Say goodbye to hairfall

Hair loss is a very common condition and it affects most people at some point in their lives. It is alarming when you see the evidences on your pillow, after hair wash or tufts of hair after brushing. Hair loss can be temporary or permanent, localised, diffuse or generalised. Loss of hair can be attributed to a variety of factors including:

• Use of certain medications, including some antidepressants, blood thinners, and chemotherapy treatments for cancer.
• Fungal infection of the scalp.
• Significant stress on the body from a surgery or serious illness, dieting
• Vitamin deficiencies, iron deficiency and thyroid problems
• Hormone imbalances or disruptions including pregnancy and childbirth (temporary) or menopause
• Burns and injuries
• Genes – male and female pattern baldness
• Some immune mediated diseases – alopecia areata
• Cosmetic procedures

Hair loss can be a common side effect for those on restrictive diets. A deficiency in almost any nutrient has the potential to cause hair loss, as does insufficient calories and protein. Additionally, deficiency in most B vitamins, especially B5 and B12, are known to cause hair loss. Wrong use of certain cosmetic procedures lead to severe hair thinning and damage leading to hair breakage and loss. Keep chemical use and heat treatments to a minimum. Frequent shampooing, perming, straightening, dyeing, bleaching, blowing contribute to overall hair thinning.
Hair-loss prevention depends on the underlying cause. Good hair hygiene is important. Good nutrition — spinach other leafy foods, avocado, citrus fruits, fish, eggs, nuts, whole grains, carrots and supplementing with B12, possibly iron and zinc, are also needed.
Treatment of underlying medical conditions like thyroid disease, anaemia, and hormonal imbalances may prove useful in prevention.
Temporary hair loss due to stress may improve with relaxation and proper rest and adequate sleep. Avoid tight tying and braiding of hair. Avoid frequent hair colouring, bleaching, perming and blow drying. Brush hair gently – work your way up to the roots. Shampoo your hair twice or thrice a week with conditioning of hair roots. Rinse thoroughly with copious amount of water. Regularly trim your split ends. Avoid hot water showers.
Treatment should be decided upon by your treating doctor. Available modalities of treatment are medical and non-medical. Medical options include oral hair multi-vitamin supplements, local applications in form of creams, serums (may include various multi-vitamin and amino-acid combinations), etc. Further treatment options available are hair mesotherapy, PRP injections, hair transplant, depending on individual cases.
—Dr Dhwani Shah, is dermatologist at Aster Al Raffah Hospital