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Did you know that shedding about 100 strands of hair each day is absolutely normal? In case you are losing your sleep over this, it neither affects your hair growth or your hair health.
But why does it happen in the first place? FIT reached out to experts to understand why our hair falls.
Dr Soni Gupta, Senior Consultant, Dermatology, Aesthetic Physician, & Hair Transplant, Max Multi Speciality Hospital, Panchsheel Park, says that our hair grows in three phases:
Anagen or the growth phase
Catagen or the transition/falling phase
Telogen or the resting phase
But, there are certain other reasons that might cause your hair to fall out excessively.
While hair fall and loss can happen to anyone, it’s a more common occurrence in those who have nutritional deficiencies.
Dr DM Mahajan, Dermatologist, Apollo Hospitals Indraprastha, New Delhi explains that while your endocrine and thyroid hormones are responsible for your hair growth, some vitamins and micronutrients also have a role to play in this.
Not just that, any sort of stress to your body can also lead to hair fall. Stress related to an exam or interview, a long-term illness, fever that’s lasted 10-15 days, sudden weight loss, a major/minor surgery, or any mental or physical pressure can trigger your body to release chemicals that can lead to hair fall, shares Dr Gupta.
And once the hair fall has started, it can go on for about 3-4 months, causing considerable hair thinning.
Apart from these lifestyle causes, there are various other reasons people can face hair loss as well. Autoimmune diseases top this list.
Alopecia areata is one such condition when the "immune system attacks hair follicles," according to the National Institute of Health. Usually affecting the face and the head, the person's hair start looking like they are eaten by a moth, says Dr Mahajan.
However, hormonal imbalance can also cause long term hair fall, especially in people suffering from Polycystic Ovarian Disease or women who have more male hormones, says Dr Gupta.
Other instances that can cause hair loss might include:
Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy
Hormonal imbalance
Scalp infections
Sexually transmitted infections
But, in most cases, hair loss is reversible. Here’s what doctors suggest you can do to minimise your hair loss:
Maintain a healthy, balanced, and nutritious diet.
Don’t fall for crash diets.
Try to avoid stress in your everyday life.
Try and get your vitamin and micronutrient levels checked once every year.
Use peptide serums on your hair once in a while.
Try and shift the gear towards a healthy lifestyle.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)
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