Fantasia Salon / Spa and Wig Specialists

According to the experts, here are the main causes of hair loss in women:

• Iron-deficiency or anemia
• Thyroid problems
• Lupus and other diseases which affect connective tissues
• Diseases from reproductive system such as ovarian tumors
• Post-menopausal stage
• Post-partum stage
• Over-stressed conditions and other extreme emotional problems
• General anesthesia (some people develop adverse reactions to this)
• Surgical procedures which damage the scalp
• Eating problems including bulimia and anorexia
• Unhealthy diet (deficiencies in zinc, essential fatty acids as well as other important vitamins and minerals.)
• Malabsorption of essential vitamins and minerals by the body
• Hypervitaminosis A (rare)
• Heredity

Also, according to the experts, there are certain medications which may cause moderate to severe hair loss:

• Anti-inflammatory medications such as Prednisone
• Street drugs such as methamphethamine and cocaine
• Some drugs used to lower blood cholesterol and lipid levels
• Some drugs used for seizure treatments
• Drugs used as blood thinners or anti-coagulant such as Heparin and Warfin.
• High doses of Vitamin A
• Drugs used in chemotherapy for cancer patients
• Medications used to alter moods and treat depression such as Prozac Tri-cyclics Elavin, Lithium, etc.)
  Some drusgs used to normalize blood pressure levels , particularly the B-blockers
• Oral medications particularly those which are high in Progestins
• Some diet pills

If you or a loved on has suffered with hair loss or thinning hair due to any of the above mentioned reasons, one of the Hair Replacement Specialist at Fantasia would love to work with you to find the ideal solution for you. Call us today to schedule your free consultation!

Your crowning glory, your hair. We tend to forget that the practical purpose of having hair is to protect our skull. More than anything else, it’s tied in with our personalities and self esteem.

We know that hair loss is a common phenomenon among men and women and that it is more prevalent among men.

The most common form of hair loss in men is called androgenic alopecia. Hair loss which results in baldness can also result in the deterioration of a person; their self esteem, dignity and confidence.

As we have discussed, for women hair loss can be absolutely traumatic. Hair loss is sometimes a symptom of an underlying disease. Although there are many reasons which contribute to hair loss, the largest of these would be hormonal imbalance. It is well known that hormone secretion should be balanced in the proportion which in turn regulates various body functions.

One such hormone is thyroxine, secreted by the thyroid gland and some male and female hormones like estrogen and androgens are responsible for hair loss in the case of imbalance. Thyroid disease frequently causes general hair loss from hair on the head, but what is not commonly known is that a unique and characteristic symptom of hypothyroidism is loss of hair on the outer edge of the eyebrows.

Another factor we have discussed is long-term illness or surgery. Both of these create frustration and stress, which creates a hormone imbalance in our bodies.

Certain medicines and drugs for diseases, such as chemotherapy for cancer, drugs for depression, contraceptive drugs (which contain anti-coagulants) cause thinning of the hair.

So, how do we avoid hair loss? Try to use natural remedies or medicines as opposed to drugs. Avoid stress whenever possible. Consume foods with good protein which is needed for both your hair and nails.

If you suspect you are losing more hair than normal, consult a dermatologist. A good dermatologist experienced in hair loss will do a complete workup in order to access the various causes of hair loss and run tests that may identify other autoimmune conditions besides thyroid that may cause hair loss.

If you are taking levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Unithroid, Levonthroid) and still losing hair, you may need to take other actions. Prolonged or escessive hair loss IS a side effect of some of these drugs for some people. You should note that many doctors are unaware of this even though it is a stated side effect in the patient literature put out by the drug company. So, don’t be shocked if your doctor is surprised by this. There are natural thyroid medications available, perhaps you will need to educate your doctor.

Many women have either thought or said this. But, I’m perfectly healthy, how can I be losing my hair? Typically we think female hair loss only happens to sick people, or those being treated for cancer with chemotherapy. Or perhaps those on medications for other things. Perfectly healthy women don’t experience hair loss…or do they?

All women will lose some hair at some point in their lives. Most of them will be healthy, middle aged women. It is not something to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. Today, there are many solutions and options for female hair loss, otherwise known as alopecia. All alopecia means is more hair loss than is usually experienced.

Yes, we typically think of hair loss in men, but it can and does happen to women, although usually not to the same degree. In women, hair loss rarely if ever leads to baldness. Baldness for men is accepted and even celebrated today with the younger generation of males shaving their heads, celebrities sporting bald heads, etc.

There are two main causes of hair loss in healthy middle - aged women and they are psychological and physical. If you are too psychologically stressed, have lots of anxiety, burnout or extreme fatigue, it’s going to show up somewhere and it just might be in the form of hair loss. It’s important to control these things as they can cause your body to be unbalanced which produces the changes which can cause hair loss. Estrogen controls DHT, which is the hormone responsible for the malfunctioning of hair production in certain areas. It is produced by testosterone, but, as I just stated, it is controlled by estrogen.

So, what can you do about hair loss? Well, the first thing would be to determine the cause. Is it physical or is it psychological? If it’s psychological, you probably need to schedule some rest and free time. You may even want to consult a licensed psychologist or a psychiatrist, particularly if you are having difficulty understanding underlying your psychological issues.

Physical causes are different. Perhaps you are dealing with hormonal imbalance with is the leading cause of hair loss in middle aged women. It is probably caused by estrogen imbalance. Maintaining healthy amounts of hormone in your body would be the most important thing to consider. There are natural options to chose from today with regard to hormone balancing.

There are non-surgical solutions for your thinning hair issues such as MicroPoint Links, where your hair can be increased by 400% in volume by tying cyberhair in with your own hair. Prior to having MicroPoint links, a good hair replacement specialist would put you on Hair Support System, which is a natural, vitamin plant based product providing nutrients to your hair and scalp.

There are reams of information regarding hair loss on the Internet, I personally have done over a hundred blogs on the topic. As with anything, keep in mind that your life needs to be in harmony, body and spirit. These are stressful times we live in and we have to work at staying positive. If you realize you are too stressed, take time for yourself. If you feel down, do something uplifting - go for a walk, take the dog with you, go for a bicycle ride and just be outside for awhile. Sometimes being inside all of the time is depressing, especially when it’s beautiful outside.

Never give up and don’t despair! There are good solutions for you which will give you your life back. Far better to be dealing with this today than years ago when there were very few options!

If you have mild to moderate hair loss, it is important to weigh the immediate stressors in your life against how much support you are giving your body. Start with an honest inventory of your health and not-so-healthy habits. Then, take some positive steps toward shifting the balance to the support side. Here are some recommendations.

• Eliminate dietary causes of hair loss. Eat a balanced diet comprised of whole, protein-rich foods, the more organic, the better.
• Avoid or limit refined sugar and other simple carbs which wreak havoc on insulin.
• Address vitamin deficiency hair loss. Take multivitamins daily that include vitamins B, C and E, the hair-healthy vitamins. Other important nutrients are calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc and iron. A fish oil supplement with vitamin D and essential fatty acids will help boost immunity and soothe inflammation.
• Consider herbal supplements such as kelp supplements which add iodine to the diet. Iodine assists in the manufacture of thyroid hormones. Ginko biloba increases blood flow to the scalp.
• Scalp massages and acupuncture can be helpful in stimulating blood flow to the scalp and support follicle function.
• Balance your hormones. If you are premenopausal, consider gentle endocrine support to help naturally re-balance your hormones.
• Examine your emotional health and your relationship with anger. Rage may be associated with higher levels of testosterone. Finding healthy ways to express yourself and your anger can go a long way toward reducing stress. If you are under severe psychological stress your hair loss should improve a few months after the stress is relieved.
• See a healthcare provider if your hairloss does not improve with these measures after about six months. Have tests and ask where you fall in the range of normal. Talk to your doctor about targeted supplements or treatments for hair growth.

It’s always important to pinpoint the cause for your hair-loss. It may be temporary or it may be permanent but getting to the root cause is very important. Should you find you need a solution for hair loss, the team of professionals at Fantasia would be happy to help you.

Want to know what is one of the most abused areas of your body? Yep, it’s your scalp! Something we rarely if ever see.

Every day your scalp comes into close contact with brushes, chemicals, dyes, bleaches, gels and sprays. Then, as if that isn’t bad enough, we blast it with high heat that we would never dream of exposing to other parts of our body!

According to one dermatologist, the scalp has a really hard time. But apart from the balls of the feet, the heels and back - the scalp is the thickest part of the body. The top layer, or epidermis, is of average thickness. But the dermis, which is the strong layer underneath, is much thicker.

Hair grows from roots or hair follicles. These are “down-growths” of the epidermis. With the scalp, hairs are thick and strong. The roots bud down through the dermis into the underlying subcutaneous fat where they can lie 4 millimeters below the skin’s surface.

There is a rich blood supply around the hair follicles. While the number of follicles varies enormously from person to person, according to a spokesman for the Trichological Society, the thicker the hair shaft, the bigger the hair follicle.

The average follicle will produce a hair that will grow for about a year. It will rest for a month or two and then the hair will fall out. The hair follicle then starts over, producing another hair, it rest then falls out, and so on and so on.

In male pattern baldness, which can also affect the temples of women, the hair follicles of genetically susceptible people, die young on exposure to the male hormone, testosterone. (see previous blog about this)

There are other causes of hair loss such as cancer chemotherapy which interferes with the growing phase and therefore results in loss of 90 percent of the scalp hair for as long as the treatment is taken. Then there is telogen effluvium which is a more common and reversible form of hair loss which may last for a number of months.

This type of hair loss can be triggered and provoked by stressful events. Doctors don’t really know why but suspect it could be due to changes in blood flow, thyroid disorder or iron deficiency.

Hair follicles have their own lubrication system, which comes from sebaceous glands and; too much of this lubrication or flow, results in an oily scalp. The scalp can be washed daily without damage to it or the hair, as log as the cleansing is done gently.

So, even though the scalp is one of the most abused parts of your body, don’t panic! In most cases, it is strong enough to take it!