Preventing Hair Loss - How to Stop Alopecia

Hair loss or alopecia as the condition is known in medical terms affects millions of people around the world. Studies show that the likelihood of any of us losing hair is much higher than most of us realise. In fact as we age, more than two-thirds of us will have started losing hair by the time we are turning 60. Men are more affected by this condition than women but the number of women affected is also quiet high.

There are several causes of alopecia even though the certainty of these varies with some being more mythical than real. Some of those that are not in much doubt include genetics, the body's autoimmune disorder, and side effects of medical procedures. Stress, some fungal infections and the lack of certain essential body nutrients such as iron and vitamins may also result in alopecia.

See Also : womens humor, womens humor t shirts, womens jokes,

Efforts towards preventing loss of hair therefore must address all known causes of this condition be it hereditary of otherwise. The most common type of alopecia is androgenetic alopecia which involves male and female pattern loss. This condition is genetic and is triggered by a powerful sex hormone called dihydrotestosterone or in short DHT. Prevention of this condition therefore involves using drugs that target this hormone in a manner that inhibits its negative effect on hair.

Alopecia areata is another condition in which patches of hair are lost when the immune cells of the body attack follicles and prevent growth. The reason this happens is not know but on a positive note, this condition usually remedies it self within a few months for most people. As mentioned earlier, chemotherapy can lead to hair loss. This is because hair cells grow fast and therefore become targeted by chemotherapy which kills fast growing cells. This type of hair loss is also fortunately temporary and usually hair re-grows once treatment is stopped. The use of a cold cap during chemotherapy can also help prevent losing hair altogether.

In case you notice that losing hair is beginning to take place. It is important that you take early steps to address the problem. This is because some causes of alopecia can be prevented and the processed stopped. What we eat is important especially ensuring that we have enough vitamins and iron. It may be necessary to get supplements of these vitamins if what we take in food is not working effectively or being well absorbed. Watching our life style and reducing stress will also help prevent alopecia. Finally, the need to seek medical support in both diagnosis and treatment is very critical. Do not get into any form of preventive or curative procedures without first consulting a doctor.