Help, I'm Going Bald

....or so my son is telling me.   I was relaxing on Thursday night, reading your blogs, when he walks up behind me and tells me I'm going bald.  Really?  I cant see it, so he helpfully takes a photo just to prove it. Nice one, son.  Now I've got something else to worry about.  Will worrying make it fall out more?  Oh No, how do i stop worrying.   Information, that's the key, so off i go researching as usual.

First call, phone a friend, a hairdresser no less.  She ran through the list of possible causes:

Medication  -   blood pressure tablets, the Pill, etc.   Nope, not on any meds other than my happy pills and I'm assured that these are OK on the hair front. They certainly keep me from pulling my hair out.

Hormones -     well, I am getting on a bit, fast approaching menopause, maybe this is the cause?  I do know that my oestrogen levels are dropping as I'm starting to grow hair on my chin.  Wouldn't you know it! Losing it on my head and growing it on my chin.  Arghhh  Who would be a woman?  I use to wax every 6 weeks and now its getting up to once a month.  Good Lord, i am sharing secrets today, aren't I?  Anyone who sends me a razor and shaving cream for a joke will be written out of my will.

Weight Loss -  I WISH!

Hereditary -     my Dad (from what i can remember) had a receding hair line (AND A COMB OVER WITH BRILCREAM - UGH) as has my older brother but i think all the women are pretty OK for a full head of hair.  It is more typical for women to have thinning hair rather than a receding hair line.

Millions of women all over the world have an inherited condition known as Androgenetic Alopecia. This causes either full or partial hair loss and under a microscope the follicles of the hair are seen in different patterns of thick or thin.  It usually happens when women are in their 50's (Gulp) and 60's but can occur from a young age. When a hair falls out (usually 50-100 a day or 250 on wash day) it is usually replaced by one the same size. In those with female pattern hair loss (AA) , the replacement hair gets thinner and thinner until it eventually stops growing.  This is very common.

Chemicals -      Have i changed my diet, used a new shampoo, change the brand of hair colour? Well, yes, the last time was a different brand of dye but Glenda and I have just shared a box of my old brand tonight and we are back to our auburn best (as nature intended).

Illness -            Do i have a problem with my Thyroid Gland or perhaps its Autoimmune Disease or Rheumatoid Arthritis?  A blood test would rule these out.  I must check with my Bestie, she has RA.  It would be really nice to have something else to blame for my being overweight than simply overeating so fingers crossed its a Thyroid problem - Only Joking (truly this is no laughing matter).

So, on with my research.   Now this is interesting.   I came across a site that explains that growing hair is like gardening.  How apt as I and my friends are gardeners. Apparently how well our hair grows is mostly due to what's going on underground.  Now we all understand this concept.

Somehow, i don't think this is what they mean.  

Oh No, now I'm picturing worms in my head! Arghhh   All those castings, well i have been told on many occasions that I Am Full Of It!



Did you know that hair has a cycle?  There are three stages in the hair cycle:

Anagen - The growth stage which lasts from 2-6 yrs.  Hair grows up to 15cm a year.
Catagen - this is the transition phase which last 1-2 wks during which the hair follicle shrinks
Telogen - resting stage which lasts 5-6 wks.

90% of your hair is in the growth stage and only 10% are in the transition or resting phase.   Anything that messes with any one of these stages of the cycle can cause hair loss.

So what to do about all this hair loss or thinning?

Observe    Check your pillow in the morning regularly for sign of any increased loss.  Part your hair and visually (or take a photo) note the line of separation. If it starts to increase in width then you are losing hair. Take a look at your hair comb, brush or the shower drain (make sure it is your hair not someone else before you freak out).    Wait for your observant son to point it out to you, several times.   He'll even take a photo and go show Dad and say "Look, Mum's going bald".  How to keep the romance in your marriage, not!

Seek Some Help.   Once ruling out any medical condition by having a blood test you have several choices:

You can do what many do and go down the Ashley Martin route.  They are professional hair care specialist very well know for their celebrity endorsement for laser hair treatment and implants.  If you have plenty of $$$ and would like the opportunity to run into a famous cricketer or actor then make an appointment today.

Personally, I'm not so keen on lasers being fired at my head.  At the end of my working week its already fried.

OR, as all us gardeners know there is always the organic route.

Exercise

Studies show that an increase in blood circulation to all areas of the body, including the scalp can assist in stimulating the follicles to begin to produce hair again.   Another way to increase circulation to the scalp is through head massage.  Do I need another reason to book in with Sharon from Miss Townmouse for an Indian Head Massage?  I think not.

Herbal Remedies  

There are a number of natural herbals, most of which are applied in a solution directly onto your scalp.  They help open up closed follicles and increase the chance of hair growth. It depends on the individual and the application how effective these are.

  

Cassia auriculata: The reason for using Cassia auriculata or Senna auriculata or Tanner cassia as the main ingredient in herbal hair products is that it stimulates natural hair growth by increasing the blood flow in the scalp and thus preventing hair fall. This medicinal herb is antibacterial in action and treats the scalp disorders and acts as a tonic for making hair black, shiny, voluminous and filled with beautiful fragrance. 

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis: Hibiscus is commonly known as China rose and has been used for stimulating the hair growth. This medicinal flower works wonder in the prevention of hair fall and pre-mature greying, and also helps in treating scalp disorders.

Henna: Popularly known as Mehandi, Henna has been used from many decades by queens and kings in hair colouring, cleansing, conditioning and giving it a shiny appearance. It soothes the scalp, reduces hair fall and adds volumes to the hair.

Curry leaves: Curry leaves not only add flavors to the food items but also do wonders to your hair. Filled with essential nutrients it rejuvenates the hair by strengthening the hair follicles. It acts as natural anti-oxidant and promotes the growth of new hair.  Hmmmm  hair that smells of curry! Instead of nibbling my neck, my hubby might be chomping on my hair while I'm asleep.

Chrysopogon zizanioides: This herb stimulates the circulatory system and nourishes the hair shaft.
Rose petals: Rose petals are great for soothing, nourishing and removing flaky skin from the scalp. It increases blood flow, reduces hair fall and adds volumes to the hair.

Neem: For thousands of years, neem had been used in the treatment of hair loss and stimulating hair growth. Its high fatty acid content helps in the promotion of healthy hair.

Supplements

My hairdresser friend, Kym, went through a period of hair loss in her early twenties and for a hairdresser, that just wont do.  She sought professional help and was prescribed Silica supplements.  These obviously work but you should be mindful of some of the side affects and monitor it closely.  Kym has long straight hair that is reminiscent of those hair ads on TV where they shake their hair and it looks like a curtain of black silk. Arhhhh.....  wouldn't that be nice.

This is not her but she is just as gorgeous and her hair look exactly like this.  

Be careful that any supplements that you take is not causing a toxic build up in your body causing all manner of problems with those really important bits, like kidneys.   One of the side effects of taking silica is increased peeing.  Every 50 year old woman knows that we don't need help to hasten this bodily function.  LBL does a fine job all on its own.

Ensure that your diet is healthy and full of all the vitamins and minerals that your body requires so that there is no deficiency in anyone area that might cause hair loss.   Perhaps just taking a general multi-vitamin will be all you need.

All research must come to a conclusion of sorts. Unless i start seeing clumps of hair on my pillow that don't belong to Hubby or Tilly then I'm going to stop worrying.  I might look into one of the organic measure and visit my local health store for a chat to the Naturopath.

I know that many of you probably have your own home remedies and therefore have your own version of a Pantene ad going on in front of the mirror each morning.  Feel free to share your magic.

Thanks for Visiting Living In The Land Of Oz