Is it Hair Loss or is it Thinning?

Hair loss and hair thinning in women can be caused by a wide number of factors. These include everything from an improper diet, nutritional deficiencies, thyroid dysfunction, chemotherapy, poor health, traction alopecia and trichotillamania to hormonal imbalances, menopause, genetics, follicle sensitivity and stress.

With so many factors to consider, it can be hard to get to the root of the problem without seeking professional help, either from a medical doctor or a hair loss specialist. More often than not, blood tests need to be done to determine the cause of any hair loss and/or hair thinning, as well as a thorough examination of your hair and scalp. However, there is always a reason for hair loss and hair thinning. Hair cells are the most sensitive cells in the body to internal imbalances and changes.

Am I losing my hair or is it thinning?

It can be quite confusing to determine if you are losing excessive hair or if the actual diameter of your hair shafts are gradually reducing - or even if both are occurring at the same time. While both result in volume reduction, hair-diameter thinning occurs over a long period of time, while excessive hair shedding can result in more rapid reduction of volume if the daily loss of hair is substantial. The sudden, diffuse loss of hair from all over the scalp is called ‘telogen effluvium’ and can be the result of improper nutrition, stress, hormonal upsets and pregnancy. A reduction in your hair’s diameter can also be influenced by these things, but is most often due to genetics, follicle sensitivity to hormones and to age. However, the most common cause of hair loss we see in women is anaemia and ferritin deficiency (Iron).

Furthermore, whilst many people associate finer hair with ageing, women as young as 18 can experience genetic thinning, triggered and/or exacerbated by conditions such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and/or simply a strong genetic predisposition. Eating disorders can also cause hair fall in women and men of any age.

As the causes of hair loss can be quite wide-ranging, and are also often triggered by more than one thing, it is important to see a hair loss specialist if you are concerned with hair loss. So many variables can play a role in the health of your hair, and often the stress of closely inspecting your own hair on a daily basis for signs of problems can exacerbate the condition.

If you think you are losing your hair, or that it is thinning, please make an appointment to see a hair loss specialist who can look at your scalp through a nioscope to see if your hair follicles are indeed active or not. Much can be done to stop excessive hair loss and also slow, and even stop or reverse, the process of hormonal or metabolic-related hair thinning.

Treatment

An all-encompassing holistic approach that tackles hair loss from an internal, as well as external standpoint is key to managing and improving reduced hair density and/or increased hair shedding. This should involve strengthening the integrity of existing hairs from a cosmetic standpoint; stimulating new hair growth from the scalp, while minimizing loss; and also encouraging a healthy hair growth cycle systemically through a balanced diet and lifestyle.

Hair is incredibly sensitive to fluxes in the body's internal environment, and so diet, general health, hormonal changes and sensitivity, stress, lifestyle choices and nutritional deficiencies should always be taken into account in order to get the best results from hair loss treatment.

It is important to understand that hair loss caused by underlying medical conditions, such as Polycystic Ovaries or thyroid imbalance, or the taking of certain prescription medications, need to be addressed by a physician. While dietary support, scalp stimulation and protecting the condition of existing hairs will still be very helpful in promoting optimum new growth, this needs to be done alongside your GP's guidance.

Here at Crowning Glory at Simone Thomas salon of Westbourne, Dorset we offer free hair loss consultations. There are a wide variety of non-surgical solutions to your hair loss and hair thinning issues such as microdermabrasion treatments on your scalp, Nioxin products to help with your hair loss, hair volumizers that address thinning issues, custom designed hair volumizers, synthetic and real hair wigs and custom designed wigs.

Please call us on 01202 760 003 to book a free hair loss consultation with one of our trained hair loss specialists.