Women's Health Articles
Hair Loss in Women
While both men and women can experience hair loss for different reasons, hair loss in women is usually displayed as a gradual thinning of the hair, either all over or in a specific pattern. And with women, it commonly occurs due to quite specific triggers.
Some degree of hair loss is experienced by approximately fifty percent of women by the age of 50. For those that will experience female pattern hair loss there are usually signs of some hair loss in these women at the ages of between twenty and thirty.
Hair loss in women manifests with shrinking hair follicles, which in turn produce thinner hair. Usually there is a gradual transition from large, thick, coloured hairs to thinner, shorter hairs and finally to short, wispy, non-coloured hairs in the affected areas. Hair shedding will be noticed as the condition worsens and hair will generally be lost over a wide area of the crown.
Theses are some of the specific hair loss triggers for women:
Menopause
During menopause the major change in female body chemistry is the drop in estrogen. Because of this change, testosterone that was previously in balance with the estrogen now takes a more dominant role and can result in the production of DHT or Dihydrotestosterone, the same hormonal compound that is responsible for male pattern baldness. HRT or hormone replacement therapy is an option but must be carefully considered as there is a possible breast cancer trigger here with the estrogen boost. The best solution in this situation is an effective DHT blocker such as Provillus™ which contains a herbal blend including Saw Palmetto. For more information on this option visit www.provillus.com
Nutritional Deficiencies Resulting from Gastrointestinal Problems
Healthy hair requires the right combinations of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. If you have digestive problems this can stop the body from obtaining the nutrients that it needs and can be a cause of hair loss in women as well as men. Intestinal flora is important for efficient digestion and should be maintained with a regular probiotic or good quality yoghurt, preferably organic. If you have been on a course of antibiotics it is important that you reintroduce healthy flora into your system as the antibiotics kill all bacteria, both friendly and harmful.
Good quality fibre is also important for dredging out the intestines and removing waste that will stop the intestine walls from being able to absorb nutrients. Waste can build up between the fine villi, or fingerlike projections, that absorb the nutrients from your food. Do not get a synthetic product from the chemist but choose healthy fibre options. For example, freshly squeezed orange juice, with a citrus juicer contains a healthy amount of fibre. Drink it quickly (within 2 minutes) so that you can gain the maximum health benefit from the natural enzymes as well as the fibre. Another great option is a good quality Chitosan. This is a natural product derived from shellfish. The Herbalife Chitosan Fibre Complex is an example of a high quality fibre product.
Finally, you may require digestive enzymes or possibly even Hydrochloric Acid Tablets. Get advise from your health care professional if you believe that you may be suffering with this problem. If you are lacking generally in energy this may be another sign that your digestion is faulty.
Hair Loss Caused by Cheap Hair Care Products
You may think that all hair care products are the same. You would be quite wrong. What passes for acceptable hair care products will one day be banned from our shelves, I hope. Many cheap shampoos and conditioners, available at your local supermarket or chemist, contain SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. It is added to the product to make it foam up. It is also used in many toothpastes. It is an industrial degreaser and used to clean engines. No wonder they can contribute to hair loss in women and men. This chemical compound has been shown to damage hair follicles and slow down hair growth. As a vital first step in improving the health of your hair, source some safe hair care products, of which there are many including Avalon (made in Canada) and Herbalife (made in the USA).
Postpartum Hair Loss
Due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, the amount of hair that grows during pregnancy is normally significantly more than normal. So once the child has been born and the hormones return to more normal levels it can seem like there is a large amount of hair loss occurring. In fact the hair is just going back to it's normal levels and so this is nothing really to worry about.
Anorexia & Hair Loss
Anorexia is an eating disorder more common in younger women and driven by western society's obsession with looks and it's portrayal of the "ideal woman" as being stick thin as represented by the models that are used to promote women's fashion. Fortunately that trend is changing slowly but surely. As a result of this condition, which is a very specific cause of hair loss in women, mostly, the nutrition is also severely lacking and so one of the unfortunate side-effects is hair loss or hair thinning. Of course this condition must be carefully handled by a medical professional but some kind of nutritional supplementation would be recommended.
Summary
While there are a number of causes of hair loss in women, there are also a number of solutions. In many cases just improving the diet can have a major effect on this problem. Ensure that you are getting good nutrition from the food you purchase and if needs be take a high quality broad scale supplement. Women can usually handle hair loss as an issue more easily and more effectively than men, as long as they are getting the correct nutrients into their body.