December 22nd, 2009 — Beauty
It is part of normal hair growth cycle. We tend to lose hair every 2 or 3 months. However, when the hair loss goes beyond the normal limits, the thinning is noticeable. These include: Why does hair loss take place? The common manifestation is the appearance of one or more spots on the scalp. This is usually caused by a disorder of the immune system when the natural white cells attack hair follicles. Alopecia Totalis happens with complete loss of scalp hair. Alopecia Universalis is a rare condition when the entire body hair is lost.

Genetic conditions: Male pattern baldness afflicts about 25% of men by age 30. Not just genetic, the male hormone testosterone could also play a role. One of the functions of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is produced by the conversion of testosterone, causes impairment or stoppage of hair growth and produces short and weak hair. Men not possessing any testosterone would also not have male pattern baldness.
Skin diseases: hair loss and affectation of the scalp can also happen due to this. The specific skin diseases causing hair loss include dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, scalp fungus such as ringworm and tinea captis.
Sudden illness or fever: you can see large chunks of hair falling off after any serious illness or fever. This is however a temporary event.
Other causes of hair loss include: Childbirth, The Menopause, Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy and Age. Over and above these main reasons, there are other reasons too.
Successful hair loss treatments are available where you not only stop hair loss but re-grow your hair too. Some ways you could treat hair loss naturally are:
1. Vitamins A, B, C and E are hair promoters. Include them in the diet. There are several ways these vitamins work to promote hair growth: they provide sebum and promote blood circulation to the scalp by increasing oxygen absorption and collagen.
2. Importance of scalp care: Remember to massage your scalp regularly with herbal oils like olive oil, jojoba oil, amla oil. Essential oils of thyme, rosemary, lavender, and cedar wood have also been known to be effective in conditions of alopecia areata.
3. Avoid scalp abuse: Stop daily use of harmful chemical shampoos and blow drying. Hair and scalp get damaged by chemical treatments such as coloring and straightening. Even washing your hair daily with hot water will cause it to get stripped of natural oils and make it dry and brittle.
4. Herbal care: Use herbal powders such as amla, shikakai, henna and ritha to shampoo and condition hair. It is also a powerful anti-oxidant. Shikakai also known as Fruit for the hair has a natural low pH and is great as a shampoo because it cleanses without removing natural hair oils. After this use henna as a natural conditioner.
5. Lifestyle changes: This involves doing some stress management by doing exercises and meditation, as stress causes hair loss. Forego Smoking: Because the nicotine from the cigarettes blocks the pathway which supplies blood to the scalp and results in reduced supply of blood. Avoid excessive sun exposure as UV rays can burn and damage the scalp.
May 10th, 2009 — Health
The natural hair growth cycle would involve daily hair loss. We tend to lose hair every 2 or 3 months. When the hair fall is in excess of the usual limits, people get concerned. Reasons for this are many including: Hair loss can be due to several factors including: There are more than one reason for hair loss. The common manifestation is the appearance of one or more spots on the scalp. This is usually caused by an immunity disorder when the intrinsic white cells attack the hair follicles. Alopecia Totalis occurs when all of the scalp hair is lost. This is an uncommon condition.

It is called male pattern baldness. Though the reason is genetic another contributing factor is testosterone the male hormone. One of the functions of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is produced by the conversion of testosterone, causes impairment or stoppage of hair growth and produces short and weak hair. Men without testosterone would never have male pattern baldness.
Skin diseases: this could also be responsible for hair loss and it can affect the scalp. Such conditions include dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, scalp fungus such as ringworm and tinea captis.
Sudden illness or fever: this could also cause massive hair loss. This is generally a temporary phenomenon.
Childbirth, menopause, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and aging could also be the other reasons for hair loss. These are the main reasons for losing hair but there are others.
Not only can you stop hair loss but your can promote re-growth too, when you follow a successful hair loss treatment program. Here are some natural ways you could treat hair loss:
1. Vitamins A, B, C and E are excellent for promoting new hair growth. There are several ways these vitamins work to promote hair growth: they provide sebum and promote blood circulation to the scalp by increasing oxygen absorption and collagen.
2. Caring for your scalp: If you regularly massage your scalp with herbal oils like olive oil, jojoba oil, amla oil you would be greatly benefited. Some conditions of alopecia areata can be effectively treated with essential oils of thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedar wood.
3. Avoid scalp abuse: Stop daily use of harmful chemical shampoos and blow drying. Your hair and scalp stand to get damaged if you use harsh chemical processes like coloring as well as straightening. You hair is stripped of natural oils and turns brittle if you wash it daily with hot water.
4. Using herbal care: Using powders of amla, shikakai, henna and ritha as shampoo and conditioner can be an effective treatment. The richest source of natural vitamin C is amla powder known for its effect in preventing graying and hair loss. Shikakai, often called as the Fruit for hair can make an excellent shampoo with its natural low pH. Henna is a wonder natural conditioner after this.
5. Lifestyle - Stress is a very important factor in hair loss. Try and reduce stress by meditating and exercising. Say No to Smoking: Did you know that nicotine from smoking narrows the blood vessels which supply blood to the scalp? If you want to prevent damage to the scalp from UV rays, avoid exposure to the sun.