Hair loss or baldness… the name itself sounds terrifying. Started with a strand, the problem of hair loss can claim your long lustrous locks. And you can do nothing but, to accept the fact that you have lost your locks forever. Usually, hair loss is considered to be a men’s issue, however, millions of women around the world are facing severe hair loss problem. There are a number of reasons for hair loss among women. Some of the known reasons include poor hair care decisions, consequences of a particular treatment and such others. Hormonal changes also play a great role in affecting the health of hair especially for females. During menopause, the body of women generally stops producing estrogen and produces testosterone in more quantity that may lead to baldness. In fact, many women in their post-pregnancy period experience “hormone-induced temporary hair loss.”

Generally, hair loss that does not lead to progressive baldness is a common occurrence f or every individual. According to a recognized hair care body, a person has about 90 percent of the hair at any given moment in a growth phase ranging from two to six years of a span. The remaining 10 percent of hair has shed and is in arresting phase for three to four months. Hair is contantly cycling in and out of active growth. A person loses around 50 to 100 hairs in a day. Usually hair follicles are replaced by the growth of new hair and thus, the growing cycle remains intact. Most hair grows at a rate of one half-inch per month.

However, some men and women face situation where they lose hair more than the average amount. Medically, the loss of hair on constant basis is known as “alopecia” for both genders. Also known as androgentic alopecia, this type of hair loss is caused by hereditary conditions that affect at least two thirds of men and one third of women at some point in their lives.

Baldness Treatment for Women

Baldness not only affects physically but it also breaks the confidence and self-esteem of a woman. It is because our society is not ready to accept that women can face baldness issues.

The progress of the medical world has provided some miraculous treatment for women with hair loss issues. They can even go for hair transplant surgery to get back the lost fullness of their hair.

Akhila Choudhary
http://www.articlesbase.com/hair-loss-articles/hair-loss-in-women-676335.html

When you look at your grandparents, you might think that it will take you decades and decades to look like them: it may take you years before your bones start aching and becoming weak, it may take a long, long time before your skin starts wrinkling and your body starts feeling it's falling apart. You may even assume that it will take a long time before your hair starts falling out. However, make no mistake: not only the elderly can experience hair loss: you too can lose your hair early depending on your current state of affairs. In the same manner that you can feel weak and fatigued and old, you can also start looking old.

If you are constantly under stress, you can be sure that your body is going to respond accordingly: you can get stomachaches and headaches more often. You can feel old and worn out and spread out thinly. And you can certainly start experiencing hair loss. It can be as simple as your eyelashes and eyebrows coming loose. It can be as bad as your head losing its full amount of hair. When this starts happening, you may need to start losing the stress! Stress can constrict the thinner blood vessels that provide blood and oxygen to your hair follicles. When this happens, your hair can fall out and your body can weaken.

Some pregnant women also start experiencing hair loss following their pregnancy. This is due to the high levels of estrogen hormones in their bodies before they give birth. Estrogen is a potent hormone that can actually make you grow lots of great hair; lose the estrogen, and you also lose the hair. If you are pregnant, you may lose hair about three months to five months after you give birth. It may take up to a year for you to get your hair back. However, some pregnant women can also experience hair loss during their pregnancy, and this can be alarming and a sign that they are losing or not taking enough vitamins and minerals.

There are also hormonal imbalances that can give rise to hair loss. For instance, women can experience hair loss because they are lacking in certain hormones, or because their reproductive hormones are fluctuating. Both men and women can suffer from hair loss due to fluctuating or imbalanced levels of thyroid hormones, which do not only affect the hair, but the body's ability to process certain nutrients. Such conditions may require interference by drugs or medicines that can restore the levels of hormones.

Some chemicals and bad habits can lead to hair loss. For instance, some hair treatment chemicals can make hair brittle, so that the mere act of perming your hair or adding color to it can actually push your body to take your hair out. Bad habits with your hair, such as tying it extremely tight or putting stress on it, can also make your follicles weaker and push your hair out faster.

If you are experiencing hair loss, don't think that you are getting old - and don't panic! Talk to a doctor or a health care practitioner and ask for advice. You may simply be under a lot of stress, your body may be going through changes, and your hormones may be out of whack. You will simply need therapy to get through it and you just need to know what as you keep a level head.

Low Jeremy
http://www.articlesbase.com/anti-aging-articles/do-only-the-elderly-experience-hair-loss-681278.html

Hair loss is one of the most common and bothersome conditions for people. Tension sets in as soon as one notices thinning of hair or excessive hair loss and everyone starts advising all types of treatment plans. But before you decide for any expensive treatment plan or hair loss treatment medication, it is advisable to understand what hair loss is and the types and benefits of medication available for hair loss treatment to ensure effective and desirable results.

Hair loss
Hair loss and male pattern baldness are embarrassing conditions for men. Before you go for any other hair loss treatment medication it is important to know about the process of hair loss.

The scalp hairs are divided into two phases, growth phase and resting phase. Almost 90% of our hairs are in growth phase, which lasts for approximately four to five years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimeter per month during this phase. Once the hairs are fully grown, the resting phase starts, which lasts for up to four months. After this period, the hairs fall out naturally and are replaced by new hair in its place. This is an ongoing process and as a result of which we can lose up to 100 hairs daily. However, this is a normal occurrence and is not deemed as hair loss.

Hair loss process starts if the rate of hair fall increases at an alarming rate. Moreover, if the new hairs that replace the old one come slowly or are thin, it may be onset of hair loss. Male pattern hair loss (male pattern baldness) is the most common cause of hair loss but there could be some other reason behind your hair loss. Hence it is important to discuss your particular hair loss with your doctor before you buy Propecia or begin any other hair loss treatment.

Benefits of medication over other types of treatments
With hair loss becoming a common cause of concern amongst millions of people across the world, every year a large number of medications, herbs, spices, nutritional supplements, oils, shampoos etc comes up in the market each claiming itself to be the panacea for hair loss. Each year, men suffering from hair loss spend billions of dollars in an attempt to treat their hair loss. Unfortunately, 99% of all products being marketed in the less than ethical hair loss treatment industry are completely ineffective for the majority of those who use them.

If you are going bald you should seriously consider hair loss medication treatments to halt or even reverse your hair loss. While there is no "Hair Loss Cure", hair loss drugs can often stop or even reverse alopecia aerate in most people. Medication for treating hair loss slows thinning of the hair and increases coverage of the scalp by growing new hair and enlarging existing hairs.

Types of Medications for Hair loss Treatment
Today there are two FDA approved medications for hair growth - minoxidil which is sold over the counter as Rogaine, for both men and women, and Finasteride, a prescription pill sold as Propecia, for men only. Two other drugs have been recently approved for hair growth and include a high-estrogen oral contraceptive and Aldactone (spironolactone). However, these two medications are only for women due to their feminizing side effects.

Both these medications slow thinning of the hair and increase coverage of the scalp by growing new hair and enlarging existing hairs. However, the effectiveness of finasteride or minoxidil depends on your age and the location of hair loss. These medications do not work for everyone, and you should not expect to re-grow a full head of hair.

Propecia as Hair Loss Treatment Medicine
Propecia (Finasteride) is proven to be the most effective hair loss treatment medicine to treat male pattern baldness. Propecia is for men only, and is not approved by the FDA as a hair loss treatment for women or children.

Propecia works by blocking the enzyme, Type II 5 alpha-reductase from converting testosterone to its active form DHT (dihydrotestosterone) in the body. DHT plays a major role in inherited male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia). In this process, it reduces the level of the hormone in the scalp which shortens the hair growth cycle and allows hairs to revert to a normal growth cycle. This can result in stopping further hair loss and increasing new hair growth in men with male pattern baldness.

A single 1mg Propecia tablet is to be taken everyday continuously for 3-6 months before benefit is seen. When Propecia is discontinued, the hair loss process resumes so continuous use is recommended to sustain benefit.

Also remember that Propecia is a prescription only medicine with certain side effects and should be taken after consultation with the doctor.

Katie
http://www.articlesbase.com/hair-loss-articles/hair-loss-treatment-medication-684445.html

Having a great head of hair is a source of pride for a lot of people. For men, having a lot of hair signals youth and health, and can show off how well they take care of themselves, which reflects in their hair. For women, having a good head of hair shows not only youth and health, but an underlying sexiness that comes because of natural beauty that is untouched by stress. It is no wonder, then, that people start panicking when they start losing their hair, and then start looking for ways to counteract their body's natural reaction to stress, not to mention age. Some medications promise that hair loss can be stopped, if not reversed; but did you know that some manufacturers also promise that their herbal remedies can also lead to hair coming back in full force?

There are many different remedies that are now being marketed as hair loss cures. One such herb-based medication contains ginkgo biloba, an herb that has long been used as a source of energy. Today, more research is showing that gingko biloba can stimulate circulation of the blood, not only to the brain, but to the skin. This means that as more blood circulates and moves to the skin, it can be easier for hair follicles to start growing your hair and to continue doing so for a longer time.

Another popular herbal remedy is found in green tea. Often marketed as a cure-all, green tea and its accompanying chemicals, called catechins, are said to stop the enzymes that convert your body's testosterone into a hormone called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. It is the DHT hormone that actually leads to hair loss, and is most common in men who are experiencing male pattern baldness. As a result, some people who are experiencing hair loss are told to drink green tea in order to induce hair growth or keep hair loss from occurring.

Another herb is known as Fo-Ti, originating from China. It has traditionally been prepared as a hair loss reducing remedy, and you can take it in tea or tablet form. Yet another herb is Pygeum, which is taken from evergreen bark, and which works in the same way that green tea catechins do. It is currently being marketed as a way to treat problems of the prostate gland, as well as male pattern baldness. It is available in tablet or capsule form.

Saw Palmetto is now gaining popularity, and it has become the treatment of choice for male pattern baldness because of its effects on the prostate gland, and its ability to hasten hair regrowth. It is also used in many commercially available hair loss treatments, and it can sometimes be bought it pure form as a capsule. Lastly, stinging nettle can be used to prevent hair loss, since it keeps testosterone from being converted into DHT. It is also available as a pill or a capsule and it is often used in conjunction with saw palmetto and pygeum.

These are only a few kinds of herbs that you can use when you are starting to experience hair loss. If you are unsure about the safety of these herbs, or if you think that they would work for you, talk to your doctor first before investing in them. This way, you can be sure that you are spending your money well and not wasting it on a scam.

Low Jeremy
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/what-different-herbs-can-you-use-to-avoid-hair-loss-688302.html

Loss of hair or baldness is often referred to as alopecia. Alopecia totalis means loss of all the scalp hair, while alopecia unviersalis means loss of all body hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes. If hair falls out in patches, it is termed alopecia areata. This condition is temporary and does not usually lead to baldness. Heredity, hormones, and aging are all factors that are involved in hair loss. Researchers have not yet determined the exact cause of hair loss, but some scientists believe the body's immune system mistakes hair follicles for foreign tissue and attacks them. On the other hand, many suspect that hair loss is simply a genetic component.

A less dramatic, but much more prevalent type of hair loss is androgenic alopecia (AGA), which is also known as male pattern baldness. AGA is extremely common in men. As the name implies, a genetic or hereditary predisposition to the disorder and the presence of androgens, which are male sex hormones, are involved in this condition. Research has shown that the hair follicles of individuals who are susceptible to AGA may have receptors that are programmed to slow down or shut off hair production once they are influenced by androgens.

Women can also experience the same type of hair loss. However, it is usually not as extensive and most often does not occur until after menopause. All women experience some form of hair thinning as they grow older, especially after menopause. With some, it begins as early as puberty. Additionally, most women lose some hair two or three months after having a baby since hormonal changes prevent normal hair loss during pregnancy.

Demodex follicularum, a species of tiny mite, may be the cause of, or at least a contributing factor, to balding. These mites are present in almost all hair follicles by the time a person reaches middle age. In most cases, these mites cause no harm. Researchers believe that the difference between people who lose their hair and those who do not may be in how the scalp reacts to the presence of these mites. If the body initiates the inflammatory response as it tries to reject the mites, this can close down the hair follicles, which in turn, kill the mites and also kill the hair.

Additionally, hereditary factors that promote hair loss include poor circulation, acute illness, surgery, radiation exposure, skin disease, sudden weight loss, high fever, iron deficiency, diabetes, thyroid disease, drugs such as those used in chemotherapy, stress, poor diet, ringworm and other fungal infections, stress, chemicals such as hair dyes, and vitamin deficiencies.

The following nutrients are considered to be very important for dealing with and preventing hair loss: essential fatty acids, raw thymus glandular, vitamin B complex, vitamin C with bioflavonoids, vitamin E, zinc, coenzyme Q10, DMG, and kelp. Additionally, the following nutrients are helpful in dealing with hair loss: copper, grape seed extract, l-cysteine, MSM, and silica. The following herbs can also help prevent and deal with hair loss: apple cider vinegar, sage tea, ginkgo biloba, horsetail, green tea, pygeum, saw palmetto, and tea tree oil.

With proper diet, nutrition, and dietary supplements, one can rule out whether hair loss is dietary verses hormonal or fungal. Some supplements like evening primrose and omega-3 can help regulate inflammation hormones and hormones that can affect the immune system and hair follicles. Your local or internet health food store can better help you select the right products for each persons hair needs.

Darrell Miller
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/vitamins-may-help-fight-hair-loss-795126.html