Hair is the most distinctive feature of one’s appearance. People style and groom themselves with different hairstyles and colors and take pride in that. Good hair can boost our confidence. It is therefore very important and precious to both men and women. But with age can come hair fall, which can be a very painful experience. Not only hair is important for your looks but it also protects your scalp. Extra care should be taken to maintain a healthy hair. Hair loss is a medical condition known as alopecia and is quite common these days. It generally starts appearing near the late twenties or early thirties and affects both men and women. There are various causes and types of alopecia. But to know about hair loss, one has to know about hair first.

Hair cycle

The average life cycle of a new hair follicle is about 2 to 7 years. Life cycle of a hair follicle consists of 4 stages. These stages are- anagen, catagen, telogen, and exogen. Anagen is the phase where our hair actively grows. Second phase or catagen denotes the end of the hair fibre production. The next stage is telogen where the growth of hair stops and it remains attached to the follicle. In the next phase exogen these old hairs fall and marks the start of a new anagen phase. It is during this stage that we lose hair, which is a normal occurrence. Later on people wait to regrow hair naturally.

Hair loss

Around the exogen phase we might encounter some mild hair fall of about 50 to 100 strands a day. This is because only 10% of our hair goes through exogen while the rest 90% remains in anagen. But sometimes due to disturbances in the normal life cycle abnormal hair loss occurs. So it is of concern if you are losing more than 150 strands of hairs a day. If this is the case, then you should definitely seek medical help to prevent early baldness.

Causes of hair loss

There are different types of hair loss such as- involutional alopecia, androgenic alopecia, telogen effluvium, alopecia universalis, alopecia areata. These are classified according to the underlying causes and patterns. The common causes of hair fall can be- hormonal imbalance, genetics, stress, illness, drugs, autoimmune disorders, burns, injuries, etc.

Treatment of hair loss

Early diagnosis and treatment can save you from baldness. Now with the advancement in medical technologies and treatment procedures you can prevent early hair loss and regrow hair naturally. Apart from this, there are numerous home remedies that you can apply to prevent excessive hair loss. Herbal preparations can be used instead of drugs. This will also reduce the risks from drug side-effects.

Precautions

Here are some useful tips that you can use to prevent hair loss:

• Dietary changes too can be of immense help.Consuming foods containing high amount of biotin and avoiding spicy foods can be helpful.
• Apply castor oil or jojoba oil on your hair on a daily basis. These oils will promote hair growth.
• Choose shampoo or conditioners carefully. Pharmaceuticalshampoos are recommended if you are suffering from alopecia.
• Don’t abuse your hair. Avoid coloring, dyeing, straightening or curling your hair too often.