Nuala Woulfe Beauty

Understanding Hair loss

Hair loss is a natural part of ageing with the average person losing between 50 to 150 strands of hair per day. Even though hair loss is perfectly normal it is important to be able to recognise what is normal and what is not normal. Hair loss is an upsetting concern for lots of men and women. Sudden changes in the rate of hair loss, more noticeable thinning or patchiness should always be brought to your own Doctor as this may be an early warning signal of an underlying condition such as a hormone imbalance or a mineral or vitamin deficiency. Other factors that may affect hair loss include prescription medication, and autoimmune diseases like Lupus.
It is important to keep a close eye on the condition of your hair and your scalp as any sudden changes may be associated with current or future hair loss. See list of conditions to look out for:

Unusually Dry Hair/ dry scalp.

This is usually a sign that the hair is and scalp is lacking in nutrients.  A diet rich in vitamin A, Sulphur, Silicon, Zinc, Protein and essential fatty acids could correct it. Dry brittle hair can also be due to an imbalance of the thyroid hormones.

Unusually Oily Hair

 This can be caused by an overuse of product or from over-washing  but may well be due to a deficiency of Zinc, Vitamin B6, folic acid, riboflavin or Essential Fatty Acids.

Premature Greying.

Stress is a big factor here but also hormone imbalances caused by diet, lifestyle or stress. Deficiencies in B vitamins again due to stress, sulphur, copper or folic acid can also affect grey hair growth.

Excessive hair loss.

Very noticeable thinning of hair and excessive hair loss can be due to a number of factors including poor circulation to the scalp, deficiencies in protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins or minerals or again a hormone imbalance in your body. Take notice of dry scaling scalp as you may have seb dermatitis.

Seborrhoea dermatitis 

This is not an infectious disease, but it can involve infection. Seborrheic dermatitis is first and foremost a skin condition, but it can also involve temporary hair loss if the dermatitis is located on the scalp or other terminal-haired skin areas. The dermatitis presents as scaly, sometimes oily, inflamed skin that can be itchy or even painful to touch. This is an inflammatory condition the cause of which is not well understood, although there does seem to be a genetic component and Caucasians, particularly of Celtic descent, are most susceptible. It seems that the sebaceous glands attached to the hair follicles begin to produce a very rich form of sebum. The sebum contains fewer free fatty acids and squalene but increased amounts of triglycerides and cholesterol. In part, the trigger for may be androgen steroids. Times of hormone fluctuation, such as during puberty, can activate the onset of seborrheic dermatitis. Seborrheic dermatitis can also be observed in some new born babies when maternal androgens are passed from the mother to the baby across the placenta.(Cradle cap) Conditions including Parkinson's disease, head injury, and stroke can also be associated with seborrheic dermatitis, and things like stress and chronic fatigue can make it worse.

The excess, rich sebum production in seborrheic dermatitis can trigger the proliferation of skin flora. Yeast Pityrosporon ovale (also called Malassezia furfur) has been shown to increase in numbers with the intensity of seborrheic dermatitis. This excessive yeast proliferation causes more irritation and inflammation. Although all this inflammation is not specifically directed at the hair follicle, if hair follicles are in the vicinity of the inflammatory cells then they can still be adversely affected. Hair follicles find inflamed skin an unhealthy environment in which to grow. Thus seborrheic dermatitis may non-specifically cause diffuse hair loss. This hair loss should be reversible with reduction of the inflammation intensity. Although seborrheic dermatitis can involve a proliferation of years it is important to point out that seborrheic dermatitis is not infectious, you cannot catch seborrheic dermatitis. Where yeast is involved in seborrheic dermatitis it comes from the affected individual's own skin. We all have yeasts of various types living on our skin, the problem in seborrheic dermatitis is that the yeasts may grow to far greater numbers than normal.

There are several treatments for seborrheic dermatitis. The simplest treatment involves the use of medicated anti-dandruff type shampoos to control the skin proliferation and scaling. Several shampoos might be recommended for alternating use on different days and each with its own particular activity. Shampoos for seborrheic dermatitis may contain sulfur, selenium sulfide, zinc pyrithione, tar or salicylic acid These shampoos have been available for many years. More recently Azole based shampoos (Ketoconazole - Nizoral) have been made available over the counter. Other medicated shampoos may contain fluconazole. All can be effective in treating seborrheic dermatitis. Some dermatologists may also prescribe antibiotics to control the skin flora and in doing so indirectly reduce the inflammation. The inflammation may be directly treated using a corticosteroid cream or lotion to control the immune response. Seborrheic dermatitis can be very persistent once it starts so persistence with treatment is required and preventative treatment is useful even when the symptoms are gone. Coconut oil can also be an effective treatment - warm it and use as a scalp treatment twice a week on dry hair.Work shampoo in to absorb oil and wash as normal.
Talk to your Doctor or your Dermatologist if you are in any way worried about hair loss as there are lots of successful treatments available.