Fantasia Salon / Spa and Wig Specialists

We’ve talked about the fact that various medications can cause hair loss.  Many prescription drugs can have dramatic effects regarding hair loss, particularly if nothing is done to counteract this side effect.  And sadly, in many cases, people are not told of this side effect on the front end.

Can we be specific with regard to which medications can cause hair loss?  Yes -  we can.  Here is a list of what the drugs would be taken for as well as the name of the drug.

• Acne - Accutane
• Blood - Anticoagulants - Panwarfin, Sofarin, Coumadin, Heparin
• Cholesterol Lowering - Atronids, Lopid
• Convulsion/Epilepsy - Anticonvulsants - Tridore
• Antidepressants - Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, anafranil, Janimine, Tofranil, adapin, sinequan, Surmontil, Pamelor, Ventyl, Elavin, Endep, Norpramin, Pertofane, Vivactil, Asendin, Haldol
• Diet - Amphetamines
• Fungus - Antifungals
• Glaucoma - Timoptic eye drops, Ocudose, XC
• Gout - Allopurinol
• Heart Beta blockers - Tenormin, Lopresser, Corgard, Inderal
• Hormonal Conditions - Birth control pills, Progesterone, Estrogen, Male Androgenic hormones and all forms of testosterone, anabolic steriods, Prednisone and other steroids.
• Inflammation - Arthritis drugs, NSAIDS such as Naprosyn, Anaprox, Indocin, Clinoril
• Anti-inflammatory drugs such as  - Methotrexatem, Rheumatrex, Folex
• Parkinson’s Disease - Levadopa
• Thyroid disorders - Most all of the drugs prescribed for this
• Ulcers - Both prescription and OTC, Tagamet, Zantac, Pepcid

I would suspect, if you take the time to google it, you may find many more culprits that I have not mentioned.  If you are taking any of these medications and are noticing that your hair is beginning to thin, now you know why.  Perhaps you could consider alternatives to the medications or talk to your doctor about an alternative medication which would not cause hair loss.

Knowledge is power, at least now you know what is contributing to the problem.

Hereditary influence is a factor in almost all cases of permanent hair loss. Temporary hair loss, on the other hand, can result from nutritional deficiencies, as well as other causes. If a proper diet is maintained, poor nutrition will be avoided and thus, this will help reduce hair thinning and hair loss. Here are a few facts which may help us re-evaluate what we should or should not be eating.

Did you know that a high fat and high sodium diet contributes to hair loss? This type of diet is harmful to our kidneys and increases the acidity of our blood which results in hair loss. Having a low to moderate fat diet may help slow down the hair thinning process. According to some studies, male pattern baldness is connected to high testosterone levels which may have resulted from a diet too high in fat and animal protein.

However, on the other hand, too low protein in one’s diet is not good for the hair as it can lead to hair loss since it can make the hair go in to a resting phase. So, balance is a good thing.
Mono-saturated fats such as those found in nuts and extra virgin olive oil encourage hair growth and revitalize hair follicles.

Too high carbohydrate diets are not good for healthy hair. Carbohydrates are converted to glucose during the digestion process. This raises the blood sugar level of the body which can promote hair loss. Avoid foods with high carbohydrate content such as rice, pasta and potatoes.

Alcohol lowers the zinc, vitamin B, vitamin C and folic acid levels in our body. Each of these are important for the health of our hair. Not to mention the fact that alcohol contains a high level of sugar and calories.

Caffeine decreases the levels of vitamins B and C, potassium and zinc in our body. This deficiency of vitamins strains the adrenal glands which increase levels of DHT, which as we’ve previously discussed, induces hair loss.

Anemia is one cause of thinning hair. Avoid anemia by eating lots of iron-rich foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, dried fruits, cherry juice, liver, eggs, raisins, dates and whole grain cereals.

Silica is another nutrient that helps improve the health of hair. It can reduce hair loss, promotes healthier hair regrowth, strengthens hair follicles and gives shine and luster to our hair. In studies done abroad, silica has been shown to slow down hair loss. An example of silica rich foods would be raw oats, green and red peppers, cucumbers and sprouts.

Be sure to incorporate iodine rich foods into your diet as they are very critical in maintaining the health of your hair. Use sea salt to flavor your food. Eat vegetables such as spinach, carrots, turnips and cabbage. Pine nuts, mustard, millet and cold-pressed seed oils such as pumpkin, walnut and flax seed oil are also rich in iodine.

Can we stop hair loss with diet alone? Maybe not but we can slow it down and be healthier in the process just by following some of these dietary guidelines.

The accepted belief among physicians is that most hair loss is due to a combination of genetics and hormonal changes, such as menopause. The less common form of hair loss, alopecia areata, is believed to be am immune response gone awry in which the hair patches fall out and may never grow back.

Are there natural remedies that can help with hair loss? There are and we’ve talked about some of them before but a refresher course is not a bad thing.

If your hair loss begins around the onset of menopause, you can maintain hormonal balance, hence hair thickness, with herbs containing plant-based estrogens such as dong quai or ashwanganda. Other herbs that exert mild estrogenic effects include damiana, black cohosh and sage.

Another great choice is saw palmetto because it blocks the formation of DHT which, if you remember is a culprit in hair loss in both males and females.

A simple test done at the doctor’s office can determine if you have an under-active thyroid which is a contributor to hair loss. If this is the case for you, adding iodine-rich sea vegetables such as kelp to your diet help boost thyroid function and supply essential minerals needed for proper hair growth.

Prolonged periods of emotional stress are a definite factor in thinning hair in women. Stress may trigger hair loss by weakening the thyroid and adrenal glands. A B-complex supplement to support the nervous system during and after stressful times would be a great idea. Also, the Chinease herb fo ti will help nourish the adrenals and act as an adaptogen to help the body better cope with physiological or emotional stress.

Sometimes hair thinning can be a result of malnutrition. A lack of essential fatty acids needed for healthy cell membranes, can contribute to hair loss, skin diseases and depressed immune response. Fish oils are the most common dietary sources of essential fatty acids. If you are a vegetarian, you can supplement with flax-seed oil to prevent hair from becoming dry and brittle.

So, as you can see, there are natural approaches to help stop hair loss. Since we are a hair-obsessed culture, and thinning hair can make people- especially women- feel unattractive, unhealthy or stigmitized, it’s good to know we can exercise some control with what we put in our body. So yea, herbs (vitamins and minerals) to the rescue!

Did you know there are people out there that think if you wash your hair too often you can go bald or get dandruff? There is no truth to the rumor, that washing your hair frequently causes baldness or dandruff. Having said that, I must tell you that I wear my hair short and spiky and the dirtier it is, the better! I realize that doesn’t work for everyone.

You might find that you are losing hair while in the shower or when combing your hair but that is perfectly normal.

The hair follicle has a three - phased life: growth, rest, and shedding. Five percent of your hair is in the shedding phase. That means - (ah-hum, refer to previous post) that it is normal to shed “80-100″ hairs per day. If you showered once per week, it may seem like you are losing a lot of hair but that would be hair which is ready to be released - or in the “shedding” mode.

If you are worried about hair loss, you should have it evaluated by a hair loss expert. A dermatologist will be able to diagnose the type of baldness, if you are - in fact, experiencing hair loss. It can be something as simple as a thyroid hormone imbalance, which can be corrected. There are many solutions for women’s hair loss. The worst thing you can do is stress over your situation, as I have talked about before, stress only exacerbates the problem.

Dandruff is not caused by washing your hair daily or frequently. Dandruff, otherwise known as seborrheic dermatitis, happens when your scalp is too try or too oily. Your skin produces natural oils, especially on the scalp, ears and the T-zone of the forehead, nose and chin areas. This oil is produced to lubricate both your skin and hair follicles. Excessive oiliness can cause dandruff to occur. Dandruff is an abnormal amount of flaking from your scalp, which is often accompanied by redness or irritation.

Actually, washing hair daily can improve a dandruff problem. Use a shampoo formulated for dandruff. If your problem is severe, you may need medicated shampoo or physician prescribed creams or pills. It’s also important to consider your diet. As we’ve discussed before, something like dandruff is an outward sign of something missing internally. I’ve written a lot about diet and healthy hair and skin if you would like to read some of the past blogs.

Okay, we’ve determined that it’s safe to wash your hair daily if you desire. But, there are some tips you should follow. Don’t use really hot water as that can lead to a dry, flaky scalp. Don’t vigorously scrub your scalp, hard scrubbing can pull follicles in the rest and growth phase. Hair is sturdy and strong, but it can be damaged, especially when it is wet. While it may not fall out, it can be weakened then subject to breakage.

So, for all of you who like extremely clean hair, knock yourselves out and wash it daily. As for me with my short, spiky do, I’ll wash it weekly whether it needs it or not!!!

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!

Once upon a time, women suffered hair loss silently, ashamed by their appearance and baffled by its cause.

Today, we know that millions of women are afflicted with hair loss. 40% of hair loss sufferers are women, that is over 90 million women who are afflicted.

Hair loss, is referred to alopecia by the medical profession. It can be caused by excessive stress, hormonal imbalances, reactions to medications such as Accutane used to clear-up acne. Hair loss can also be caused by one’s bodily response to disease.

For more than 50% of women, the cause of their hair loss is genetic predisposition combined with hormonal changes. This is known as female pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia.

There are a variety of causes for androgenetic alopecia. These can include ovarian cysts, taking high androgen index birth control pills, pregnancy and menopause. Birth control pills are a huge contributing factor to female hair loss; and sadly, most women have no idea about this side effect. While oral contraceptives are a common trigger of hair loss - doctors do not emphasize this side effect. Physicians recognize the for the most part, oral contraceptives are a safe and effective form of birth control. They also recognize the the pills have been clinically proven to have other health benefits for some women who use them. However, it is important to warn women about the potential risk of hair loss with this form of contraceptive.

With a 75% chance for alopecia, if both parents are prone to hair loss, some doctors are now strongly suggesting an alternative forms of birth control. There are low-testosterone birth control pills on the market. If there is a strong predisposition for genetic hair loss in your family, ask for another non-hormonal form of birth control.

While most women do not experience hair loss while taking birth control pills, most cases occur after one stops taking the medication, particular for women who are sensitive to hormone changes.

Some forms of hair loss are curable, but most cases are permanent. Some of the medications featured on infomercials and in magazines should be avoided. Women are vulnerable when it comes to the hair loss issue and will waste their time and money on these products which will do nothing to correct their situation.

Once hair loss has set in, you need to find out the cause and begin treating the symptoms immediately. The longer you wait, the less chance of the hair growing back.

Who told us that it is normal to lose 100 hairs per day? In every book I’ve read on the subject, that’s what they say. And, some say normal hair loss is 100-150 hairs per day. Because that’s what I have read, I have never questioned it and have repeated it many times. I must tell you, no matter how much I have read it and re-written it myself, I have always thought that I must not be normal because I am certain I do not lose 100-150 hairs per day.

It seems like, the number 100 for normal hair loss was picked out of the air. Maybe it came from the assumption that the average head has 100,000 hairs, 10% of which are in the telogen, or resting phase. This means they are no longer growing and are getting ready to fall out. But, they are going to take about 100 days before they hit the shower floor, curl up in the sink drain or wrap themselves around the bristles of your brush. So, 10% of 100,000 is 10,000. Divide that by 100 days and, you get a loss of 100 hairs per day, the magic number.

All of this math is based on…..nothing. First of all, it’s never been proven that we even have 100,000 hairs. The number has just been passed down with no one ever questioning it. So, a professor of dermatology at Penn State College of Medicine, came up with a quick and reliable way to figure out if you are experiencing abnormal hair loss. He and his colleagues studied hair loss in 60 men, half age 20-40 and half age 40-60. All of the men studied had healthy heads of hair and no signs of going bald.

They were given identical combs and told to shampoo every day for three days. On day four, before shampooing, they each combed their hair forward over a pillow case for 60 seconds. Then, they counted the hairs on the pillow case.

The average number was almost identical for both age groups: 10.2 hairs on the pillow case for the younger men and 10.3 hairs for the older group. And, when the same men repeated the drill six months later, the counts remained the same, indicating they were in no immediate danger of balding.

It doesn’t matter what kind of comb or brush you use as log as you use the same one, says the professor. And, make sure it’s clean when you start. The range of hair loss in the study was 0-78 hairs for the younger men and 0-48 among the older men, though most lost about 10 hairs in the 60 seconds of combing.

The number of hairs on your pillow matters less than that the number remains consistent. Do this exercise three days per month, and track it for six months. If the numbers of hairs shed remain consistent with each 60-second comb-out, you’re probably not “over shedding”. But, if there is a big increase, you might want to consult a dermatologist for an evaluation. As we have discussed, there can be many factors for hair-loss including thyroid issues, low iron levels and elevated stress levels.

So, I may have to re-think things before writing again that normal hair loss is 100 hairs per day!