Understanding Hair Loss and Baldness

For many, the mane is one’s crowning glory. Our hair is one of the most fascinating body features that we have. Not only because of its function as a barrier from external elements, but also due to its major contribution in one’s aesthetics and physical appeal. This is why once people start to lose their locks, they are definitely not happy. Baldness can be very cumbersome. And unfortunately, certain races are more likely to acquire the condition compared to others.

One of the most alarming consequences of aging is the thinning of the hair and eventual balding. However, age isn’t the only factor that causes baldness. Blame your parents for it, because by far, your genes are one of the primary reasons why hair loss occurs.

Growth and Shedding

The hair grows and sheds in a cycle. Hair strands grow from pits in the skin called follicles. As the cells at the base of the hair follicle divide, it pushes the hair shaft upwards causing the hair to grow at a rate of 1 centimeter each month. This stage of growth will last for several months to years. Then it will move to a resting phase for around 3 months. Eventually, the hair shaft will weaken starting from the base underneath to the surface of the skin. This will cause the hair to be easily detached during bathing, combing, or any kind of handling.

Normally, we shed about 50 to 100 hair in a day. But don’t fret because this is not really considered as a problem as our scalp may contain more than 100,000 hair strands that cut heat loss from the head and protect it from harmful rays of sunlight. Furthermore, new hair will also grow to replace the ones that were shed, and the whole cycle of hair growth and shedding starts all over again.

Causes of Hair Loss

Hair loss occurs for a number of reasons, some of which can be managed if one has sufficient knowledge over it.

Genetics

Let’s face it. Some people are just born to inherit baldness. Our genes are said to play a major role in the development of alopecia or baldness especially in the case of androgenetic alopecia or what we call pattern balding. However, it was unclear which genes are involved until recently when researchers from the Bonn University Clinic and Dusseldorf University Clinic in Germany have discovered the identity of the culprits of baldness. The gene for the androgen receptor has been pointed out to be responsible why hair loss is inherited. Moreover, this gene is found on the X chromosome which is why the tendency to become bald can be inherited from the mother. However, experts say that the condition may also be caused by other genes that are not dependent on the sex of the parents. Research is still underway to identify such gene as well as the exact process on how it causes baldness.

Hormones

Studies have discovered that hair loss is highly related to androgens, hormones that are responsible for the development of male secondary sex characteristics. They have specifically directed at the high levels of the androgen, Dihydrotestosterone or (DHT) and the enzyme 5 alpha-reductase.

The hair needs proper nourishment for it to grow. In our scalp, there are plenty of blood capillaries that provide nutrition to the hair follicles. However, the scalp also has a lot of androgen receptors. As DHT reaches these receptors, it will prevent vitamins and minerals from reaching the follicles causing it to grow at a slower rate and making the hair to undergo follicular miniaturization or to grow weak, smaller, finer hair that is easily detached. DHT may also accumulate in the hair roots, eventually causing hair loss or pattern baldness.

Males have more androgenic receptors than females, which is why baldness is more common in men.

Age

Hair loss is a normal part of the aging process. Most cases of baldness occur naturally as people get older.
Drugs and Chemotherapy

Certain medications such as allopurinol, warfarin, oral contraceptives, antidepressants, chemotherapeutic drugs, high-blood pressure medications, and immunosuppressants are cited as the common causes of drug-induced alopecia. The chemicals in these medicines may interfere with the normal hair growth cycle by preventing hair cells from dividing normally and falling out too early. Hair loss, not only on the scalp but as well as the eyebrows, eyelashes, and body hair, may occur within days to months after taking the medicine. Hair may grow back months later, however in most cases, the quality of the new hair may not be as good as the shed ones. For this reason, it is essential for health care providers to inform the patient of the side-effects of a certain medication.

Stress

Yes, physical and emotional stress may also cause hair-loss. Stress-induced alopecia causes large numbers of hairs to stop growing and remain dormant. In another mechanism, the white blood cells of a person may attack the roots of the hair follicle. Within a few months, the affected hair strands will eventually fall off. These scenarios may be quite alarming for anyone, hence, it is important to see your doctor about this. The good thing here is that hair will grow back once stress is resolved.

Infections and Medical Conditions

A host of diseases such as ringworm infection, lupus, thyroid disorders, anemia, cancer, pneumonia, syphilis, poor blood circulation, and adrenal gland tumors may have the unfortunate consequence of hair loss as they may interrupt the normal growth phase of the hair cycle.

Poor Diet

Our lifestyle may also have an impact on hair growth. People who consume very low amounts of protein or iron may run the risk of shedding more than the usual amount of hair strands. Excess vitamin A or D, selenium, and heavy metals may also produce hair loss. Hence, one should be very careful when taking vitamin supplements.

Environmental Factors and Hair Products

Pollutants and excessive hair products applied unto the hair may also cause hair breakage. But for as long as the hair follicle isn’t damaged, new hair will still be able to grow.

There are many ways to stop thinning hair and if you find it concerning you, there are things you can do about it.

Laser Hair Comb Benefits

Our human body is normally filled with hair. We do not usually notice the fact that we grow hair around our body. Frequently, our center of attention is the hair that grows from our scalp. Not only that it is more noticeable, it is also the hair that we need to maintain. Moreover, in this aspect, the women are more meticulous when it comes with dealing with hair.

Maintaining hair needs a lot of work. Picking the right shampoo and conditioner is the first thing we usually do. For some people, especially women, they tend to go to salons for services that will treat their damaged hair. These treatments can be expensive depending on one’s hair damage or the treatment of their choice.

Men deal with their hair with less care. A typical guy usually uses hair gels, pomade or creams that are harsh for their scalp and hair itself. They may not notice the effects now, but in later time, it will show especially when they are experiencing thinning of hair or having bald spot in the crown of the hair or even both.

Some may question why they experience hair loss even though they take proper good care for their hair. Hair loss may occur with both men and women; the reason can be hereditary or improper care of hair. Nowadays, we have growing numbers of people who are suffering from hair loss; the most known problem is male pattern baldness.

Due to growing problems with hair loss, many products are coming out in the market. Products such as hair fall shampoo, medicines to help hair growth, and even hair implants are now becoming more and more dominant. And although these products and procedures are not sure to help hair loss 100%, and some of them may be are affordable, while others are expensive, still people swarmed to them like bees.

There is a product that gives buzz and questions around and in the internet, if it can give the benefit of preventing hair loss. This is called laser hair comb. This is not an ordinary type of comb, it is a comb that emits LLLT or low level laser therapy that helps treating hair loss problems. Laser hair combs are created with 17 diodes.

The laser hair comb is a convenient alternative for light therapies done in hair loss clinics and hair salons. This comb has the same low-level laser therapy that hair doctors use, the only difference is that you can have the therapy needed for your scalp done at your home. Laser hair comb is really intended for home and personal use.

The personal use of laser hair combs means that you can use it any time of the day, depending on your schedule. It does not give usage problems, simply because most people know how to comb their hair. Using the laser comb is the same with regular combing; it only needs a little time and knowledge to be able to use it properly.

The procedure of low-level laser therapy using laser hair comb lasts for only ten to fifteen minutes. The laser comb needs to be pressed against the scalp for four seconds, and then move it to the next spot, about half an inch. Do this procedure until the whole coverage is done, and repeat it for two times.

The recommended proper use of laser hair comb is three times a week, make sure that the usage has one-day interval. Also, prevent using it with gel, hair spray, pomade or other hair styling products and chemicals. It is not also advisable to be used if the scalp is cracked or has a broken skin.

Laser hair comb is very convenient to use, it is also easy to find. People who have hair loss problems can buy it from registered and legal dealers. If such dealers are not available at your place, you can try buying it online. Just make sure that it is a reputable and trustful site. This product is very promising; it can be the solution for hair fall and baldness. Surely, it is worth giving a try.

Laser Comb Review: Does it Really Work?

As a man in his late 30s, I’ve been fascinated by the laser comb ever since I heard about it a few years ago. My hair loss wasn’t dramatic—it started in my early 20s and gradually developed into the typical male-pattern baldness that many of the men in my family get. I wasn’t too upset about this, as baldness is just a fact of life for men, but I thought that if I could do something about it, why not at least try? I was skeptical of prescription drugs for hair loss because I didn’t want to have to make an appointment with my doctor and then deal with the side effects, and I definitely don’t have enough money to invest in any of the advanced surgical procedures. So I decided to give the laser comb a shot.

I was able to get a pretty good deal on the laser comb through the web. I was a little wary of the price tag, but I figured that this would be a pretty good price if the device were to actually work. In hindsight, the price is a steal.

Once I received my laser comb in the mail, it was a pretty easy process to figure out. It takes a little bit of charging, but then the usage is easy enough. All you do is hold it against your scalp for four seconds, move it half an inch, hold it for another four seconds, and so on until you’ve gone over the whole scalp three or four times. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes, which may seem like a long time, but when you do it with the TV on it goes by in a snap. Plus, after I did it a few times I found that I didn’t have to think about it anymore.

Over the first few weeks, I noticed what appeared to be an increase in hair loss. But having read the instructions, I was aware that this was just a normal part of the treatment, so I wasn’t too alarmed. As promised, this began to reverse itself after a couple of months. The loss stopped, and I began to notice my hair becoming thicker in some areas. It took a few months to be absolutely certain that I wasn’t just deluding by self, but by about six months into the process, the results were indisputable.

It’s been a year now, and the effects are dramatic. My hairline is not quite where it was in my early 20s, but I’m not about to start complaining about that. The effect was almost like losing hair in reverse. The parts that had only recently begun thinning were the first to regain their thickness, while the parts that were thinning as far back as my mid 20s are the last holdouts. I plan to keep up the treatments, hoping that the regrowth will eventually cover my whole scalp.