Natural Hair Loss Remedies
2011 by Andrew Lloyd
Hair Loss is a Natural Process
Hair loss is a perfectly normal natural process but the demands of society, to fit in and to attract partners, pressure us into trying to fight it. In most cases it is a cosmetic problem and is usually the result of the genetic influences of aging, skin conditions, or the taking of certain medications or recreational drugs. Never the less there are lots of common myths about the causes of hair loss.
You can be sure that balding is not caused by wearing a hat or combing your hair too often. On the other side of things you cant get your hair to grow again by massaging, brushing, or extra shampooing to stimulate hair growth. These are all thought to be false. It is a process which takes place over time. This fact is often ignored. The process can be slow or rapid. Baldness is experienced to some extent by the majority of males all over the world. While it is quite frequent in males, it is not found so often in the case of females.
The most common form of balding is male and female pattern baldness. Baldness is influenced by male sex hormones called androgens. This form of hair loss is also called androgenetic alopecia. Androgenetic refers to the fact that androgens, or male hormones, play a part in this type of hair loss. Alopecia is simply the medical term for hair loss.
This natural process starts when male hormones are activated at puberty and hair begins to respond to the testosterone that is manufactured. Some teenagers actually begin to lose strands of hair, but this is not noticeable until later in life.
The testosterone hormone leads to the production of dihydrotestosterone. The name of this hormone is often reduced to DHT. DHT in the scalp causes hair follicle to shrink and get progressively smaller and finer. This process is known as miniaturization and causes the hair to eventually fall out.
Male pattern hair loss affects approximately 50% of men at some point in their lives. It affects different populations at different rates, probably because of the genetic characteristics spread across the world. The frequency of balding in the population increases with age but not all men develop it, even in old age.
Female balding, no matter what the cause, tends to show itself differently to traditional male pattern baldness. Instead of a receding hairline or bald spot as in males, women tend to experience thinning throughout the scalp.
Hair loss products are becoming more popular as many people seek treatment for hair loss. More and more health care product companies are coming up with new ways for us to try to fight balding and regain lost hair. The market is flooded with plenty of hair loss products. The problem is sorting through these products to determine which work and which are best for your particular condition.
Due to the progressive nature of the condition in men, if treatment is started early, before the total genetically determined extent of hair loss is reached, then further procedures are likely to be needed. These treatments should therefore be planned for.
A number of modern products rely on DHT inhibitors to work against the balding process. They do this by stopping DHT from forming and cutting down baldness before it can occur. Used in conjunction with hair growth stimulators DHT inhibitors have been found to be quite effective. Natural DHT inhibitors have been found in certain herbs so these alternative type products should also be considered
Going Bald and the Confidence Factor
Baldness is a condition that males are very conscious about. It is a real problem that can blight many lives. How people deal with this situation is all down to the confidence factor.
Going bald is a condition that nearly 50% of the male population will have to deal with during their lives. Some people go bald really quickly and even some teenagers will suffer some degree of hair thinning. However, in most men hair loss is a gradual process usually starting at the front of the head and then continuing from the top of the head. Women can have hair loss too. In the case of women the progression is usually quite different and involves an over all thinning of the hair.
Despite losing hair being a natural process there are great social pressures for people to have a near perfect head of hair. This is not just limited to the images portrayed in the media by models and celebrities. If this isnt enough, there is also pressure when it comes to finding a partner and progressing in the world of work. It is a well known fact that people who look attractive and fit the ideal image of the day are often hired or offered promotion over other less attractive ones. If you are looking for a partner in life then baldness can be a factor here too. Even if the person you have your sights on isnt worried about hair loss, the fear that they might be can often be off putting to such an extent that the potential mate never gets asked out. It is all a matter of confidence and we all want to feel confident in the things that we do.
The big question always involves what can be done about going bald. One option is just to accept it and get on with your life. After all you are in the company of a large number of other people who have the same problem. If you look around you will see that people who are going bald are in good jobs and do have attractive partners. The success here is due to a state of mind or positive outlook. Some people can just over ride the disadvantages that come with the baldness label. On the other hand other people really do feel the need to try and do something about the baldness problem. This is only the same as people who have cosmetic surgery for a different part of their body because they feel that it is holding them back from getting on with their life. Fortunately there are a large range of products and treatments available to try and deal with the balding situation.
You have to decide how far you are willing to go in dealing with your baldness or thinning hair. Some people are content to try and hold the situation in check. For these people there are various products such as DHT inhibitor pills for example Propecia and scalp massage solutions such as Revivogen. An alternative product is the laser comb which can be used by both men and women. The laser comb is said to maintain hair thickness by using the cold laser beams to increase blood circulation to the hair follicles. If you feel that things have gone too far and you need to cover up large areas of baldness then hair transplants and hair replacement systems such as toupees may be the answer. Hair pieces have come a long way in the last few years and they are now far less likely to be identified or dislodged form the scalp.
Which ever method you choose I am sure you will eventually come to a stage when age catches up and appearance is not as important as it once was and you can finally settle down to losing your hair gracefully.
Finding the Best Hair Loss Treatment
Out of all the products for dealing with hair loss there are three which stand out above the rest, but each for a different reason. Popularity is one factor in the success of a product but the statistics on how successful they are have to be taken into consideration as well before you decide which one to use.
It is difficult to decide which the best hair loss treatment is, when factors vary so much in the different products. There is the popular vote and then there are the medical statistics, which states how much hair growth there has been or how many people have seen success. In this article I will be concerned with both. The main thing to start with is the popularity of the different products, as people wouldnt use them if they didnt think they were going to be effective.