Unfortunately, women lose hair just like men do, just not quite as much, usually. Losing up to 200 hairs a day is normal and if you have long hair, that looks like twice as much on the bathroom floor! Your scalp is home to about 100,000 hairs. (some of my clients seem to have twice that much while I’m blowdrying! You know who you are… 😉 ) Each follicle has its own life cycle and produces a single hair that grows at a rate of about half an inch per month. It lasts for 2 to 6 years, then rests for about a month. When the next cycle starts up, that hair falls out. At any given time, most of your locks are in the growing phase. So, you normally don’t really notice hair loss on your scalp, only on the floor and your hair brush.If you DO notice your hair thinning… i.e. thinner pony tail, wider part or even bald spots, there may be reason for concern.
There are lots of reasons for hair loss, some serious, some not so serious. Genes play a big part. I’ve read that your hair comes from your maternal grandfather. So maybe check him out! Hormones also affect hair. Puberty, pregnancy, menopause all can cause hair loss, sometimes extreme sometimes not. These are generally not permanent and will fix themselves after a while. If you have a condition such as PCOS or problems with your thyroid, your hormones are constantly out of whack and unless you find a medication to stabilize your hormones, you may have a perpetual problem. Some medications also cause hair loss. Major stress can wreak havoc on your body and affect your hair. Diet of course, is important. If your body isn’t healthy, your hair will show it. Alopecia Areata is an immune system disorder that tends to correct itself eventually but can be scary. Tight hairstyles like cornrows and really tight ponytails can cause hair loss by pulling the hair out. Easily fixable…just stop wearing those styles!
Definitely see your doctor if you notice changes in your hair, especially if you have other symptoms as well. And take Biotin, a vitamin especially for hair and nails! And in the mean time, there are ways to disguise hair loss, with shorter styles, products for root lift, even something as simple as changing your part can help! And they make some really great wigs now a days! Experiment!
Here’s to lush Sparkly hair!
