Posts tagged ‘balding’

January 10th, 2012

Male Pattern Baldness and Women

Male pattern baldness is the most common form of baldness. For men, it takes the form of thinning hair, leading to complete or partial loss. The pattern of baldness on the head is also well known and often results in a receding hairline, which may lead to complete baldness on the top of the head. Typically, most men will retain some degree of hair, starting from the sideburns and continuing behind the ears and around the back of the head.

 

This pattern of baldness is typical of androgenic alopecia. Androgenic alopecia easily recognized in men. It is not so easily recognized in women.

 

However, women can (and do) develop androgenic alopecia. Unlike their male counterparts, women may develop this condition as early as late teens and as late as full menopause, and may not have the same obvious hereditary association as men do. As women begin to lose more hair, they also may not know if the hair loss will be permanent or just temporary. It’s quite possible with women that a variety of other conditions can affect hair loss, including recent pregnancy or breastfeeding cessation, low iron, hormonal issues or other illness.

 

If you do have androgenic alopecia, there are a number of patterns of hair loss that you may see:

 

  • Generalized thinning over the whole head, with more thinning at the back of the head
  • Generalized thinning over the whole head, with more thinning at the front of the head (but not the hairline)
  • Generalized thinning over the whole head, with more thinning at the front which involves hairline (such as “receding” at temples or hairline)

 

What can you do? First of all, alopecia is associated with high levels of DHT. DHT is dihydrotestosterone, which will cling to hair follicles and starve out the hair. A simple blood test can help you determine if you have too much DHT. If your DHT is too high, saw palmetto – a natural supplement – can help.

 

Topical serums and shampoos are an ideal method of getting saw palmetto to your scalp, because your skin will absorb anything that is applied to it. Be sure to get a product that includes the known best ingredients for scalp health. One such products combination is SureThik Shampoo and Serum. This particular product line posts relevant research on its site to support the kinds of ingredients used.

 

Another way that you can get DHT to your follicles is through taking aaw palmetto as an oral supplement. This will reduce the levels of DHT throughout the body and while also benefitting the hair follicles. Saw palmetto can be found at almost any health food store.

 

The good news is that androgenic alopecia doesn’t have to mean that you lose your hair permanently. You can take steps to protect your hair follicles and your hair.

January 2nd, 2012

Am I losing too much hair?

Maybe hair loss runs in your family. Or perhaps you’ve noticed what looks like too many hairs on your comb or brush recently. For whatever reason, you are concerned that you are losing too much hair, and have noticed what looks like thinning.

 

Let’s begin with a few facts. It is completely normal to lose as many as 50 to 100 hairs per day. Not all will be on your brush, however. You may lose a few hairs while having your shower; you may lose some while pushing your bangs out of your eyes. So, don’t expect to count the hairs on your brush and know for sure how many hairs you typically lose.

 

The reason that everyone loses a certain amount of hair is that each follicle enters the anagen – or resting – phase many times over the course of a lifetime. A follicle may stay in this phase for three or four months. However, this is a relatively short phase in comparison to the catagen – or growing – phase. Depending on your genetics, your hair may be growing for three to ten years at a time!

 

This means that the true measure of whether you are losing too much hair is whether the follicles emerge from the resting phase and re-enter the growing phase. If you notice your hair is thinning, your hair follicles may not be returning to growing hair, for a number of reasons.

 

One of the most common reasons is too much DHT. DHT is Dihydrotestosterone, a hormonal component that can block receptors in the hair follicle and slowly starve the follicle by blocking nutrients from entering.

 

The good news is that there is a safe herbal supplement that can help to lower your levels of DHT naturally. It’s called saw palmetto. New research shows that this supplement is effective against DHT, helping to break it down into other substances that are not damaging to your hair.

 

So, how do you get Saw Palmetto to the follicle? While you can take saw palmetto as an oral supplement, this approach does not guarantee delivery of sufficient concentration of the herbal remedy to the follicle itself. One of the best ways to get saw palmetto directly to the site of your hair loss is to apply it to the scalp. You can get this combination with a number of topical products. One such combination is SureThik Shampoo and Serum. The advantage of SureThik (unlike some competitors) is that the company posts research on its site that documents the efficacy of its ingredients, so that the consumer understands how the formula works against hair loss.

 

Why apply the key ingredient twice to the scalp? It’s all about results. The advantage of using both a shampoo and serum combination is that it delivers saw palmetto in two steps – with a scalp cleansing shampoo and a leave-on treatment. This is a one-two punch against hair loss from DHT.

November 14th, 2011

Tips on Reducing Hairloss and Encouraging Hair Growth

Do you wash style or brush your hair regularly? We hope so! But did you know that the WAY you do these things can drastically alter how likely you are to experience hair loss? Here are some helpful tips to make sure you are getting the most from your hair care routine, and reducing the chances you could be encouraging hair loss!

  1. Hair Styling Products can Harm your Hair!

If the products you’re using are “sticky” to the touch, and/or cause your hair to hold a shape it wouldn’t normally hold without product, consider washing them out every night before your head hits the pillow. When you lie down on a pillow with hair product still in your hair, your head will press heavily against the products allowing them to work their way into your scalp, and of course into your pores/hair follicles. In addition, most styling products contain harsh chemicals which may not be the best thing for newly “sprouting” hair.  Ensuring that you wash them out completely at the end of each day will greatly benefit your efforts to achieve a full, healthy head of hair.

  1. Use gentle, natural shampoos
    It’s becoming more well known that mainstream shampoo products contain ingredients one would never want to slather on their skin. Why we ignore this fact and continue to put these same products on our hair is beyond me. Look for shampoos that contain botanical ingredients designed to help with hairloss or use a shampoo formulated to help hair grow-such as Surethik’s Hair Building Shampoo.
  2. Ponytails are for ponies

When you pull your hair very tightly back in a ponytail, you are in essence putting a constant strain on your hair follicles. Once in while this is fine, and won’t promote hair loss. However, if this is the way you normally wear your hair; remember that constantly pulling on your hair will train your hair to grow closer and closer to the surface of your scalp. Eventually, it will become too shallowly embedded, lose its grip on the skin and fall out. This is especially true of the vulnerable fine hairs at the front of the scalp, and can be the reason for high hairlines among women.

  1. Wait until your hair is dry to brush it out
    Wet hair is most likely to break during brushing. Give your hair a brush-through before you shower, and then towel and air dry your hair before brushing again. Allowing your hair to air-dry without brushing will also help it dry faster, since the hair strands aren’t pressed down together. This provides more surface area for air to circulate, speeding up the drying process. Also, if you use leave-in hair conditioner-make sure you don’t rub it into your scalp, since this will encourage clogging of the pores.
  2. You can stimulate hair growth by brushing your scalp
    Using a stiff bristles brush with plenty of space between the bristles, brush your scalp with enough force to feel it, but not enough to cause pain. Be sure to do this to your whole scalp when your hair is clean and fully dried, and you will stimulate blood-flow to your scalp. This in turn, will encourage hair growth.

 

If you are finding hair loss or hair thinning is a problem, be sure to contact Surethik and ask about their all natural hair fibers! This is an excellent way to hide hair loss while you work to change the behaviors which led to the loss in the first place.

October 24th, 2011

Significant hair loss has a natural solution

The normal rate of daily hair loss is about 50 to 100 hairs a day, according to the Mayo Clinic. Given that the average person has about 100,000 hairs on their head, that 50 to 100 hairs will never be noticed.

But what if you are losing more than that number of hairs? What if the hair that grows in is finer and thinner and poorly rooted? You could be on track for hair loss and thinning, unless you take some proactive steps.

One of the best steps that you can take is to clean your scalp well, using a natural shampoo designed to help alleviate and prevent hair loss. SureThik Shampoo is an ideal shampoo for those with the most common forms of hair loss. This shampoo does everything you want from a good quality shampoo, in addition to providing the most well-known and effective natural hair regrowth ingredients as part of its formula.

However, a complete solution requires more than proper cleansing – it also requires a therapeutic treatment that will stay on the scalp (rather than be rinsed away) to help address the key reasons for hair loss and thinning. In this case, you can turn to SureThik Hair Serum. This combination provides a one-two punch to hair loss, with nutrition for the scalp and herbal ingredients that are based on documented research.

The SureThik Serum uses a proprietary blend of nutrients and oils that not only nourish, but also help to protect the hair follicle from two key culprits in hair loss: Dihydrotestosterone, or DHT; and, loss of circulation to the scalp.

Research shows that one of the most common issues with hair loss is DHT. DHT binds to hair follicles, blocking off blood supply, oxygen and nutrients. DHT basically starved the follicle, which then cannot continue to grow hair. The SureThik Serum helps to reduce the amount of DHT present around the hair follicle with propagain, a combination of natural DHT blockers, which protects your ability to grow hair. Our natural serum replaces such pharmaceutical products as Propecia, delivering results at a fraction of the cost and without resorting to a drug.

Another drug known to help with hair loss is Rogaine. Rogaine grows hair by increasing blood flow to the scalp. SureThik Serum also addresses this area, but with a unique blend of Capsicum and Rosemary extracts. These extracts are able to increase circulation, without the nasty side effects of Rogaine. Good circulation will help to support hair follicles, resulting in more hair.

The SureThik Serum can be applied to the scalp 1-2 times a day. Apply directly to the scalp. Use light massage to enhance absorption.

September 8th, 2011

Is my favorite hairstyle causing hair loss?

Slicked back ponytails. Tight chignons. Big braids. Cornrows. These are styles where the hair is pulled very tight to the head, putting tremendous and consistent pressure on the scalp. As these hairstyles become more popular, the rate of hair loss related to them also increases! However, you might want to think twice before wearing a ponytail all the time. Certain hairstyles will put more stress on the hair, resulting in more than just breakage.

 

The wrong hairstyle can actually cause hair loss! The problem is pulling your hair too tight. When you lose your hair from styles that pull too tight, it’s called traction alopecia. The worst styles include ponytails, braids and cornrows. Not only can these styles break your hair, they also can damage your hair follicles. When you damage the follicle, you lose the hair. Tight hairdos are not the only problem. You can also have style-induced hair loss caused by hair extensions and hairpieces. These items put stress on your hair because of their weight. The weight results in pulling on your natural hair. The pulling results in follicle damage and hair loss, just like tight hairstyles do. Unfortunately, this means that hair weaves – which are normally used to conceal hair loss – can actually cause more problems than they solve! The weave depends on tightly done braids, plus a hairpiece. The hair is then subject to stress and pulling both from the braids and from the weight of the hairpiece.

The simplest way to avoid traction alopecia is to make sure to change up your hairstyle. Try a looser version of your favorite chignon or ponytail. Take a break from cornrows. Make sure that any cornrows are done without excessive pulling. Skip the hair extensions or hairpieces. Your hair should not have constant pressure on it. All of these changes will help you to preserve the health and vitality of your existing hair. If you already have hair loss, try not to depend on weaves. There are other products that can help to disguise existing hair loss, while not putting stress on or pulling your existing hair.

Consider products that make the hair appear naturally fuller, without adding a lot of weight. Surethik offers all-natural, Organic hair fibers that are easy to use and come in virtually every hair color. Visit our main site at: http://www.surethik.com   for more information and to see photos and videos of customers before and after application.

If you discover that your hairstyle has resulted in hair loss, in most cases the hair will grow back. But not always! If you have been abusing your hair for a long time, your hair may not re-grow without help. One of the most important things you can do to help your hair re-grow is to nourish your follicles. Doing so will help the follicle to repair and can stimulate hair growth.

For information on hair shampoo and serum designed to nourish, stimulate and encourage hair re-growth, visit the site and read the success people have found with our product. 

Products like Surethik Hair Fibers which help to disguise your hair loss can also support you to feel more confident while waiting for your hair to grow back.

March 29th, 2011

The Truth About Hair Loss By: Dr. Rita Louise

The Truth About Hair Loss

By: Dr. Rita Louise

It is normal to shed hair every day and the truth is we loose between 100 – 125 hairs on any given day. Hair that is shed falls out at the end of growth cycle. At any given time 10% of our hair is in what is called a “resting phase” and after 2- 3 months resting, hair falls out and new hair grows in its place. Some people, however, experience more hair loss than is normal.

As we get older, both men and women experience some hair loss. It’s a normal part of the aging process. Called Androgenetic Alopecia, it accounts for 95% of all hair loss. Androgentic Alopecia often runs in families and affects some people more than others. In men it is often referred to as Male Pattern Baldness. It is characterized by a receding hair line and baldness on the top of head. Women, on the other hand, don’t go entirely bald even if their hair loss is severe. Instead, hair loss is spread out evenly over their entire scalp.

Hormones play the dominant role when talking about Androgenetic Alopecia. Simple put, both men and women produce testosterone. Testosterone can be converted to dihydrotestosterone ( DHT) with the aid of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. DHT shrinks hair follicles causing the membranes in the scalp to thicken, become inelastic and restrict blood flow. This causes the hair follicles to atrophy. As a result, when a hair does fall out, it is not replaced.

Needless to say, men produce more testosterone than women and experience more hair loss.

While Androgenetic Alopecia is the number one reason why individuals experience hair loss, it is not the only one. Medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, ringworm and fungal infections can cause hair loss. Certain medications such as blood thinners, gout medication, birth control pills and too much vitamin A can cause sudden or abnormal hair loss as can following a crash diet, sudden hormonal changes, chemotherapy and radiation.

Emotional stress, pregnancy, or surgery can also cause our hair to fall out and is usually not noticed until 3-4 months after the stressful event has taken place. Stress can cause a slowing of new hair growth because a larger number of hair follicles enter into the resting phase and no new hair growth is experienced.

Another way in which individuals experience hair loss is due to mechanical stressors on the hair and scalp. Wearing pigtails, cornrows or tight rollers that end up pull on the hair can scar the scalp and cause permanent hair loss. Hair products such as hot oil treatments and chemicals used for permanents can cause inflammation to the hair follicles which can also result in scarring and hair loss.

For some, hair loss may be the early warning sign of a more serious disorder such as lupus or diabetes, so it is important to talk to your doctor. If you or someone you know is suffering from hair loss, here are some alternative health ideas that can help naturally.

Recommendations For Wellness

If you are taking prescription medications, talk to your doctor and find out if your medication is contributing to your hair loss.

Avoid mega-doses of vitamin A. Too much vitamin A can cause your hair to fall out.

Exercise, do yoga, meditate or find some other practice that will help to reduce your anxiety and stress levels.

Massage your scalp with rosemary oil in an olive oil base. Both rosemary oil and massaging the scalp can stimulate the circulation in the scalp and promote hair growth.

If you are a women, have your female hormones tested. If they are imbalanced, talk to your health care provider about bio-identical hormone replacements.

If you wear pigtails, cornrows, use a curling iron, hair dryer or hot rollers, try changing your hair style to one that puts less pressure and stress on your hair and scalp.

If hot oil treatments or chemicals such as those used in permanents are causing inflammation to the scalp, discontinue their use, or reduce the number of times you are using them.

Use gentle shampoos and conditioners to avoid any unnecessary damage to your hair.

In men, herbs such as saw palmetto and licorice root help block the formation of D HT. The same holds true for supplementation with zinc. As an added benefit, studies show that these supplements can also help prevent prostate enlargement.

Author Bio
Dr. Rita Louise, Ph D is a Naturopathic Physician and the founder of the Institute Of Applied Energetics. Visit http://www.soulhealer.com or www.appliedenergeticsinstitute.com for more information.

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