forms of loss occurring at earlier ages. It is suggested that up to forty percent of American hair loss sufferers are women, and fifty percent of women experience hair loss of some sort by middle age.
For many decades, doctors believed there was a single cause of balding in both men and women. Today it is known that this is not true — at least where women are concerned. Hair loss in women is mostly caused by hormones, aging, and hereditary genes – although there are other causes as well. While it may be temporary or long-term, psychologically the damage can be severe.
There are several causes of hair loss in women
Androgenic alopecia, where the androgen hormones (such as testosterone, and estrogens) interfere with natural hair growth (this condition is more common in men). Androgens are also the original anabolic steroids.
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a somewhat common hormonal problem in women. It is an endocrine (glands that secrete hormones directly into the blood) disorder affecting approximately 5%-10% of women of reproductive age (12-45 years old) and is thought to be one of the leading causes of female infertility.
Certain types of autoimmune disorders result in alopecia aerata, which causes hair to come out in clumps or patches. This condition can spread to include the whole scalp, or to all the skin of the body.
Telogen effluvium, a usually temporary condition that follows childbirth, crash dieting, surgery, or a traumatic emotional event.
Tight hair styles can cause traction alopecia, which damages hair follicles. This form of gradual hair loss is caused by a continued pulling force applied to the hair. Other causes of female baldness could be thyroid disorders, anemia, even chronic illness, or the use of certain medications.
Consult your medical professional for the hair loss treatment right for you.
The causes range from mild to severe, and from temporary to long term. Discovering the underlying problems and causes can help to remedy hair loss. Hair restoration, as well as hair growth/re-growth solutions, also help to keep the stigma of hair loss in women at a minimum.
Tags: female androgenic alopecia, female baldness, female hormones hair, girl hair restoration, women hair loss
Posted in Female Hair Loss | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
Celebrities throughout the world have their own hair stylists. This plum spot can lead to increased demand, additional upscale clientele and higher fees. A few stylists to the stars and glitterati have landed book deals, network interviews and media contracts, including reality shows.
Of course, Michelle Obama, the first lady, has a personal hair stylist, Johnny Wright. She found him quite by accident while she was living in Chicago. During the campaign, she called on him several times to dress her tresses and he became a regular. Her previous stylist, Rahni Flowers, of Chicago had kept Michelle’s hair beautiful for 26 years. He declined the invitation to accompany the first family to DC. However, Wright moved to DC to take up the challenge and open a new salon in the area.
Inquiring minds want to know more about Michelle’s hair care regime, but Wright is mum about the products he uses on her hair. Since the first lady is perimenopausal, does she have thinning hair? Rumors abound that she is actually bald. The persistent rumor that she may be pregnant also leads searchers to speculate that she is experiencing pregnancy related hair loss. Some searchers are trying to find out if her hairstyle is based on a weave!
Although her hairstyle is unremarkable, it is elegant and simple enough to let her manage the long hours on the campaign trail and now to represent the nation with flying colors. Her most recent haircut, in July set the blog universe abuzz. Everyone from the Huffington Post and Anderson Cooper to the Michelle Obama Watch has an opinion about her hairdos.
Almost as an afterthought, some people do want to know who cuts President Obama’s hair. And his haircut is popular with all ages. Since he just gets haircuts (and he’s a man), this doesn’t get as much search volume or website blog action as does the first lady’s hair styling and stylist. There are over 400,000 plus websites at this point where discussions are taking place about Michelle’s hair. There are also over 100,000 blog posts, 10,000 in the last month alone.
It appears that Hairdresser to the Stars is not a bad job when you consider fame and the opportunity to catapult your career into a higher gear, during and after this sojourn. Folks who have shunned this “pedestrian career” might want to take a second look.
Tags: hair care, hair loss, haircut, Johnny Wright, Michelle Obama, pregnancy, President Obama, Rahni Flowers, thinning hair, womens hair loss
Posted in Female Hair Loss, Natural Hair Growth | 4 Comments »
Saturday, June 6th, 2009
Bald men do not get a date with the prom queen and women with thinning hair are not likely to date the captain of the football team. Of course, few people experience hair loss as early as high school; however, our cultural views about hair loss are usually firmly set by the time we reach adulthood. It does not take a scientific study to prove that hair loss can affect your social life, and your career.
The news is rife with stories of discrimination against overweight people. Most politically correct people will now call them weight challenged, but does that even begin to undo the average person’s first impression of people with substantial girth?
We assume that they have no discipline and self-control. Even when they have a relatively proportioned body, attractive facial features or a great head of hair, our cultural prejudices will kick in. We either ignore them, try to fix them, or make jokes about their condition.
With few legal cases on the books, it is difficult to prove that the weight challenged suffer from unfair discrimination in employment. However, certain jobs, including the military, do impose weight restrictions on potential applicants. So, career opportunities for people whose weight exceeds the standard can be limited.
Career discrimination against bald people and those who are losing their hair is one of the hidden costs of hair loss. Our cultural perceptions of competency and leadership potential are tied to a genetic message hardwired into the human psyche.
In the days of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle of early humanoids, the strongest men were appointed to track down dangerous predators like the saber-toothed tiger. Even those who were charged with hunting down the beasts that provided food had to meet certain requirements of speed, strength and virility. The bald and the old need not apply. With survival a priority, the subtle discrimination against people with hair loss took root in human culture.
We all know that appearance can affect career opportunities. Many people in line for management and corporate leadership positions go to great expense to hide any evidence of hair loss. They dress for success by investing in the right clothing, shoes and other career props. They also realize that they must treat hair loss aggressively before it affects their career opportunities.
Being the most competent and qualified often is not enough if your competition has more hair!
Tags: bald, baldness, career opportunities, cultural prejudices, discrimination, genetic message, hair growth, hair loss, hidden cost, strength, thinning hair, treatment, virility
Posted in Female Hair Loss, Natural Hair Growth | Comments Off
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
The story of Samson’s hair loss is probably one of the most famous tales in history. We all know how this story ended, but only a few people have heard this tale from beginning to end. The question many people never asked is why Samson believed that he should not cut his hair.
According to the Old Testament, Samson was a Nasserite. These people had a special role within the Hebrew community. The religious community chose many of them for this role. In Samson’s case, his parents claimed that an angel foretold his birth, his rise to leadership and his extraordinary feats, including freeing the Hebrews from bondage under the Philistines.
One of the restrictions that the Hebrew religion placed on Nasserites was that they could never cut their hair. There were additional prohibitions that Samson had to observe as well. These included avoiding wine and any fruits of the vine.
His long hair intrigued all the women in Samson’s life. His wife, his concubines and of course his mother went to great lengths to keep his hair healthy and well groomed. The Old Testament does not contain any records of how often Samson washed his hair. Nor does it contain any information about his shampoos or his other hair grooming aids.
Obviously, Samson lost the same 50 to 100 hairs daily that everyone else does. However, we can assume that Samson had a hair care routine that kept his hair from thinning. He must have done something to keep his head free of lice that affected so many people during that time in history. His hair care practices must have also included some ways to keep his hair follicles healthy too.
We can follow the story of the adult Samson for more than 20 years. By the time Delilah cut his hair, he was of prime age to begin seeing the effects of male pattern baldness. Unfortunately, the story ends shortly after that historic haircut, so we will never know whether Samson’s locks would have continued to grow until he reached a ripe old age!
Tags: Delilah, grooming, hair, hair follicles, hair loss, haircut, Hebrews, male pattern baldness, Nasserite, Samson, shampoos
Posted in Female Hair Loss, Natural Hair Growth | Comments Off
Thursday, May 14th, 2009
In the 21st century, hair loss has become a full time preoccupation for many people. It’s possible that the aging of the U.S. population has spurred the growth of the hair loss industry. On the other hand, since our lifestyles involve more stress than ever before, it’s likely that the number of people who suffer from hair loss is significantly higher in these times. Environmental chemicals and untested health and beauty products are also creating new ways to lose hair. Ergo, more people need ways to regrow their hair after the damage has been done.
It’s only natural for Americans to expect the medical community to provide real relief for hair loss problems. After all, we can send a man to the moon, so why can’t we prevent or cure baldness?
So far, we know quite a bit about hair loss causes. Scientists have identified and classified the most common and unusual causes for hair loss, by gender, age, and ethnicity. We can even predict a genetic predisposition to some types of hair loss. Treating hair loss, even when the cause is known, isn’t as simple as it might seem to the ailing victims. Unfortunately, the science of hair loss treatment is relatively new, compared to astronomy, chemistry and physics.
Hair loss science must focus on preventing system malfunctions. The human body produces chemicals and fluids to regulate interdependent systems and processes. Our intake of vitamins, minerals, proteins and other nutrients determine how well balanced and efficient these self-regulating systems are. A malfunction in one process can affect other systems. That’s why an untreated iron deficiency may not only result in tiredness and shortness of breath, but also hair loss.
The science of hair growth must focus on helping the body recover from a disease state or system imbalance. In order for scientists to help us regrow hair, they must provide the correct intervention - chemical, herbal, nutritional or psychological that each individual requires. Then your body can heal itself and rebalance the affected systems and processes that contributed to your hair loss.
Tags: baldness, chemicals, hair growth, hair loss, hair loss causes, intervention, nutrients, protein, stress, treatment
Posted in Female Hair Loss, Natural Hair Growth | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
Hair has been a hot topic forever. Hair care has its own unique history, just like hair loss. No culture or society seems immune to this fascination with hair. Along the way, hair played a starring role in the attraction of the opposite sex and attractiveness to potential mates. Of course, that makes thinning hair and baldness even more important.
Prehistoric cave drawings suggest that men dragged the woman that they chose home by her hair. That may be a myth, but do you suppose that having no hair made it harder for prehistoric women to get a suitable mate? Of course, being dragged around by your hair could lead to early baldness. So, hair was probably a Catch 22 for the women of that era.
Hair Care Practices
Did we develop hair care practices as part of the mating ritual? If not, where do society’s hair practices come from? Early Christians and Muslims shared the philosophy of making women cover their hair. This practice lost popularity in one religion. However, the Catholic church still frowns on uncovered heads, apparently for women only. The nuns also cover their hair to this day, but the priests get to display their crowning glory for all to see.
Hair Styling History
Some hairstyles have been popular during specific eras in history. A few finally died a well-deserved death. The beehive and the 1920s permanent wave immediately come to mind. Both these hairstyles were made possible by the invention of technologies that helped women torture their tresses with heat, chemicals and tension, sometimes all three, at one setting.
Hair care may have taken a turn for the worse when “colorists” started using peroxide and ammonia to bleach women’s hair at the end of the 19th century. When Charles Nessler invented a permanent wave machine at the beginning of the 20th century and the hairstyling industry took a great leap forward.Synthetic hair came on the scene in 1908. Interestingly, it was made from cotton and corn, along with some other available grain products. Could it be that these new technologies used to attack (women’s) hair spurred the need for synthetic hair, wigs and other hair replacements?
Buddhist monks and ascetics often shave their heads. Are they always smiling because they know a secret? Or perhaps they are happy because they have been relieved of our historical fixation on hair as an object of beauty.
Tags: ammonia, baldness, beehive, Buddhist monks, Charles Nessler, chemicals, colorists, hair loss, hair replacements, heat, mating ritual, permanent wave machine, peroxide, synthetic hair, thinning hair
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Saturday, April 4th, 2009
We all know that chemotherapy is a cause of hair loss that is related to a disease or health challenge. Both adults and children receive support from numerous organizations to help them cope with the hair loss that is inevitable during prescribed cancer treatments.
Fewer people are aware of the suffering of victims of other forms of medical hair loss because they don’t receive as national attention as cancer does. In some cases, these victims have temporary hair loss that is related to a medical condition that is not life threatening. In others, the health challenge that the hair loss victims face is as serious as cancer. The additional trauma of losing one’s hair only adds to the misery of medically related hair loss.
An iron deficiency is certainly less serious than cancer. However, if left untreated, it can result is significant hair loss, in addition to damage to overtaxed internal organs like the heart. Women suffer from iron deficiencies, commonly known as anemia, much more often than men do. The chief culprit for women is often a prolonged menstrual cycle. This can have several treatable causes, such as endometriosis or uterine fibroids. It may also be genetic or a result of poor eating habits. In this situation, the body’s survival mechanism limits the resources that it allocates to nourishing your hair follicles until the iron deficiency is corrected. If you correct the anemia, your normal hair growth will usually resume.
Many people with diabetes also experience hair loss. Since diabetes is treatable and preventable in many cases, it is a good idea to be aware of the possibility of developing persistent high blood sugar, which may become diabetes. Mayo Clinic has concluded that the near epidemic rise in diabetes in America is directly related to obesity. Changing your diet may help you lose weight diabetes and avoid medication.
Most people assume that excessive sugar intake is the only culprit in adult onset diabetes. However, research has shown that an excessive intake of calories, fats, and carbohydrates also contributes to the onset on diabetes in adults. Losing weight, eating more fresh fruit and vegetables, along with lean proteins and unsaturated fats is a proactive strategy that can lower your blood sugar. Normally, once your blood sugar is under control, you can expect your hair growth to return to normal.
Tags: anemia, blood sugar, calories, carbohydrates, chemotherapy, diabetes, Diet, fats, fibroids, hair follicles, hair loss, health, iron deficiency, medication, menstrual cycle, normal hair growth, obesity, sugar, treatable, weight
Posted in Female Hair Loss, Natural Hair Growth | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
After taking time off from her movie career for her pregnancy, Halle Berry is getting ready to go back to work. She didn’t have pregnancy–related hair loss that affects many women. Apparently, she isn’t suffering from undue stress of being a new parent. During her pregnancy and after, she’s been just as gorgeous as ever.
So why is Halle going bald? The truth is, she voluntarily decided to cut her hair for her next movie role. The film won’t be released until 2010. This movie is currently called “Nappily Ever After,” according to the Internet Movie Database. The title and the movie are based on a Trisha Thomas’ novel by that name.
Berry’s character is a young single female, Venus Johnston, who has hair problems and relationship issues. Which came first isn’t clear. However, in the movie, Venus is so frustrated by her hair falling out that she preempts Mother Nature and shaves her head.
The rest of the movie explores themes about hair, perceptions of beauty, and cultural norms. This is done by chronicling people’s reactions to Venus and her quest to establish a different foundation for her self-esteem. These themes look directly at the subject that many people politely avoid when confronted with another person’s permanent or temporary hair loss.
The special emphasis that many cultures put on hair make hair loss a painful, traumatic experience. The fact that most people move on or “get over it” doesn’t change the fact that baldness is a blow to your self-esteem. In addition, it does alter other people’s perceptions of your virility, fertility, and more. In polite society, no politically correct person would ever mock or insult a differently abled person who is deaf or physically deformed. Yet baldness, voluntary or involuntary, is still quite a spectator sport. Any slang dictionary has numerous popular expressions that are used without forethought in our culture.
The director, Patricia Cardoso, didn’t ask Berry to shave her head. She could have opted for a bald cap and kept her own tresses untouched. Halle wants to have the complete experience so that she can give moviegoers a better performance. She expects her hair to grow back, at least she hopes it will. If it doesn’t, she will already be prepared for a starring role in a new life without hair. Imagine that!
Tags: bald, baldness, cultural norms, fertility, hair loss, Halle Berry, movie, Nappily Ever After, novel, Patricia Cardoso, pregnancy–related hair loss, self-esteem, temporary hair loss, tresses, Trisha Thomas, undue stress, Venus Johnston, virility
Posted in Female Hair Loss, Hair Loss Products, Natural Hair Growth, Vitamins | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
A few years ago, the Food and Drug Administration documented a national outbreak of alopecia that it tied to the use of the Rio Hair Naturalizer System, a hair relaxer. The company is now defunct, but the consumers that it victimized have learned a painful lesson. Some lost up to 40% of their hair; a few were even bald for a short while. After two years, normal hair growth was impossible for some consumers. They experienced severe scalp scarring, (cicatrial alopecia).
The practice of using chemical hair relaxers has become popular worldwide. Curly hair resists efforts to brush and comb it into a smooth shape. Women (and some men) with naturally curly hair want to spend less time managing their locks. Hair relaxers remove the curl and make the hair shaft smoother. It lays flat against the scalp, and it is easier to comb. Natural or relaxed, curly hair is fragile.
The other side of the coin is the modern day perm. Women with straight hair that lies flat against the scalp want theirs to have more body and more styling options. Beauticians apply perms or consumers do it at home. The process involves using chemicals to create a curl pattern in the hair. After the process is finished, the straight hair has waves and often looks fuller, until the hair recovers or grows out.
What these two processes have in common is dangerous chemicals. Perms and relaxers not only damage your hair over time; research shows that the chemicals in them may also damage your skin and internal organs! Borax and ammonia are two of the chemicals that manufacturers have used in perms. The first relaxers marketed for African Americans in the early part of the 20th century used lye as the main ingredient in the relaxing process.
Malcolm X, a 1960s African American civil rights activist, often told a story about his experience with lye based relaxers. At that time, many young men in urban areas adopted the “conk” hairstyle that required relaxing the hair. Malcolm had an unfortunate do-it-yourself experience at a friend’s home. After he applied the relaxing chemicals, Malcolm discovered that the water service was disconnected.
He needed to rinse the relaxer from his hair after a specified time had elapsed. While he searched for a solution to his dilemma, the lye began to burn his scalp and destroy his hair. When panic set in, he resorted to dunking his head in the toilet, the only water available. He never attempted to conk his hair again.
Hair loss from chemical treatments applied to your hair may be permanent. This type of hair loss is easy enough to avoid. Step away from that box or bottle.
Tags: African American, Alopecia Outbreak, ammonia, borax, chemicals, cicatrial alopecia, conk, curl pattern, curly hair, Food and Drug Administration, hair loss, hairstyle, locks, lye, Malcolm X, normal hair growth, perms, relaxers, Rio Hair Naturalizer System, toilet, waves
Posted in Female Hair Loss, Hair Loss Products, Natural Hair Growth | 1 Comment »
Monday, March 16th, 2009
Some people may have sensitive scalps.The French government recently allowed dermatologists to spend tax dollars conducting a study to determine if sensitive scalp is a scientifically verifiable condition. You read it here. Duh! You gotta love it.
The results were inconclusive. So, the researchers have requested more funding for additional studies. Once the French medical community actually confirms that this mysterious “condition” exists, that it is not a figment of the imagination, and that X number of people suffer from it, what’s next?
Sometime in the distant future and millions of francs later, we may get down to the causes. Finally, after you and the next generation have headed off for a dirt nap, researchers will “find” a treatment. But, will they find a cure? Stay tuned, the sensitive scalp sequel is on a storyboard near you. This is backwards. No, let’s be plain, it sucks!
Sensitive scalp might be inherited, environmental or even fantasy. Do consumers in France and the United States need more studies to find out if it exists? We need studies before the fact to figure out if chemicals in our food, water and cosmetics are contributing to it. If you or your loved ones have a sensitive scalp, you now know that scientists in France may soon prove that it exists.
Let’s hope that American tax dollars will be spent giving the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control the teeth that they need to complete inconclusive studies on the potentially harmful chemicals in popular shampoos and conditioners that may contribute to sensitive scalp.
If you grow impatient waiting for the final verdict, just examine your grooming habits, cosmetics, and food choices. Find your own cure. You’re likely to find the culprits much sooner than any government does. If you are one of the sufferers of this mysterious “condition,” imagine that you’re completely on your own. For the time being and well into the future, you are.
Tags: Centers for Disease Control, chemicals, conditioners, cosmetics, cure, dermatologists, food, Food and Drug Administration, France, French government, funding, medical, sensitive scalps, shampoos, studies, tax dollar, treatment
Posted in Female Hair Loss, Hair Loss Products, Natural Hair Growth | Comments Off
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