The Health Diva

Your hair loss may have started with a few extra hairs in the sink or in your comb. But now you can’t look in the mirror without seeing more of your scalp.

Baldness typically refers to excessive hair loss from your scalp and can be the result of heredity, certain medications or an underlying medical condition. Anyone – men, women and children – can experience hair loss.

Causes of temporary hair loss include:

• Disease: Could include diabetes, lupus and thyroid disorders.
• Poor Nutrition: Inadequate nourishment can cause you to experience hair loss. Fad or crash diets, eating disorders, and certain illnesses can cause poor nutrition.
• Medications: Certain drugs may cause hair loss in some people. Taking birth control pills also may result in hair loss for some women.
• Medical Treatments: Undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy may cause you to develop alopecia. After your treatment ends, your hair typically begins to regrow.
• Illness or Surgery: These conditions cause hair to shift into a resting phase, but will appear after the growth phase resumes.
• Childbirth: Some women experience hair loss several months after delivering a baby, but this temporary hair loss usually corrects itself within a few months.
• Hair Treatments: Hairstyling chemicals and procedures can cause damaged and broken hair.
• Scalp Infection: Infections such as ringworm can invade the hair and skin of your scalp, leading to hair loss. Once infections are treated, hair generally re-grows.

People with these types of hair loss should consult a doctor to determine the cause of their hair loss.

There are a number of reasons why men start to go bald, but if you are a man between the ages of about 20 to 45 and you start to lose scalp hair, then the chances are 95 per cent certain that you are experiencing male pattern baldness. As the term suggests, male pattern baldness follows a typical sequence or pattern. Hair loss can start in different areas but is usually at the temples and/or on the crown of the head. Initial thinning of hair progresses over a number of years and may lead to total baldness but more typically loss of hair over the top surface of the head.

The Cause of Male Pattern Baldness

Most men are genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness. It is the effect of hormones on the hair follicle that produces male pattern baldness. Testosterone, a hormone that is present in high levels in males after puberty, is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. DHT has an adverse affect on the hair follicles. Acting on a hormone receptor on the hair follicle it slows down hair production and produces weak, shorter hair, sometimes it stops hair growth from the follicle completely. This process gradually depletes your stock of hair, leading to hair loss.

Although DHT is categorised as a ‘male’ hormone, it is also produced in the bodies of women, albeit in smaller quantities and means that women too are susceptible to its negative effects on hair.

Nu Hair, is a hair care regime that focuses on regulating DHT levels.

Other herbs such as Saw Palmetto, Nettle, and Soya Isoflavones, also help regulate DHT levels.

Alongside hormonal balancing it is important to remember your hair is a reflection of your bodies nutrient status and general level of health.

To make make healthy hair we need to insure we have optimum levels of Vitamin A, B, C, and E, minerals calcium, copper, iron, and zinc, protein, and essential fats.

Vitamin A includes antioxidants that will assist in the production of healthy sebum levels in the scalp, kelping to keep your hair moisturised and glossy.  Maximise the vitamin A levels in your diet by foods such as fish liver oil, orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots, peaches and, apricots. In addition, Vitamin A is common in green vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, and spinach as well as dairy products such as milk and cheese. Eggs are also a good source of Vitamin A.

Vitamin C is another excellent source of nutrition for your hair by helping to strengthen collagen fibres within your hair. It is an important antioxidant that can help maintain both hair health as well as the health of your skin, a little beauty bonus. Green vegetables, as well as potatoes and, of course, (strawberries, kiwi, cantaloupe, pineapples, tomatoes, oranges, grapefruit, lemons) the various citrus and fruits rich in Vitamin C.

Vitamin E is another antioxidant that controls and enhances the scalp circulation and improves the condition of someone’s hair. Like the rest of these vitamins, Vitamin E is essential to your hair’s healthy, natural condition. Nuts, seeds, and whole grains such as wheat germ are excellent sources of vitamin E.

Biotin and Niacin (also known as Vitamin B3) are also essential for the health of your hair and your ability to keep it strong. Biotin is a substance that helps produce the chemical keratin which prevents graying and potential hair loss. Foods such as whole grains, egg yolk, milk and rice will provide Biotin. Niacin, like the antioxidant in Vitamin E, will enhance the circulation in the scalp and improve the condition of the hair.

Vitamins B12, B6, and B5 are also great for your hair.

The minerals calcium, copper Iron and zinc are all essential to maintain hair strength and structure, increasing your intake of nuts and seeds, and green stem vegetables helps to optimize your nutrient levels.

Iron deficiency has been found to be a common cause of hair loss, dark berry fruits, green stem vegetables and organ meats such as liver are excellent sources of iron.

I always take a good multi vitamin and mineral supplement, along side a good diet, this is my little insurance policy to make sure I am getting enough!

One of my favourite vitamins and mineral supplements that supports hair health is Viridian’s Ultimate Beauty. Ultimate beauty provides a great balance of nutrients, antioxidants, and amino acids to support and strengthen the hair.

Protein can have a dramatic effect on hair texture: too little protein can result in hair that is dry, fine, has less body, and slow growth.

Nourkrin is a hair care remedy that uses marine proteins to help strengthen and support hair, and encourage re-growth.

Protein provides the body with key amino acids. The two key amino associated with strong healthy hair are L cysteine, and L methionine, these sulphur based amino acids are believed to improve quality, texture, and growth of hair, help prevent hair from falling out.

A diet low in essential fatty acids, can result in dry, brittle, and slow-growing hair. The best oils in the diet should include essential fats such as olive, canola, and safflower oil. If you are unable to eat these important good fats, supplements such as Eicosanoil are great for adding essential oils without adding cholesterol.

What you put on your hair is as important as what you put inside your body, turn your shampoo and conditioner bottle over and read the ingredients! Many shampoos and conditions contain harmful hormone disturbing chemicals, which can build up over time. For natural alternatives look at our hair care section. For hair that turns heads!