Hair loss is a common issue that affects millions of people worldwide and can occur on all parts of the body. While it's often associated with aging, hair loss can also affect younger people. There are many potential causes of hair loss in both young and older people, ranging from genetics to lifestyle factors. In this article, we will take a closer look at some of the most common causes of hair loss as well as effective treatments – both invasive and non-invasive.
Causes of hair loss
1. Genetics
Genetics is one of the most common reasons for hair loss and is usually seen while one ages. Symptoms of hair loss due to genetics include progressive loss of hair at the top of the scalp, a receding hair line in men and a growth of the hair parting in women. Due to its root cause being genetics, there are no complete cures for this type of hair loss, but rather there are a few effective treatment options, such as mesotherapy and low-level light therapy.
2. Hormonal changes
Hormonal changes in women such as pregnancy and menopause can cause varying hormone levels, inducing hair loss. Another common cause of hormonal imbalance is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which has various symptoms including hair loss. Suddenly stopping or starting birth control can cause hair loss as well, due to the sudden change of hormones in the body.
3. Medical conditions
Medical conditions that cause hair loss include alopecia areata, thyroid disease, trichotillomania, and scalp infections. Alopecia areata is a disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack the follicles of the hair. Hair loss due to alopecia areata can occur in any part of the body such as the scalp, eyelashes, and eyebrows. Such hair loss tends to be either circular or patchy. If you have alopecia and some of your hair starts to grow back, treatment can help to prompt more hair growth.
Another condition is thyroid disease. If you have had thyroid diseases such as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism for an extended period, hair loss can occur.
Trichotillomania is a disorder where patients pull out their hair compulsively and continuously can cause either thinning of the hair or patchy hair loss. This can be either caused by an anxiety disorder or stress.
4. Medication
Some medications when taken can induce hair loss as a side effect. These medications include:
· Chemotherapy drugs: These drugs are designed to kill cells that are quickly multiplying in the body. Although these drugs are aimed at cancer cells, they can kill healthy cells as well such as hair follicle cells, causing loss of most or all of your hair.
· Hormone replacement therapy: This therapy can result in hormonal imbalances, inducing hair loss.
· Blood thinners: Some blood thinners, such as warfarin, can cause hair loss as a side effect.
· Acne medication: Some strong acne medication, such as isotretinoin, can result in the loss of hair as a side effect.
5. Nutritional deficiencies
Nutritional deficiencies can also cause hair loss. In particular, deficiencies in iron, vitamin D, and biotin have been linked to hair loss.
6. Stress
When the body experiences high levels and prolonged periods of stress, it can trigger a condition called telogen effluvium. This condition causes hair follicles to enter the resting phase of the hair growth cycle prematurely, leading to hair loss. The good news is that telogen effluvium is usually temporary, and hair will typically grow back once the stress is resolved.
7. Lifestyle factors
Wearing hairstyles that pull on the hair, like tight braids, ponytails, or buns, can cause hair loss over time. Using hot tools like curling irons or flat irons on a regular basis can also cause damage to the hair and lead to hair loss.
Effective Treatments for Hair Loss
Over the years, there have been many different types of effective treatments emerging for hair loss. These treatments include both invasive and non-invasive types, where an invasive treatment refers to treatments that involve cutting the skin. The main difference between these procedures is the amount of time required to heal the skin after the treatment and the quality of the final results.
Invasive hair loss treatments:
During this surgery, the doctor or aesthetician uses the hair that you have left in your hair and transfers it onto a bald spot. For instance, they would remove a piece of skin containing hair at the back of your scalp and insert these individual hairs into the problem areas of the scalp. After this surgery, it is likely that you will have to take pain-killers for quite a few days and wear a bandage on the affected areas. Being an invasive treatment that directly grafts hair onto bald spots, hair transplant surgery is one of the effective treatments for hair loss. However, results varies by the individual and the procedure involves long downtime.
Non-invasive hair loss treatments
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
This procedure involves the injection of your own plasma into your scalp, encouraging the blood in the scalp to grow more hair.
Mesotherapy for Hair Loss
This injection contains vitamins that help the circulation of blood in the scalp, stimulating hair growth and strengthening of the hair follicles.
Low Level Light (LLL) Therapy
This therapy makes use of red light to stimulate the flow of blood in the scalp, encouraging hair growth and stopping excessive hair loss.
Botanical Plasma Poration
Our Botanical Plasma Poration is the solution that strikes a perfect balance between efficiency and effectiveness. Our treatment adopts the use of cutting-edge Plasma Poration technology, the transfer of nucleic acid materials through the formation of small pores in cell membranes using ultrasound.
A non-invasive method of stimulating the hair follicles on your scalp is used in Botanical Plasma Poration hair loss treatment. It is a technology developed in Italy and approved by USFDA. Hair loss treatments cannot be as effective when given through the usual route of delivery for facial treatments because the rate of absorption on the scalp is lower than the rate on the forehead.
It has also been found that the size and type of molecules influence the absorption of substances in the skin. S.E.P. Activator overcomes this problem by improving the method of delivery of topical medication to the scalp to treat hair loss.
No More Hair Loss
There are certain things that can be done to avoid hair loss, which should be done to prevent further hair loss, especially after invasive or non-invasive treatment has been undergone.
1. Mindful shampooing and conditioning
Hair that is prone to falling out is fragile and easily damaged. Certain shampoos can strip moisture from hair, so it is advisable to choose a gentle one. After shampooing, a moisturising conditioner can be applied, to reduce breakage and split ends.
2. Avoid physical trauma
Some common activities that can damage fragile hair are hot-oil treatments, using a high heat setting on certain hair tools (eg. hairdryer, curling iron), and frequently wearing a hairstyle that pulls on the hair. Avoid heating up the hair or causing frequent strains that would further weaken the hair. Brush or comb the hair gently instead of tugging on the hair.
3. Do not attempt to bleach or color your hair with off-the-shelf products
As professionals are better equipped with the knowledge on which products are the most suitable for different hair, going to a salon that specialises in the service is recommended over doing it by oneself.
4. Adopt a healthy lifestyle
Unhealthy activities such as smoking can cause inflammation throughout the body, worsening hair loss. Eating too few calories every day can also cause significant hair loss.
Speak to us to find out how we can effectively treat your hair falls woes with our extensive range of effective treatments for hair loss and scalp care.