Bald Is Not Beautiful

For women, healthy looking hair is a symbol of beauty. Whether you are young or old, finding clumps of hair in a single brush stroke and thinning of your locks can be traumatic. Female hair loss is less culturally acceptable, which only adds to the stigma for those experiencing it. In many cases, it affects a women’s self-confidence and influences her whole quality of life. But, are these hair issues related only to cosmetic appearance? Or, are there deeper reasons attributed to hair fall? Determining the cause of hair loss at the first noticeable sign can help in diagnosing many serious medical conditions. Health of hair and scalp are indicators to what is happening deep inside our mind and body. It is normal to lose between 50 and 100 hair strands in a day. If your hair is healthy, it will grow back on its own. But when it doesn’t, it begins to look thinner and becomes a challenge to style. Though hair loss is typically associated with males, the problem of baldness is not gender specific. Women too face it but the reasons are different from those in men.

• Hair loss in women is caused due to certain medical conditions, errors in diet and faulty hair care practices.
• Hereditary hair loss accounts for majority of the cases in women.
• Hair loss can also be a symptom of stress, pregnancy, crash, dieting and the intake of certain medications.
• Hormonal imbalances in the body due to conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), or menopause can cause the hair follicles to shrink, thereby making the hair look thinner and ultimately fall off.
• Iron deficiency anemia leads to excessive hair shedding. It affects the hair’s ability to grow. Low iron levels can also causes the hair to change the structure, become dry, not hold the curl, and break easily.
• Thyroid disorders, crash dieting and nutritional alterations can result in or intensify hair loss.

Most women do not realize why their hair is falling and thus require timely medical intervention. They keep trying to manage the loss using different shampoos, oils or even over the counter medications. Most of the times, such therapies yield fewer results. When hair loss does not respond to the usual home remedies, seek medical advice. Based on your history and clinical signs your doctor will advise you certain investigations which will confirm the root cause of the problem. If there is an underlying condition that can be rectified then there can be improvement in hair growth. Knowing what’s causing the hair loss is the first step towards seeing your hair look healthy again. It is normal to lose between 50 and 100 hair strands in a day. If your hair is healthy, it will grow back on its own. But when it doesn’t, it begins to look thinner and becomes a challenge to style. Dr. Vishal Verenkar M.D (HOM), Chief homeopathic consultant at AIS (Allergy, Immunology, Skin Clinic)