Have you noticed more hair falling out than usual? Hair loss expert Dr. Omar explains five causes and shares a solution that works.
For many women, hair is a key feature tied to their character and confidence. However, an estimated 8 million women in the UK experience hair thinning or loss at any time. It’s common to feel too insecure or embarrassed to talk about it, with 46 percent of women suffering in silence.
Losing between 100 to 150 strands a day is normal. Hair follicles go through three stages of growth, including a shedding phase. Dr. Omar points out that misunderstandings about hair loss treatments lead many to buy ineffective supplements. Understanding the hair growth cycle and the causes of hair loss is crucial.
The Hair Growth Cycle has three stages:
1. Growth (Anagen) Phase: 85-90% of hair is actively growing, lasting 3-5 years.
2. Transition (Catagen) Phase: Hair stops growing and disconnects from follicles, lasting 1-2 weeks.
3. Resting (Telogen) Phase: Hair sits inactive before shedding after 3-4 months.
Problems arise when you shed more hair or it doesn’t grow back. Hair loss (alopecia) involves a disrupted growth cycle, leading to shorter growth phases and extended resting phases.
Hair loss triggers include lifestyle factors like using heated styling tools, tight hairstyles, and poor nutrition. Dr. Omar outlines five major causes of hair loss:
1. Hereditary Hair Loss: The most common cause, known as male-pattern or female-pattern hair loss. It’s a gradual reduction in hair volume due to genetics, often seen as a receding hairline in men or thinning hair in women. Rebalancing the growth cycle with supplements that replace Proteoglycans, which are essential for hair growth, can help.
2. Hormonal Imbalance: Particularly involves the hormone DHT, a by-product of testosterone. Female hormones like estrogen are hair-friendly, but male hormones can shorten the growth cycle. Conditions like menopause or PCOS can cause hair loss due to hormonal fluctuations.
3. Stress: A major factor in hair loss. Stress increases cortisol, which affects hair growth negatively. Stress-related hair loss may reverse if the stressor is managed. Chronic stress can lead to conditions like telogen effluvium, causing widespread thinning.
4. Medications and Health Conditions: Drugs for cancer, high blood pressure, depression, and other conditions can interfere with hair growth, leading to temporary loss. Chemotherapy is a well-known cause due to its impact on rapidly dividing cells.
5. Pregnancy: While pregnancy often makes hair thicker due to elevated estrogen levels, some women experience thinning during the first trimester. Postpartum hair loss occurs in about 50% of women due to hormonal changes after childbirth. Iron deficiency during pregnancy can also contribute to thinning hair.
If you’re experiencing significant hair loss, consult a doctor or consider treatments like Proteoglycan Replacement Therapy. Nourkrin, for example, uses Marilex, a fish extract with key nutrients to rebalance the hair growth cycle.
In summary, Proteoglycans are crucial for hair growth. Therapies like Nourkrin reintroduce these molecules to help normalize hair growth cycles, showing positive results in clinical trials. Hormonal imbalances, stress, medication, and pregnancy-related changes are common causes of hair loss, and addressing these underlying issues can help in managing hair health.