Hairfall/baldness or alopecia is referred to as a complete or partial loss of hair or hair thinning and is a common problem in both men and women. It is due to a number of reasons. If the problem is diagnosed at the early stage it prevents baldness and also excessive hair loss. A number of factors play an important role in ensuring the proper hair growth. These factors include proper hair care and good nutrition along with some lifestyle modifications such as avoiding stress. Hair fall can cause a great mental stress if not treated properly.
People have between 100,000 and 150,000 hair on their head. The number of strands normally lost in a day varies but on average is 100.The first signs of hair thinning that people will often notice are more hair than usual left in the hairbrush after brushing or in the basin after shampooing. Styling can also reveal areas of thinning, such as a wider parting or a thinning crown.
How can I detect baldness at early stage?
Some of the signs and symptoms that help you know that you are losing your hair fast and are on the road to baldness include:
- Small bald patches on your scalp or other parts of your body
- Patches may get larger and grow together into a bald spot
- Hair grows back in one spot and falls out in another
- You lose a lot of hair over a short time
- More hair loss in cold weather
- Fingernails and toenails become red, brittle, and pitted
Why am I losing hair?
There are many reasons/actions that we are carrying out in our daily lives unknowingly that could be the reason of the hairfall. We need to avoid those practices before its too late. Some of the possible causes of hairfall are:
- Hereditary hair loss
- Cancer treatment
- Childbirth, illness, or other stressors
- Hair care
- Hairstyle pulls on your scalp
- Hormonal imbalance
- Scalp infection
- Thyroid disease
- Too little biotin, iron, protein, or zinc
How can I stop losing hair?
To prevent and stop hair fall it is important to know the cause and to treat the problem that is causing you to lose hair. Practices that lead to hairfall must be stopped before it leads to baldness. For example, if your diet is poor and does not provide essential nutrients that are required for hair growth and nourishment it will soon cause your hair to fall off and die.
- Diet: your diet must include nutrients like biotin, iron, zinc and protein as these are required to nourish your hair and give them strength. These nutrients are a part of a balanced diet
Food sources of biotin are: organ meats, eggs, fish, meat, seeds, nuts, and certain vegetables (such as sweet potatoes)
Food sources of iron: Liver (but avoid this during pregnancy), red meat, beans, such as red kidney beans, edamame beans and chickpeas, nuts, dried fruit – such as dried apricots, fortified breakfast cereals and soy bean flour.
Food sources of zinc: whole grains and dairy products
Food sources of protein: meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese
Apart from diet other practices that help to maintain volume and strength of hair include:
- Use supplements: supplements containing biotin and zinc are good for both hair and nails. If you are not consuming a balanced diet then add supplements to prevent hair loss.
- Keep your scalp healthy and clean by washing it regularly
- Use coconut oil or olive oil to massage your scalp and hair for its nourishment
- Don’t go for heat treatments that require heating hair at very high temperatures as it denatures the hair protein and makes it dull and dead.
- Hair processing such as chemical treatments like hair dyes and bleaching can destroy the texture of hair
- Don’t use a brush with hard bristles as it pulls away unnecessary hair
- Use products that are clinically proven and specifically designed for hair care with no harsh chemicals.
Mostal solution contains procyanidin B2 which is originated from apple extracts and has properties like increasing hair volume and strength. It not only stops hair loss but also stimulates new hair growth. The results are shown within four weeks of its regular use.