Losing one’s hair is a common problem in today’s society and can be confronting, no matter your age or gender. Hair loss affects around 50% of men and 25% of women. Understanding the causes of thinning hair and how to manage it can relieve the stress that comes along with experiencing it.
Men’s hair typically follows the same pattern as it begins to recede, traveling out from the forehead or the crown of the hair. Women are more likely to notice the top third of their scalp thinning out or a gradual widening of their hair parting as it becomes more sparse.
What Causes Hair Loss or Baldness?
Many of us have heard that we inherit our hair genes from our mother’s side of the family. While this may not be the exact cause, family history is the most common catalyst of baldness. If you are genetically predisposed to losing your hair you may feel it beginning to fall out as early as your twenties or thirties.
If you notice that your hair has suddenly turned sparse, it is likely to be caused by a medical condition. Hormonal changes, particularly those experienced by women going through pregnancy, menopause or facing thyroid conditions can cause permanent or temporary hair loss. Other causes for this dramatic change include autoimmune diseases, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or skin conditions such as psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis.
Medications used for conditions like cancer, arthritis, depression, gout, and high blood pressure can all impact and delay the growth of our hair. These medications are known to cause temporary hair loss by prematurely pushing hair from the growing to the resting phase.
How to manage hair loss
While losing our hair may not be preventable there are a number of ways you can manage the process and appearance of it. One method is massaging the scalp with specialty massage brushes or simply your fingertips in conjunction with the use of nourishing oils or masks to stimulate the hair follicles, blood circulation and hydrate the scalp. Scalp massages can increase the thickness of hair by stretching the cells of hair follicles. This stimulation of the follicles helps dilate blood vessels beneath the skin which in turn promotes blood circulation to the scalp, encouraging new growth.
There are numerous vitamins you can take that help your locks grow faster and stronger. Vitamin B7 is particularly well known for stimulating keratin production, which helps increase the rate of hair growth. Biotin, folic acid and Vitamin C are also known to help support healthy growth.
While the reasons that men and women lose their hair are different, the consequences can often be similar with reduced self-esteem, increased stress, and a general lack of confidence. Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) is a proven solution that assists with any stage of hair loss or baldness. Foli Sim’s highly skilled artists use their expertise to create a completely natural look with specialised pigment that can be truly life-changing.