What to do for hair loss?
With advancing age, problems with the body intensify that feel beyond our control. One of these is hair loss: men are increasingly affected by receding hairlines, which extend to baldness. In women, it is thinning hair and the so-called wide parting. As the types of hair loss present themselves, the reasons for it are also different.
The list of hair problems that occur increases with age. The cause from the biological point of view is simply that the regenerative capacity of hair follicles is gradually lost in men and women. In women, it is added that during menopause - that is, between the ages of about 45 and 65 - the changing hormonal balance, especially estrogen levels, triggers or intensifies this problem.
Not all hair loss is the same
In order to find options for action on the problem, the different types of hair loss must be distinguished, as each requires a different treatment:
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Hereditary hair loss
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Hair loss due to iron deficiency
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Hormonal hair loss
Hereditary hair loss
If it is hereditary hair loss, it begins in different places on the head in men and women. In men, this type of hair loss is manifested in the form of so-called receding hairline, which is balding from the temples to the sides of the forehead towards the top of the head, and thinning hair in the area of the back of the skull. In women, hereditary hair loss is mainly manifested by an overall thinning of the hair, which appears as a so-called wide crown. It is a hereditary hormonal form of hair loss. The endogenous hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone), colloquially called testosterone, plays a major role. The growth phase of the hair is shortened by the hormone DHT caused. The hair follicle builds up the hair reduced, so that becomes thinner and thinner. The hair density also becomes noticeably lower due to the increase in inactive follicles.
Symptoms in men
The hair first becomes less in the upper temple area and on the forehead. The vernacular has coined the term Geheimratsecken for this. Afterwards, the hair on the upper back of the head disappears or hardly grows back, until baldness finally occurs.
Symptoms in women
Here, the hair falls out along the middle parting. Bald patches also develop, and the hair becomes thinner and thinner until eventually the scalp can be seen.
Circular hair loss
Circular hair loss does not refer to the ring of hair or tonsure, in which the scalp covering on the top of the head thins out, but to the type called by the biological term alopecia areata, for which it is characteristic that bald, round or oval areas form on the scalp. These areas enlarge, spread to other areas and can lead to complete hair loss. Other parts of the body can also be affected, such as the beard, eyelashes, eyebrows or pubic area. Since many factors play a role in hair loss, it is suspected that circular hair loss is an autoimmune reaction of the body. In this case, circular hair loss is curable because the hair follicles remain intact.
Diffuse hair loss
Diffuse hair loss (alopecia) manifests itself in the form of thinning and thinning hair. This is preceded by damage to the hair root, so that regrowing hair becomes weaker and grows more slowly. The causes and triggers of diffuse hair loss are manifold:
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Thyroid dysfunction
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Infectious diseases
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Cancer diseases / radiation treatments
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Diabetes
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Hormonal changes after childbirth or during menopause
However, eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, an inflammatory scalp disease (psoriasis) and, above all, excessive stress are also responsible for diffuse house failure. All of these have one thing in common: a strong imbalance of nutrients in the organism. The hair follicles are no longer supplied by the body with, among other things, the necessary D vitamins and can no longer develop due to this deficiency. Compensation of the nutrient deficiency is often sufficient for the symptoms to recede.
Hair loss due to iron deficiency
In some cases, hair loss is also a clear signal of acute iron deficiency. This shows up long before the appearance of the well-known symptoms such as anemia, concentration disorders and fatigue. Hair loss due to iron deficiency is by far less known than all other causes of hair loss. By checking the mineral supply (blood sampling and laboratory examination at the doctor's) when hair loss occurs and the recommended compensation of this deficiency, hair loss also ends when the hair follicles receive sufficient nutrients again.
What to do about hair loss in old age?
If it is clear that it is age-related hair loss, there is the alternative choice of resigning oneself to it, which is usually less difficult for the male sex because of general social acceptance, or to oppose age-related hair loss by strengthening the cellular metabolism of the hair root day by day. Even if the hair follicles stop serving more and more due to advancing age, it is still possible to reactivate them. Hair loss in old age is in some respects pre-programmed, but nevertheless does not have to be fate if the right active ingredients are used.
In order to regenerate the cell metabolism of the hair root, it is important, on the one hand, to provide the entire body with sufficient nutrients and fluids. To achieve a lasting effect, a permanent treatment is also necessary. Holistic remedies against hair loss form the basis here. They ensure the delivery of the nutrients needed in the body to return to a harmonious balance. Hormones are the messengers in the body and also regulate the immune system. When this is in balance, stress in the body is reduced and, if necessary, agents that act directly on the scalp are able to stimulate the growth of hair, which is so readily promised in advertising.
Conclusion
A balanced diet, the supply of essential nutrients, prevent the lack of iron and the use of appropriate shampoos and care products can improve hair growth. It is also advantageous not to rub the hair vigorously dry after washing, but to blot it and massage it with a towel in slow circular movements that do not tear the scalp. Avoiding dyes and other chemical culls and special shampoos ensure that thin hair is re-supplied with nutrients during periods of hormonal transition.
This is especially true for the period after pregnancy or during menopause. Accordingly, the essential nutrients contained in the shampoos ensure healthy hair growth. But it is important to consider the whole, healthy hair grows on the skin of a healthy body: in addition to proper hair care, attention should be paid to the whole body, the consideration of nutrition and other factors mentioned in this article.
