Hair loss and its causes, prevention

Hair loss is becoming a sensitive issue for women as well as in men these days due to several reasons. Water and air pollution are also the contributing factors other than the use the harsh chemicals on them.

Diseases like diabetes, lupus and thyroid disorders can cause hair loss. Both an overactive thyroid and an underactive thyroid can cause hair loss. Your doctor can diagnose thyroid disease with laboratory tests. However, hair loss associated with thyroid disease can be reversed with proper treatment.

There are ways to combat the hair loss problem. And some of the causes are mentioned below:

1. Certain drugs used to treat gout, arthritis, depression, heart problems and high blood pressure may cause hair loss in some people. Taking birth control pills also may result in hair loss for some women.

2. Undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy may cause you to develop alopecia. After your treatment ends, your hair typically begins to regrow.

3. Recent high fever, severe flu or surgery. You may notice you have less hair three to four months after events such as an illness or surgery. These conditions cause hair to shift rapidly into a resting phase (telogen effluvium), meaning you’ll see less new hair growth. A normal amount of hair typically will appear after the growth phase resumes.

4. Newborns often lose hair during the first several months of life. This baby hair (vellus) is eventually replaced by a more permanent hair. It’s also common for babies to lose a patch of hair on the back of their heads from rubbing against mattresses, playpens and car seats. Hair will grow back once a baby begins to spend more time sitting up.

5. Hairstyles that pull on the hair, like ponytails and braids, should not be pulled tightly and should be alternated with looser hairstyles. Constant pull causes some hair loss, especially along the sides of the scalp. The hair can be kept loose most of the time, to prevent the additional damage.

6. Drinking and smoking are also the contributing factors in the baldness.