Hair Loss

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Hair Loss

Not Only a Male Problem

Somewhere around her 38th birthday, Sara began to notice that there were more hairs caught in her brush than usual after she brushed her hair. She also noticed that there was more hair trapped in the bathtub drain after she showered. And even more alarming, she was also beginning to find hair here, there and everywhere. It was turning up on sweaters, pillows, coats, hats--even on her car seat.

What was going on?

"The most common cause of hair loss in women is a shift in the growth cycle," says Rebecca Caserio, M.D., clinical associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh. In other words, at any given time, some of your hair is growing and some of it is done growing. Most hairs have a life expectancy of three to six years, even if you get a haircut--or several--in the meantime. These hairs go into a resting stage for three months and fall out, and then new hairs are produced from the same roots.

NO BALD CATS

In other words, a certain amount of hair loss is normal. Think about it: Your cat probably sheds hundreds of hairs a day without going bald.

"We normally shed somewhere between 50 and 100 hairs every day," says Dr. Caserio. "But there are a whole host of life events--namely, hormone shifts from birth control pills, pregnancy and menopause--that affect growing conditions, so that we can sometimes lose hundreds of hairs a day." Rapid weight loss, severe dandruff, iron deficiency and a low protein intake can also speed up the normal rate of hair loss by forcing hairs into a rooting stage. A serious illness or a physical stress, such as childbirth, can trigger dramatic (but temporary) hair loss of up to 50 percent, but this only occurs in extreme circumstances, says Dr. Caserio.

When To See A Doctor Although a certain amount of hair loss is normal, it can sometimes suggest that something is wrong somewhere in your body--especially if hair loss is accompanied by an increase in facial hair, abnormal periods or a deepening of the voice. If hair loss seems to be on the increase, or is accompanied by these symptoms, talk to your doctor. If your problem isn't overall sparseness, but noticeable thinning at the crown (female pattern baldness), you may benefit from use of either a prescription or over-the-counter version of minoxidil (Rogaine), says Rebecca Caserio, M.D., clinical associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh. Check with your doctor to see if you're a candidate for medication.

"Hair loss--particularly when it occurs at the crown--can also be caused by genetics," adds Dr. Caserio. Hereditary baldness is not just a male problem, she points out. Women can inherit a predisposition toward baldness from either parent.

"Hair loss takes an enormous emotional toll on people, especially women," says Diana Bihova, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City and author of Beauty from the Inside Out. "We invest so much in our appearance. Although hair loss is not something that we're going to die of, it affects our self-esteem."

SLOWING--OR REVERSING--HAIR LOSS

If your doctor has ruled out medical causes for accelerated hair loss, women doctors say that there's plenty you can do to hang on to what hair you have and encourage healthy regrowth. Their advice will be of special help to women who experience hair loss after childbirth.

Be gentle. Treat your hair like a baby's, says Dr. Bihova. Use baby shampoo and shampoo no more than once a day. Lather up only once when you do and rub your scalp gently. Then spritz your hair with a detangling conditioner.

Air-dry your hair. Avoid drying vigorously with a towel, says Dr. Bihova. Also, if you must use a blow-dryer, keep it on a low setting.

Style when dry. Grooming wet hair can cause it to stretch and break, says Dr. Bihova. So don't comb or brush your hair until it's dry.

Switch shampoos with the season. Change your brand of shampoo at the beginning of every new season--summer, winter, spring and fall, suggests Dr. Bihova. In her experience, it seems to prevent some shedding.

Don't tease. Even women who aren't losing their hair should avoid teasing or back-combing, says Yohini Appa, Ph.D., director of product efficacy at the Neutrogena Corporation in Los Angeles. "It is one of the worst things that you can do to your hair." Teasing breaks the hair and contributes to the appearance of hair loss.

Perm and color carefully. When perming and coloring your hair, follow product instructions carefully, says Elizabeth Whitmore, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. Neither perms nor color causes hair to fall out, she adds. But both, when done incorrectly, do cause hair to break. And when the break is very close to the scalp, it can make you look as though hair has fallen out.

NUTRITIONAL HELP

So much for treating hair loss externally. To address possible internal causes, try these strategies.

Get adequate protein. Eat a couple of three- to four-ounce servings of fish, chicken or other lean sources of protein every day, even if you're dieting, says Dr. Whitmore. Protein is needed by every cell in your body, including the cells that make the hair. Without adequate protein, the cells in your body don't work efficiently and can't make new hair to replace old hair that's been shed.

Maintain iron levels. Since iron-deficiency anemia can also cause hair loss, make sure that you eat a well-balanced diet that includes a daily serving or two of iron-rich foods, says Dr. Whitmore. Good sources of iron include lean red meat, steamed clams, cream of wheat, dried fruit, soybeans, tofu and broccoli.

Take vitamin B₆. "I have no idea why it works, but 100 milligrams a day of vitamin B₆ seems to decrease hair-shedding in some people," says Dr. Caserio. Just don't take any more than that without consulting a doctor, she cautions. Larger amounts can be toxic, especially over a prolonged time.