Today it’s almost as common for woman to experience hair loss as men. Since looks are usually much more important to woman then men. Hair loss can have a severe psychological effect. For men, it can be a relatively normal part of life; however it’s almost impossible for woman to be socially acceptable when they have no or thinning hair.

There are many reasons why some women experience hair loss. Some of these reasons can be the same as men. For example, certain medications can have an effect on hair loss. Often times, just like with men, hair loss can be hereditary. Pattern baldness can be passed down from one generation to the next and isn’t gender specific.

However there are a few reasons that are very specific to woman only. For example menopause, can be a cause of hair loss in women. Unlike some things that are preventable, menopause is a natural part of a woman’s life cycle.

Often times people don’t notice hair loss in woman as much as they do in men. It’s much more fashionable for woman to wear hats and scarves, while men generally don’t do so. Woman can also run into psychological problems, related to losing their hair. Because of this counseling becomes something else that women need to be aware of. However it may be a good thing to see a counselor if the trauma because too great.

So what can you do? It’s importance to understand that, while many times it’s unpreventable. There are steps that you can take to minimize the impact of hair loss. It’s a good idea to see a doctor. If they feel that it’s necessary they can refer you to a specialist. Keep in mind that there may be side effects to any treatment options. However with the help of your doctor or specialist you should be able to choose the treatment that’s right for you.

Statistics show that most men have a 50% chance of experiencing hereditary hair loss by their 50th birthday. The severity and nature of baldness can vary greatly; it ranges from male and female pattern alopecia, alopecia areata, which involves the loss of some of the hair from the head, and alopecia totalis, which involves the loss of all head hair, to the most extreme form, alopecia universalis, which involves the loss of all hair from the head and the body. The term bald derives from the English word balde, which means white or pale, or the Celtic word - ball, which means a white patch or blaze, such as on a horse’s head.

Recognizing and treating an infection may help stop hair loss. If the thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, hair may fall out; treating thyroid disease will help remedy this. Correcting a hormone imbalance may prevent further hair loss.

About 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you can suddenly temporarily lose a large amount of hair; this hair loss is related to the stress of the illness. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance; correcting the hormone imbalance may stop the hair loss. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it’s important to find the cause so that it can be treated properly and fast.

Many women notice hair loss about three months after they’ve had a baby; during pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out and when the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts up again. Some drugs or medications can cause hair loss, which improves when you stop taking the medicine; medications that can cause hair loss include blood thinners, medicines used for gout, and chemotherapy drugs used for cancer, too much vitamin A supplementation, birth control pills and antidepressants. In the past it was believed that baldness was inherited from a person’s maternal grandfather; while there’s some basis for this belief, both parents contribute to their offspring’s likelihood of hair loss.

Products for hair loss include: shampoos, shampoos and conditioners, conditioners, lotions, creams, concealers, thinning hair shampoos, laser combs, laser brushes, the Lasertron Hair Growth Brush, herbal based products, chemical based pills or tablets, Nizoral shampoo, Neutrogena T-Gel, and many others. Regular aerobic exercise can help keep androgen levels naturally lower while maintaining overall health, lowering stress and increasing SHBG. Surgery is another method of reversing hair loss and baldness, although it may be considered an extreme measure.

There are hundreds of hair loss products used as hair loss remedies and treatments. Topical application of Ketoconazole, which is both an anti-fungal and a potent 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, is often used as a supplement to other approaches. Propecia (Finasteride) and Minoxidil (Rogaine in the U.S and elsewhere as Regaine) are drugs that have reported having shown some success in partially reversing loss but consider the side effects.

Very little testing has been done on the long-term effects of Minoxidil on women. While drastic, broad spectrum anti-androgens such as Flutamide are sometimes used topically; Flutamide is potent enough to have a feminizing effect in men, including growth of the breasts. Propecia is available with a prescription; comes in pill form, is only for men and may take up to six months before you can tell if it is working.

Vodka and cayenne remedy for loss - mix one jigger of vodka with a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (test on skin first for sensitivity) and rub it on the scalp; blood rushes to the hair follicles stimulated by the vodka and cayenne pepper - be careful if you try it. Circulation to the scalp is important. Saw Palmetto is an herbal DHT inhibitor often claimed to be cheaper and have fewer side effects than finasteride and dutasteride; unlike other 5alpha-reductase inhibitors, saw palmetto induces its effects without interfering with the cellular capacity to secrete PSA (protein specific antigen).

Olive oil and rosemary remedy for hair loss - use equal amounts of olive oil and oil of rosemary; combine them in a bottle, shake vigorously, massage into the scalp, put on a cap and shampoo in the morning. Try lying on a slant board with head down for 15 minutes a day, but clear it with your doctor first. Try using double-strength herbal sage tea as a hair rinse or apply to scalp every day as a tonic.

Beta Sitosterol, which is a constituent in many seed oils, can help to treat BHP (benign prostatic hypertrophy) by lowering cholesterol; but consuming large amounts to get at small quantities of beta sitosterol is likely to exacerbate male pattern baldness. Try scalp massage every day. Garlic oil remedy for hair loss - at bedtime, puncture a couple of garlic pearles, squirt the oil on the scalp, massage, cover with a cap, shampoo and rinse in the morning.

Apple cider vinegar used as a hair rinse may stimulate hair growth. Garlic for hair loss remedy - an hour before bedtime, slice open a clove of garlic and rub it on the hair loss area, wait for an hour then massage the scalp with olive oil, put on a cap, go to bed, shampoo your hair in the morning, repeat for a few weeks, and hopefully hair will stop falling out and regrowth will be showing. Resveratrol, from grape skins, is a lipase inhibitor and by decreasing the body’s ability to absorb fat through the intestine walls, it reduces the total fat and calorie content of a person’s diet.

Keep in mind that hair loss should be continually treated, preferably natural however, even after it stops. Treatment for alopecia can be slow and sometimes not successful; the more hair that’s lost, the more you may have to work at it to get it back and in some cases may not be able to; but try as many natural non-invasive treatments and remedies as possible. If adequate treatment is not available for your type of hair loss, you may want to consider trying different types of hairstyles or wigs, hairpieces, hair weaves or artificial hair replacement.

The average typical loss of hair amounts to about 100 strands a day. And the average human head has about 100,000 hair follicles. Each one of these follicles can grow about 20 individual hairs during a person’s lifetime. Female or male pattern baldness varies from population to population based on genetic background. It’s important to understand the cause of your hair loss before you undergo any hair loss remedy or treatment.

Some drugs or medications can actually cause hair loss, which improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medications that can cause hair loss include the blood thinners, medicines used for gout and gouty arthritis, chemotherapy drugs used for cancer, too much vitamin A supplementation, birth control pills and antidepressants. Hypothyroidism can cause it, especially the thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows. Many women notice hair loss about three months after they’ve had a baby. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. So when the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts up all over again.

And some mycotic infections can cause massive hair loss. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause it in children, which is usually easily treated with antifungal medicines. About three or four months after an illness or a major surgery, you can suddenly lose a large amount of hair temporarily. This loss is related to the extreme stress of the illness.

Recognizing and properly treating an infection may help stop the loss. If the thyroid gland is either overactive or underactive, hair may fall out. However treating thyroid disease will remedy this. Poor digestion, parasites and nutrient deficiencies such as iron or biotin deficiency shouldn’t be overlooked as possible causes.

There are prescription drugs, herbal remedies and topical applications available for hair loss. Surgical methods used include hair transplantation, whereby hair-producing follicles are taken from the back and sides of the head and injected into bald or thinning areas, but this is very expensive and requires several sessions. Try to go a more natural way with treatment if possible. Taking drugs means many months of exposure to chemicals causing side effects and possibly irreversible damage.

Minoxidil is a very expensive drug, which costs about one hundred dollars per month for daily treatment. Very little testing has been done on the long-term effects of Minoxidil on women. Surgery is another method of reversing hair loss and baldness, although it should be considered an extreme measure. There are both natural products and chemical-based products for it.

Some of the products for hair loss include: shampoos, shampoos and conditioners, conditioners, lotions, creams, concealers, thinning hair shampoos, laser combs, laser brushes, the Lasertron Hair Growth Brush, herbal based products, chemical based pills or tablets, Nizoral shampoo and Neutrogena T-Gel. Stress reduction can be very helpful in slowing it down.

Polygonum Multiflorum is a traditional Chinese cure or remedy for hair loss. Whether or not the plant itself is useful, the general safety and quality control of herbs imported from China is now questionable. And saw Palmetto is an herbal DHT inhibitor often claimed to be cheaper and have fewer side effects than either finasteride or dutasteride. And unlike other 5alpha-reductase inhibitors, saw palmetto induces its effects without interfering with the cellular capacity to secrete PSA (protein specific antigen).

Garlic as a hair loss remedy - an hour before bedtime, slice open a clove of garlic and rub it on the area of loss, wait for an hour and then massage the scalp with olive oil, put on a cap, go to bed, shampoo your hair in the morning, repeat for a few weeks, and hopefully hair will stop falling out and regrowth will be evident.

One patient reported that he used virgin coconut oil on his hair and scalp for a year. During that time his hair became thicker and he hade more of it on the top of his head where he had been receding a bit. It’s good as a hair gel too. Some people lie on a slant board with their heads down for about 15 minutes a day, but clear it with your doctor first if you decide to try it.

The onion juice and honey remedy: prepare a hair-growing elixir by combining 1/4 cup of onion juice with one tablespoon of honey. Massage the scalp with this mixture every day.

Resveratrol, from grape skins, is a lipase (relevant to the hair loss process) and by decreasing the body’s ability to absorb fat through the intestinal walls, it reduces the total fat and calorie content of a person’s diet. Beta Sitosterol, which is a constituent in many seed oils, can help to treat BHP (benign prostatic hypertrophy) by lowering cholesterol. But consuming large amounts of it to get at small quantities of beta sitosterol is likely to exacerbate male pattern baldness. So be careful if you have BPH and are taking it.

The Asian remedy - rub sesame oil onto your scalp every night, cover with a cap or old towel. In the morning wash with an herbal shampoo, rinse with a solution of one tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar to one quart of water.

The olive oil and rosemary remedy - use equal amounts of olive oil and oil of rosemary. Combine them in a bottle, shake vigorously, massage onto the scalp, put on a cap and shampoo in the morning.

Massage the affected scalp areas with the fingers each day. And raw apple cider vinegar used as a hair rinse may stimulate hair growth.

Remember that any drugs you take for hair loss will be a long term commitment. When they are stopped the hair loss returns. Make sure you consider the risks to your health before doing this. If you experience any form of loss that causes you concern, make an appointment with your dermatologist, hair loss doctor or regular doctor to discuss the treatment options available to you for your particular condition. It’s important to find out exactly what is causing your problem in order for you to choose the right hair loss remedy or approach.

One large study that was done in Australia showed that the prevalence of mid-frontal hair loss increases as people age and affects 57% of women and 73.5% of men aged 80 years and over. Each hair on the scalp grows less than half an inch per month. Interesting bit of trivia: the word alopecia is formed from the Greek word meaning fox; the origin comes from the fact that the fox sheds its coat twice a year.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder also known as “spot baldness” that can result in hair loss ranging from just one area to every hair on the entire body. Temporary loss of hair can occur in areas where sebaceous cysts are present for one week to several weeks in length. Correcting a hormone imbalance may prevent further hair loss.

Many women notice hair loss about three months after they’ve had a baby; during pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out and when the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts up again. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance; correcting the hormone imbalance may stop the hair loss. In the past it was believed that baldness was inherited from a person’s maternal grandfather; while there’s some basis for this belief, both parents contribute to their offspring’s likelihood of hair loss.

Wearing a hat generally shouldn’t cause baldness, though it’s a good idea to give your scalp a rest and let it breathe for several hours a day. Tumors and skin growths can also induce localized baldness. Hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes.

Go a more natural way with treatment if possible; taking hair loss drugs require many months of exposure to chemicals. Immunosuppressants applied to the scalp have been shown to temporarily reverse alopecia areata, though the side effects of some of these drugs make this therapy questionable. Minoxidil is a drug that’s used daily to prevent hair loss but may create heart problems; the hair it grows is very fine, only on the top of the head and may fall out again soon after the drug is stopped.

The surgical methods used include hair transplantation, whereby hair-producing follicles are taken from the back and sides of the head and injected into bald or thinning areas. There are prescription drugs, herbal remedies and topical applications for hair loss. Surgery is another method of reversing hair loss and baldness, although it may be considered an extreme measure.

Propecia is available with a prescription; comes in pill form, is only for men and may take up to six months before you can tell if it is working. Very little testing has been done on the long-term effects of Minoxidil on women. Hair loss remedies and treatments with prescription drugs are long term commitments; not short term exposure.

Vodka and cayenne remedy for loss - mix one jigger of vodka with a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (test on skin first for sensitivity) and rub it on the scalp; blood rushes to the hair follicles stimulated by the vodka and cayenne pepper - be careful if you try it. Massage the scalp nightly with an oil made of one part rosemary oil and two parts almond oil. Garlic for hair loss remedy - an hour before bedtime, slice open a clove of garlic and rub it on the hair loss area, wait for an hour then massage the scalp with olive oil, put on a cap, go to bed, shampoo your hair in the morning, repeat for a few weeks, and hopefully hair will stop falling out and regrowth will be showing.

Circulation to the scalp is important. Garlic oil remedy for hair loss - at bedtime, puncture a couple of garlic pearles, squirt the oil on the scalp, massage, cover with a cap, shampoo and rinse in the morning. Polygonum Multiflorum is a traditional Chinese cure for hair loss; whether the plant itself is useful, the general safety and quality control of herbs imported from China can be questionable.

Resveratrol, from grape skins, is a lipase inhibitor and by decreasing the body’s ability to absorb fat through the intestine walls, it reduces the total fat and calorie content of a person’s diet. Make sure to test remedies on a small area first and check with your hair loss doctor or skin doctor before trying any natural home remedy if it includes any irritating ingredients. Olive oil and rosemary remedy for hair loss - use equal amounts of olive oil and oil of rosemary; combine them in a bottle, shake vigorously, massage into the scalp, put on a cap and shampoo in the morning.

Beta Sitosterol, which is a constituent in many seed oils, can help to treat BHP (benign prostatic hypertrophy) by lowering cholesterol; but consuming large amounts to get at small quantities of beta sitosterol is likely to exacerbate male pattern baldness. Saw Palmetto is an herbal DHT inhibitor often claimed to be cheaper and have fewer side effects than finasteride and dutasteride; unlike other 5alpha-reductase inhibitors, saw palmetto induces its effects without interfering with the cellular capacity to secrete PSA (protein specific antigen). Apple cider vinegar used as a hair rinse may stimulate hair growth.

Consider picking one of the least harmless, topical, natural home treatment remedies (the kind you whip up at home), and try it on your scalp for at least 30 days. If large amounts of hair are lost it’s important to see a doctor or skin doctor to rule out an underlying disease. To prevent further hair loss, consider a healthier lifestyle - eat a more plant-based diet, and get plenty of exercise; be good to your immune system.

A bit of trivia - the term bald derives from the English word balde, which means white or pale, or the Celtic word - ball, which means a white patch or blaze, as on a horse’s head. It is normal to shed a little hair each day but men, women and children may all experience excessive hair loss. Each hair on the scalp grows less than half an inch each month.

Many women notice hair loss about three months after they have had a baby; during pregnancy high levels of hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out and when the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts up again. Hair loss may occur if the male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance; correcting the hormone imbalance may stop the hair loss. And hypothyroidism can cause hair loss, especially thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows.

About three or four months after an illness or a major surgery, you can suddenly temporarily lose a large amount of hair; this hair loss is related to the stress of the illness. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder also known as “spot baldness” that can result in hair loss ranging from one area to every hair on the entire body. Some drugs or medications can cause hair loss, which improves when the medicine is stopped; medications that can cause hair loss include blood thinners, gout medicines, chemotherapy drugs used for cancer, too many vitamin A supplements, birth control pills and antidepressants.

Temporary loss of hair can occur in the areas where sebaceous cysts are present for one week to several weeks in length. Correcting a hormone imbalance may usually prevent further hair loss. If a medicine is causing your hair loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medicine or you may find you really don’t need the medicine after all.

Immunosuppressants applied to the scalp have been shown to temporarily reverse alopecia areata, though the side effects of some of these drugs make this therapy very questionable. Propecia (Finasteride) and Minoxidil (called Rogaine in the U.S and elsewhere as Regaine) are drugs that have reported having shown some success in partially reversing loss but one needs to consider the side effects. Surgery is another method of reversing hair loss and baldness; it is usually considered an extreme measure.

While drastic, broad spectrum anti-androgens such as Flutamide are sometimes used topically; Flutamide is potent enough to have a feminizing effect in most if not all men, including growth of the breasts. The topical application of Ketoconazole, which is both an anti-fungal and a potent 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, is often used as a supplement to other approaches. Studies done on subjects of various ages suggest that weight training alone may increase testosterone in studies where aerobic exercise only was compared to either weight training or a moderately sedentary life.

Propecia is available with a prescription; it comes in pill form, is only for men and may take up to six months before you can tell if it’s working. Minoxidil is a very expensive drug, costing one hundred dollars per month or so, for daily treatment. Be aware there are side effects and serious side effects sometimes with the drugs that are commonly used for hair loss.

Try lying on a slant board with your head down for 15 minutes a day, but clear it with your doctor first. Massage your scalp every day. Also try using double-strength herbal sage tea as a hair rinse or apply to scalp every day as a tonic.

Garlic oil remedy for hair loss: at bedtime, puncture a couple of garlic pearles, squirt the oil on the scalp, massage, cover with a shower cap, shampoo and rinse in the morning. Rub vitamin E oil into your scalp nightly. For the onion juice and honey remedy for hair loss: prepare a hair-growing elixir by combining 1/4 cup of onion juice with one tablespoon of honey; massage the scalp with this mixture every day.

Raw apple cider vinegar used as a hair rinse may stimulate hair growth. The olive oil and rosemary remedy for hair loss: use equal amounts of olive oil and oil of rosemary; combine them in a bottle, shake vigorously, massage into the scalp, put on a shower cap and shampoo in the morning. Fingernail buffer for hair loss: strange as it may sound - three times a day or so, for about five minutes, buff your right fingernails with the fingernails of your left hand; this is supposed to stop hair loss, encourage hair growth and prevent hair from graying - some report that it does work.

Polygonum Multiflorum is a traditional Chinese cure for hair loss; whether or not the plant itself is useful, the general safety and quality control of herbs imported from China can be questionable. Resveratrol, from grape skins, is a lipase inhibitor and by decreasing the body’s ability to absorb fat through the intestinal walls, it reduces the total fat and calorie content of a person’s diet. One patient reported that he used virgin coconut oil on his hair and scalp for a year and during that time his hair became thicker and he hade more of it on the top of his head where he had been receding a bit; coconut oil is good as a hair gel too.

Treatment for alopecia can be slow and sometimes not very successful; the more hair that is lost, the more you may have to work to get it back and in some cases may not be able to; but try as many of the natural non-invasive treatments and remedies as possible. Concentrate on boosting your immune system in order to give your hair the best chance at growing. Treating hair loss from the inside may be the best hair loss treatment for you.

Permanent or temporary hair loss can occur for many different reasons, and sometimes hair loss can be reversed, depending on the cause. Hair loss and baldness have been problems for both men and women for centuries, and there is still no sure-fire cure for hair loss. However, there are treatments for hair loss and baldness that a trained hair stylist at a luxury salon can discuss with you.

The normal cycle for hair growth lasts from 2-6 years, and each hair on your head grows approximately one half inch per month during this phase. About 90% of the hair on your scalp is growing at any one time, and about 10% is in a resting phase. After 2-3 months, the resting hair falls out, and new hair starts to grow in its place. It is perfectly normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle. However, some people may experience excessive hair loss, and hair loss affects men, women and children.

Causes of Hair Loss

A number of factors can cause excessive hair loss including:

· Hormonal problems: If your thyroid gland is over or under-active, you may lose your hair. This type of hair loss can actually be helped by treating your thyroid disease. Hair loss can occur if the male and/or female hormones are out of balance, and correcting the hormone imbalance may help stop hair loss.

· Illness or major surgery: About 3-4 months after an illness or surgery, you may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the surgery or illness and is temporary.

· After pregnancy: Many women notice hair loss about 3 months after having a baby, and this loss is also related to hormones. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. When the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, the hair falls, out and the normal cycle and loss of hair starts again.

· Medications: Some drugs can cause hair loss, but the hair loss typically stops as soon as the medications are stopped. Some of the medications that can cause hair loss are blood thinners (also known as anti-coagulants); meds for gout; meds for chemotherapy; birth control pills; anti-depressants; and vitamin A.

· Infections: Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss, but this is easily treated with anti-fungal medications.

· Underlying disease: Hair loss may also occur as part of an underlying disease such as diabetes or lupus. Because some of the reasons for hair loss can be serious such as having an underlying disease, it is very important to find out the cause of your hair loss as soon as possible.

· Cornrows/pigtails: The pull on your hair with these styles can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia. If the pulling is stopped before scarring of the scalp develops, your hair will grow back normally. However, scarring can cause permanent hair loss.

· Chemicals/hot oil treatments: Chemicals used in permanents (perms) may cause inflammation of the hair follicle, which can result in scarring and hair loss.

Treatment

Depending on the cause of your hair loss, treatments are available. If medicine is causing your hair loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medicine for your ailment. Recognizing and treating an infection properly may stop your hair loss; hormone imbalances can also be corrected to stop hair loss.

There are also medications that are designed to slow or stop hair loss altogether. Rogaine is one medication that is available without a prescription and is applied directly to the scalp. Another drug, Propecia, is available with a prescription but is only available to men. It comes in pill form and may take up to six months before you can even tell if is working.

If your hair loss cannot be treated, you may have to consider wigs, hairpieces, hair weaves or artificial hair replacement.

A healthy body has healthy beautiful hair. Our hair is a reflection of our health.

At any given time, about 90 percent of the hair on the scalp is in its growing phase. This growing phase lasts for 2 to 6 years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimetre per month during this phase. The rest, 10 % are in their resting phase. After 2 to 3 months, the resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow in its place. It is normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle. However, some people may experience excessive hair loss, if more hairs enter the resting phase.

Some facts you need to know about hair loss:

• It is normal to lose 50-100 hairs from the head each day.

• Frequent shampooing does not lead to hair loss.

• Hats and wigs do not cause hair loss.

• The famous 100 strokes of the hair brush daily does not lead to healthy hair, but it definitely does improve blood circulation to the hair follicles.

• Cosmetic products do not cause the hair to grow thicker and faster.

• Some hairstyles, like braiding, tight ponytails can cause hair loss.

• Blow-drying can worsen hair loss.

• Scalp hair grows at a rate of about 1 cm a month.

• Each hair on the head grows for about 3-6 years before being shed.

What are the causes of hair loss?

- Stress – hair loss is temporary, but can trigger off a genetic hair loss in many people.

- Extensive use of birth control pills by women.

- Hormonal problems - Hair loss may also occur if male hormones (androgens) and the female hormones (estrogens) are imbalanced.

- Post delivery hormonal changes: Many women notice hair loss about 3 months after they’ve had a baby. This loss is also related to hormones.

- Nutritional deficiencies: A diet deficient in nutrients such as protein, iron, zinc deficiency is a main cause of falling hair. Excessive intake of tea, coffee, alcohol; and fried, oily, spicy, sour foods can reduce the nutrients reaching the hair follicles and may lead to hair loss.

- Drugs and medicines such as anticoagulants, chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer and antidepressants.

- Hereditary

- Infections of the scalp: Fungal infections of the scalp such as ringworm, or a sexually transmitted disease such as Treponema pallidum can cause hair loss.

- Any underlying disease: such as lupus, lichen planus or diabetes.

- Age: Hair loss is a common symptom of the ageing process. The age of onset varies from one individual to another.

- Physical and emotional stress

Is there any treatment for hair loss?

Depending on the type of hair loss, treatments are available. If the hair loss is drug related, the doctor might change the medication. Correct diagnosis along with treating an infection may help stop the hair loss. Correcting a hormone imbalance may also prevent further hair loss.

Treatment of hair loss -

- If loss of hair is due to a temporary situation such as drugs or deficiency of serum, iron, it will stop when the cause ends.

- Hair loss due to infection may require oral antibiotics or drug treatment.

- Finasteride is a prescription medication that is prescribed only for men.

- Well-chosen hairstyles often hide thinning hair and hair loss effectively. Wigs are recommended if hair loss is severe.

- Hair transplantation, hair weaving and hair bonding has improved dramatically over the last several years. If done meticulously, the result is extremely natural appearing.

Some tips for beautiful lustrous hair:

• The key to beautiful hair is a clean scalp. Gently rub lemon juice all over the scalp and leave for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse off. This treatment ensures dandruff free and absolutely clean hair.

• Include a lot of calcium in diet, through dairy products, sesame seeds, figs.

• A mixture of an equal quantity of fresh amla juice and lime juice, used as a shampoo also stimulates hair growth and prevents hair loss.

• Avoid strong shampoos and conditioners. Also avoid exposing hair to harsh weather such as wind or sunlight for long duration.

• Home made shampoo - Soak equal amounts of dried shikakai, amla and reetha powder in some water, preferably in an iron vessel. Next day, use it to wash hair. This promotes hair growth as well as cures dandruff.

• For dry hair, increase the intake of polyunsaturated oils such as sunflower oil, margarine and eat food rich in Vitamin B like pulses, brown rice, bananas etc.

• Regularly wash hair with Fuller’s earth (Multani Mitti). This will not only reduce the oil, but the hair will feel much cleaner.

• Amla is an excellent hair tonic and a hair nourisher. It also helps cure graying of hair.

• Boil dried amla pieces in coconut oil for a few minutes. Cool and sieve. Massage hair with this oil regularly to get black, thick and lustrous hair.

• Henna or mehendi is an excellent conditioner for hair.

• Boil some tea leaves in 2-3 cups of water. Strain the liquid, cool it and use it on hair as the last rinse after shampoo.

Male pattern baldness, also called alopecia, is characterized by hair receding from the lateral sides of the forehead, known as a receding hairline; an additional bald patch may develop on top. It’s much easier to prevent the falling out of healthy hairs than to regrow hair in follicles that are already dormant. Baldness is simply the state of lacking hair where it usually grows, especially on the head.

Many women notice hair loss about three months after they’ve had a baby; during pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out and when the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts up again. If the thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, hair may fall out; treating thyroid disease will help remedy this. Poor digestion, parasites and nutrient deficiencies such as iron or biotin deficiency shouldn’t be overlooked as possible causes.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder also known as “spot baldness” that can result in hair loss ranging from just one area to every hair on the entire body. If a medicine is causing your hair loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medicine or you may find you really don’t need the medicine at all. About 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you can suddenly temporarily lose a large amount of hair; this hair loss is related to the stress of the illness.

Hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. In the past it was believed that baldness was inherited from a person’s maternal grandfather; while there’s some basis for this belief, both parents contribute to their offspring’s likelihood of hair loss. Tumors and skin growths can also induce localized baldness.

There are prescription drugs, herbal remedies and topical applications for hair loss. Go a more natural way with treatment if possible; taking hair loss drugs require many months of exposure to chemicals. There are natural home remedies and many recipes for making mixtures to apply topically to the scalp.

Please be aware there are side effects and serious side effects sometimes with the drugs that are commonly used for hair loss. Immunosuppressants applied to the scalp have been shown to temporarily reverse alopecia areata, though the side effects of some of these drugs make this therapy questionable. Stress reduction can be helpful in slowing hair loss.

Minoxidil is a drug that’s used daily to prevent hair loss but may create heart problems; the hair it grows is very fine, only on the top of the head and may fall out again soon after the drug is stopped. Minoxidil is a very expensive drug, costing about one hundred dollars per month for daily treatment. Propecia is available with a prescription; comes in pill form, is only for men and may take up to six months before you can tell if it is working.

Onion juice and honey remedy for hair loss: prepare a hair-growing elixir by combining 1/4 cup of onion juice with one tablespoon of honey; massage the scalp with the mixture every day. Massage the scalp nightly with an oil mixture made of one part rosemary oil and two parts almond oil. Asian remedy for hair loss - rub sesame oil on your scalp every night, cover with a cap or old towel; in the morning wash with an herbal shampoo, rinse with a solution of one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in one quart of water.

Olive oil and rosemary remedy for hair loss - use equal amounts of olive oil and oil of rosemary; combine them in a bottle, shake vigorously, massage into the scalp, put on a cap and shampoo in the morning. Garlic oil remedy for hair loss - at bedtime, puncture a couple of garlic pearles, squirt the oil on the scalp, massage, cover with a cap, shampoo and rinse in the morning. Try using double-strength herbal sage tea as a hair rinse or apply to scalp every day as a tonic.

Rub vitamin E oil into the scalp nightly. Try scalp massage every day. Polygonum Multiflorum is a traditional Chinese cure for hair loss; whether the plant itself is useful, the general safety and quality control of herbs imported from China can be questionable.

Circulation to the scalp is important. One patient reported that he used coconut oil on his hair and scalp for a year and during that time his hair became thicker and he hade more of it on the top of his head where he had been receding a bit; good as a hair gel too. Apple cider vinegar used as a hair rinse may stimulate hair growth.

Remember that regrowing hair is a slow process, so don’t look for results overnight for any remedy or treatment you try. Remember that any drugs you take for hair loss will be a long term commitment; consider the risks to your health before doing this. Keep in mind that hair loss should be continually treated, preferably natural however, even after it stops.