| Isn't it paradoxical that inspite of the fact that most of | | | | pigeon droppings. Aristotle tried goat's urine to remedy |
| us enter the world as bald as a coot, and sometimes | | | | his own baldness. Cleopatra prepared pastes for Julius |
| even exit that way, we spend our lifetime trying to | | | | Caesar made of ground horse teeth, deer marrow |
| maintain our hair through thick and thin. All of us lose | | | | and charred mice mixed with bear grease. Its unlikely |
| between 40 and 120 strands of hair a day, depending | | | | that any of these remedies bore fruit but the effort in |
| on the amount of hair one has and its growth cycle. | | | | that direction continues. One should however not lose |
| Hair growth is not a continuous process. Hair follicles | | | | hope as today, more than ever, there are many ways |
| have a growth phase (anagen) and a resting, | | | | to slow down and even treat hair loss to a large |
| non-growth phase (telogen). Depending on how we | | | | degree. |
| treat our hair there will invariably be a variation in the | | | | First check if you are missing out on any of the |
| amount of hair loss too. The lost hair is often so quickly | | | | following: |
| replaced that we almost never notice its departure. But | | | | · Adequate intake of vitamins. |
| If you start to notice an alarming amount of hair on the | | | | · Balanced diet rich in iron and protein. |
| bathroom sink or on your brush, if your pillow is | | | | · Intake of raw vegetables, fresh fruits, salads, |
| covered with scads of loose hair, if your part seems | | | | green leafy vegetables regularly. |
| to be getting wider or you're seeing more scalp, you've | | | | · Washing hair twice weekly with a light shampoo. |
| probably got a problem and its time to take some | | | | · Reduce anxiety, stress and sleeplessness. |
| action before you are fated to join the million men and | | | | · Check for infections of scalp. |
| women suffering from hair thinning or pattern hair loss. | | | | If hair fall persists meet a dermatologist or a physician |
| Hair loss and thinning can lead to anxiety, depression, | | | | who deals with hair loss and ascertain the reason for |
| and lack of confidence and fear too. | | | | the hair fall. No absolute cure for hair loss has been |
| Why on earth did it happen to me? | | | | found so far, yet not all varieties of hair loss are |
| Hair loss begins when a certain enzyme converts the | | | | untreatable. Drugs known to slow the onset of |
| hormone testosterone into another hormone called | | | | common baldness, minoxidil (Rogaine) and finasteride |
| DiHydrotestosterone (DHT). Androgenetic Alopecia, or | | | | (Propecia) are available with prescription. These have |
| hereditary hair loss is the most common cause of hair | | | | gained wide popularity but few of its side effects are |
| loss. Roughly put, the more Androgens or the | | | | still coming to light. |
| hormones that affect hair loss you have the faster | | | | Other Options |
| you will lose hair. Men generally lose their hair in a | | | | Surgical treatments are becoming quite popular as |
| horse-shoe shaped pattern; i.e. they lose hair at the top | | | | they give a very 'natural' look. Hair is transplanted from |
| of their head. Women on the other hand very rarely | | | | the back of the scalp from where it grows. This is a |
| 'go bald'. Here hair thinning takes place with the part | | | | very expensive treatment and the can be quite |
| getting wider and the hair receding from the frontal | | | | invasive. Experts agree that a diet rich in whole foods |
| area behind the frontal hairline. Telogen effluvium or | | | | and irons help promote hair growth. The food we eat |
| hair loss due to emotional stress is another major | | | | shows in the quality of blood, and, therefore, the hair. |
| cause for hair loss. What happens here is that hair | | | | For men, it has been suggested that a low fat diet |
| goes through a synchronized shift from the anagen | | | | may help decelerate the balding process. For women, |
| phase to telogen, the resting phase? This occurs after | | | | hair loss could be a sign of a gastrointestinal problem, |
| severe physiologic stress, such as any major surgery, | | | | which needs to be checked. Lack of protein, or an |
| pregnancy, death, divorce, loss of job etc. Usually once | | | | excess or Vitamin A are a often stated cause of hair |
| the period of stress is over hair growth slowly returns | | | | loss. |
| to normal. | | | | According to Chinese Medicine, hair loss is related to a |
| Other factors for hair loss include use of birth control | | | | kidney deficiency. The ancient texts caution that too |
| pills (relating to the amount of the progestin hormone in | | | | much sweet or salt could cause hair to fall out. Natural |
| the pill), or a reaction to certain medications or even | | | | remedies such as Aromatherapy, and natural |
| some supplements. Hair loss is also a known reaction | | | | supplements and herbs such as Saw palmetto oil, Folic |
| to chemotherapy drugs. Thyroid, syphilis and other | | | | acid,Silica biotin, and vitamin B5 are also said to help |
| illnesses will also lead your hair to fall out. Improper | | | | rejuvenate and maintain thickness of the hair. |
| care too plays a role in hair loss. Pulling the hair by | | | | Ayurveda believes in a holistic approach to alleviate |
| wearing a very tight pony tail, cosmetic changes like | | | | hair loss issues. It is based on the use of plant oils, |
| colouring the hair, rebonding too much blow drying , | | | | herbs, as well as meditation, diet, exercise and |
| over zealously brushing your hair , can all cause hair to | | | | massage to balance a person's three doshas (Vata, |
| be pulled out prematurely. | | | | Pitta, and Kapha) that make up one's "Prakruti" |
| Another important factor is diet. Improper diet, iron | | | | (mind-body type). According to this ancient science, oils |
| deficiency, dyes used incorrectly, losing too much | | | | such as brahmi and Bhrigaraj oil reduce Pitta dosha in |
| weight too soon and menopause can also cause your | | | | the hair follicles thereby stimulating hair growth. Mixing |
| hair to thin out. | | | | either of these oils with some coconut oil and leaving it |
| So what can one do to slow down or reverse hair | | | | overnight is a popular solution. |
| loss? | | | | Everyone's hair loss is different, and with constant |
| History tells us of how the Greek physician | | | | care and attention one can reduce hair loss and have |
| Hippocrates tried to alleviate his patients' baldness with | | | | a head full of beautiful tresses. |