What Are The Common Hair Loss Causes?

One of the most worrying aspects of hair loss treatment is the tendency of so many people to seek solutions without first determining what has caused their loss in the first place.

At best, sufferers may waste money on inappropriate 'wonder cures' or even legitimate treatments that unfortunately are not suitable for their particular needs. At worst, some people may be risking their health by self-prescribing powerful pharmaceutical drugs. I don't have a problem with hair loss sufferers saving money by purchasing cheap generic drugs on the internet, but I feel strongly that they should at least seek confirmation from their physician that a given drug matches their individual needs.

Before examining the most common causes of premature hair loss we need to understand that some shedding of hair is perfectly normal. Hairs grow from follicles that are tiny organs in the skin designed to grow a single hair that follows this repetitive cycle:

1. Lengthy growth period (Anagen Stage) - this phase usually lasts between two and seven years with an average growth rate of six inches (15cm) each year.

2. Short transition period (Catagen Stage) - this period of transition lasts for roughly two to four weeks. During this phase the hair shaft becomes detached and moves upwards within the follicle.

3. Resting period (Telogen Stage) - this phase lasts about three months allowing the hair to detach itself prior to falling out.

At this point a new hair begins to grow thus repeating the normal cycle of hair growth. Unfortunately a number of factors can interfere with the natural hair growth process leading to forms of hair thinning or premature baldness.

Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss, probably accounting for as much as 95% of pattern hair loss for both men and women. It is usually associated with aging and develops in predictable stages over varying periods of time. Each follicle follows a genetically programmed growth cycle with some follicles coded to remain active for a shorter time than others. This results in the development of the hereditary baldness patterns that are so familiar to us all.

For this type of baldness to occur, the following factors must be present:

1. A genetic predisposition for hair loss to occur (as explained above).

2. The presence of male hormones.

3. Aging - in other words, enough time for the first two factors to exert an influence.

All men and women produce male hormones such as testosterone and DHT. These have a useful role to play in both sexes but obviously occur in widely differing concentrations. It is the higher levels of androgens found in males that explains why this form of hair loss affects men more than women.

In brief, these hormones affect the hair growth cycle as follows:

1. High levels of the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme occur in some cells of the hair follicle and sebaceous glands.

2. 5-alpha-reductase converts testosterone into DHT.

3. DHT causes the terminal hairs to miniaturize.

4. This leaves short, soft, fluffy vellus hairs that provide inadequate scalp coverage.

5. The growth phases gradually become shorter until these hairs are lost for good.

Alopecia areata is thought to be an immune system disorder that causes follicles to stop producing hairs in patches on the head. In severe cases it can advance to the stage where all hair on the head is lost (alopecia totalis) or even a complete absence of body hair results (alopecia universalis).

In most cases the hair will reappear on its own but until then, the condition can be very distressing to sufferers particularly as its cause can be difficult to determine. If you feel you may be suffering from this form of hair loss, seek the advice of your physician who will carry out a physical examination and conduct blood tests to help determine the cause.

Telogen effluvium is characterized by a general thinning or shedding of hair over a period of months and is most commonly found in people who have recently experienced trauma. Common causes include childbirth, major surgery, severe illness, psychological stress and chemotherapy. The good news is that the abnormal growth behavior associated with telogen effluvium is temporary and reversible.

There are numerous other less common hair loss causes that need to be discounted before a course of treatment is chosen. Traction alopecia is the loss of hair from constant pulling, usually as the result of hair styling. Broken hairs can result in thinning, often caused by excessive styling or exposure to chemicals and sun. Finally, severe illnesses or nutritional deficiencies can cause side effects that may include degrees of hair loss.

I hope this brief article has gotten across the message that diagnosing the real causes of hair loss is not always a straightforward process. Once you and your physician have identified a cause, then you can work towards restoring your hair to its former glory. And the good news is, most forms of hair loss can be treated successfully. The next article in this series will look at some of the best hair loss treatments currently available.


The Language of Flowers

The “language of flowers" was originally brought to Europe in the early 1700's where many secret communications and love messages would be exchanged with flowers. A bouquet of flowers could hold an entire conversation. Each flower had its own meaning. The favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love, was thought to be the red rose and came to represent true love.

Today when you send flowers you are in fact communicating something whether it be a birthday wish, anniversary, cheer you up bouquet or expressing your deepest sympathy. If you are like most people you know that flowers have meanings but could not tell you what they are. Though meanings of flowers have been mainly agreed upon there can be some dispute as to its accuracy. To help you with your flower purchases here are some of the more traditional meanings of the flowers that are the most commonly purchased:

CARNATION (GENERAL) - Fascination, Woman Love

CARNATION (PINK) - Undying love

CARNATION (RED) - Admiration

CARNATION (PURPLE) - Capriciousness

CARNATION (WHITE) - Sweet and Lovely, Innocence, Pure Love,

CARNATION (YELLOW) - You Have Disappointed Me, Rejection

DAISY - Innocence, Loyal Love, Purity

IRIS - Fleur-de-lis, Emblem of France, Your Friendship Means so Much to Me, Faith, Hope, Wisdom and Valor, My Compliments

LARKSPUR (PINK) - Fickleness

LILY (WHITE) - Purity, Majesty, It's Heavenly to be with You

LILY (YELLOW) - I'm Walking on Air, Gay

LILY (CALLA) - Beauty

LILY (TIGER) - Wealth, Pride

LILY OF THE VALLEY - Sweetness, Return to Happiness, Humility, You've Made My Life Complete

ORCHID - Love, Beauty, Refinement, Beautiful Lady, Chinese Symbol for Many Children

ROSE (PINK) - Perfect Happiness, Please Believe Me

ROSE (RED) - Love, I Love You

ROSE (TEA) - I'll Remember Always

ROSE (WHITE) - Innocence and Purity, I am Worthy of You, You're Heavenly, Silence

ROSE (YELLOW) - Decrease of Love, Jealousy, Try to Care

ROSEBUD (RED) - Pure and Lovely

ROSEBUD (WHITE) - Girlhood

TULIP (RED) - Declaration of Love

TULIP (YELLOW) - There's Sunshine in Your Smile

Online flower delivery is fast becoming the way to order flowers. Not only is it easy for you but most florists will give you a visual of the arrangements plus their price. Now armed with some of the meanings, happy hunting!


A Lesson in Neediness

I spent most of my weekend remodeling and redecorating but avoided bringing the heaviest package in from my car. A nice gentleman at Target loaded this package for me as it weighed more than I thought I could carry.

I gazed at the package in my backseat when I arrived home tonight and thought I can do this. One time, two times, three times without any luck. If only a strong man, significant other or even my dad were here, the package would be sitting on my living room floor waiting to be assembled.

As I took a deep breathe, the words popped out of my mouth...I need a man.

I felt a sense of disappointment for even thinking that let alone saying it out loud. After all, I am an independent woman, hear me roar.

Women everywhere are preaching independence. And as a 28 year old single, I have been preaching that too. But the heavy lifting got me thinking maybe it is okay to need a man or any relationship for that matter.

I recently heard a quote that says "A real relationship is when your desire for each other outweighs your need for each other." So it is with all our relationships. We will face tough times where we "need" our friends, family, or significant other. And to reach out to them is not a sign of weakness.

The lesson is not to lose yourself to the relationship. Not to depend solely on the other person to get you through those times of "need."

So I took that lesson and headed back to the car.I got that package in my living room. And when this nice young gentleman asked if he could help I batted my eyes and said, "Why yes will you please hold the door."


Finding Time to Pamper Yourself

As women we are always putting ourselves last. We cater to the needs of our ailing parents, our significant others, and our kids; but by the time we get around to ourselves it is either to late in the day or we are just to exhausted.

Well I am here to tell you that we can find time for ourselves, by including ourselves in our daily schedules we can begin to relieve the stress associated with the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Hear are just a few suggestions for Finding Time to Pamper Yourself:

1 - Create a spot in your house where you can have “ME” time. Once you have created you “ME” time spot. Set aside daily time to meditate, read a good book, watch your favorite show, or just have some quiet time, if even for a few precious minutes a day.

2 - Create a spa experience in you bat tub. Use your favorite bath tea or bath salt in you bath water, light some candles and listen to some soft soothing music such as Jazz.

3 - Treat yourself to a weekly spa treatment. Many of these you can do at home yourself such as facials, body polishes, manicures, and/or pedicures.

4 - Invite your girlfriends over for a spa party. There are many companies that are now bringing the spa experience into customer’s homes and offices. Do an internet search on spa parties and contact the ones that interest you.

5 - Light a lavender candle or spray a lavender scented mist in your “ME” area during your scheduled “ME” time. Lavender helps to create a calming and uplifting effect.

By following the above listed suggestions you will in no time begin to feel de-stressed and re-energized.