It is normal for a certain amount of hair loss to occur naturally, in fact we lose 50-100 hairs everyday and these can be removed by shampooing or brushing your hair. However there are a number of factors that increase the rate of hair loss. These could be relatively simple things such as:

• Stress or anxiety
• Daily repetition of hairstyles
• Prolonged tension such as wearing your hair in braids or pony tails held with tight elastic bands
• Pregnancy
• Stopping taking birth control
• Hot rollers, curlers, and hair dryers

If you think that one of these problems may be causing mild hair loss there are a few solutions you could try:

• Use products that tone and invigorate the scalp to stimulate growth
• Do scalp massages to reduce stress levels, loosen and stimulate the scalp to promote growth
• Change hairstyles regularly
• Tie up your hair more loosely

The factors listed above normally only cause temporary hair loss as the hair follicles are not damaged and so can produce new hairs. A follicle is a pit in the scalp out of which new hairs grow. Permanent damage to the follicles will cause permanent hair loss as the follicle is unable to function and grow new hairs. This can be caused by:

• Serious scalp burns
• Excessive exposure to X-rays
• Viral infections
• Hereditary factors
• Side effects of some drugs
• Recent surgery
• Illness or fevers
• Heavy metal poisoning such as arsenic
• Malnutrition especially if you are deprived of iron and protein

If you have suffered either temporary or permanent alopecia due to chemical or heat burns at the hands of your hair salon you could be entitled to compensation towards any extra hair treatments you needed and also for the embarrassment and difficulty you encountered because of the hair loss.

There are some much more serious medical conditions which can cause permanent hair loss otherwise known as alopecia.

One of the most common forms in both men and women is telogen effluvium. This is wide spread shedding of hairs, causing general thinning, as a reaction to intense stress. It doesn’t develop immediately after the trigger so the exact cause can be difficult to pinpoint. This condition normally lasts around 6 months.

Sudden stress can cause large numbers of hairs to enter the telogen phase of the growth cycle. The hair cycle includes 3 phases:

• Anagen phase. This is the growing phase and last between 3 to 7 years, during this stage the follicle is deep in the scalp.
• Catagen phase. This is the resting phase and lasts about 2-4weeks, during which the follicle moves up towards the surface of the scalp.
• Telogen phase. The final stage is the shedding phase and lasts for 3-4 months. The old hair is shed and the follicle rests for a short time, moving back down into the scalp before starting the cycle again and producing a new hair. Normally only 15% of hairs are in this stage at any one time.

In telogen effluvium a large number of hairs enter the last, shedding phase, and after 3months they are all quickly shed which means that the hair becomes very thin. Because the telogen phase takes 3 months before the hairs are actually lost it takes a while before you are aware of the problem which makes the trigger more difficult to identify. However this condition can get better with time and is not permanent.

Another condition is androgenetic alopecia which is related to hormone levels, but in most cases there is a genetic predisposition as well. In this case the hair loss is caused by a chemical called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is made from male hormones, androgens, which we all have. Androgens are made by the action of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. If you have excess DHT then the hair follicles make thinner and thinner hairs until they eventually stop completely.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease which affects women. In this case the hair follicles are attacked by white blood cells and become smaller, reducing hair production.

Drug-based : with side effects

Can you imagine how your favorite actor or actress would look like, if they were bald headed? Then you may understand why people are so much worried about their hair fall and receding hairline. If you are one of them, you may already have been struggling in all sorts of remedies on hair loss. You may choice to wear a hat. You used to own one hat before. Now you own 12 hats. You look for medicines and shampoo curing hair loss. But you do not know which one to buy. Many of them you have tried but with no significant effect. And some may also be too stimulus and have unpleasant smell. Adding much to the problem is that drug-based treatment options also come with known side effects, some even quite serious.

Hair Transplant surgery: chasing the receding hairline

The situation is just getting worse. And you start putting on a wig. Then you go to the doctor to get hair transplanted from donor. But you then find it adversely affects the tissue around the newly transplanted grafts. You transplant on front line part but the hairs behind get thinning. And you end up chasing the receding hairline. You may also observe that some greedy doctors would exaggerate your situation and urge you take the transplant surgery. Some may even overstate the number of shafts need to be transplanted. But do we all have to resort to this?

What had been using in different countries?

Hair loss and pattern baldness has been an age-old problem for men and women since mankind ever live. And you know how our ancestors handled this same problem around the world? Let us have a look. We are told some interesting information on this subject: that in Greece, a mixture of nettles, horseradish, cumin and pigeon dropping are used to cure hair loss. Africa & Southern Asia -A mixture chiefly composed of rancid rhino fat and powdered rosemary was used. Northern & Western Europe – includes the combination of boars grease, a lot of ashes (from bees and southern wood), oil of almonds, and other liquids or essence obtained from a flower or a root of some sort. Egypt – a tonic, which contains onions, iron, lead, alabaster and honey; another mix including various animal fat/grease and rubbing the same into the scalp. A few of the more famous animal fats used are those coming from lions, serpents, and crocodiles. China – ingesting a kidney tonic? Are these serious statements, or even just a joke? But we can be certain that there must have been something well known to the local people from generation to generation for hair loss treatment.

Need serious scientific researches into the age-old wisdom

These age-old wisdoms have not been explored nor included in many of today’s hair loss treatment context. Scientific researches into these ancient treasures are so few. Because they are old, not fashionable, they are neglected. But the fact is they have been used for treating hair loss and been examined and proven for so many decades or thousands of years.

You do get a few researching into these herbals now

Days have come now that some doctors and scientists start to examine them on foundation of modern scientific knowledge, findings and methodologies. These ancient natural herbs are researched and blended into treatment of hair loss and being tested. A number of Revolutionary natural hair loss topical and oral products thus emerge. Now they are clinically proven more effective, better than the drug based treatments, and have no side effects as can be explained theoretically and empirically.

So with the help of modern scientific and technology advancement, ancient wisdom on hair loss are remixed and come on stage again. With these modern herbal treatments, hair loss and baldness is no longer a problem without an easy solution.