Hair loss is a normal part of the hair cycle. Everyone from young children to elderly individuals lose hair. But for some people, normal hair loss turns into excessive hair loss. Do you know the difference?
How Hair Loss Works
Hair growth begins beneath the skin of the scalp inside the follicle. Hair is nourished by blood vessels that are connected to the base of the follicle. As time passes, each hair goes through a series of four stages that carry it from initial growth all the way through shedding. This process can last for several years, after which each follicle restarts the process and does it all over again.
To understand hair loss, you must understand hair growth. The phases are as follows:
- Growth Phase: This initial phase is the longest of the four. It can last for two to seven years. During this part of the process, hair grows to as long as 30 inches (if uncut). The length and speed of growth are highly dependent on factors like age, health, genetics, and nutrition.
- Transition Phase: Once the growth phase ends, the follicle enters into a transitory phase. This phase lasts for just a few weeks. During this concentrated period of time, hair stops growing and becomes detached from the blood supply. The hair becomes known as a “club” hair at this point.
- Resting Phase: During this part of the process – which lasts for roughly three months – new hair begins growing beneath the club hair. Eventually, the new hair pushes the club hair out. This leads to shedding.
Typically, it takes several years for a follicle to go through all of these phases. However, certain factors – including genetic and lifestyle factors – may cause hair to enter the resting phase prematurely. This leads to excessive shedding and thinning.
What is Normal Hair Loss?
Hair loss is a game of addition and subtraction. You’re always losing hair and you’re always growing hair. The net result is what’s important.
Believe it or not, it’s normal to lose as many as 100 hairs per day. The average person loses somewhere between 50 to 100 hairs daily (that’s as many as 1,500 to 3,000 hairs every month – or 18,000 to 36,000 per year). However, because the average human head has as many as 100,000 hairs at any given time, the loss of 100 hairs is just a drop in the bucket. At the end of the day, it’s not noticeable to the naked eye.
Problems occur when hair loss increases and/or hair growth slows down. When hair growth/loss turns from “net neutral” to “net negative,” thinning occurs. After several months, this thinning leads to balding.
The question of how much hair loss is normal is highly dependent on how much hair growth is occurring. The more hair you grow – or the faster you grow it – the more hair loss you can sustain. Somewhere between 50 to 100 hairs is fairly normal. It all depends on your individual circumstances.
What to Do With Excessive Hair Loss
If you’re experiencing excessive hair loss – a.k.a. a “net negative” – there are a few things you can do to slow down the rate of loss, speed up the growth rate, and flip to a “net positive” state.
- Optimize Your Diet
Hair doesn’t grow with magic. It takes a careful blend of the right nutrients. Thus, the first step is to ensure you’re consuming a proper diet that’s high in protein, iron, biotin, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C, and zinc. You also need to stay hydrated throughout the day. In addition to consuming the right vitamins and nutrients, it’s important that you avoid the wrong foods. Stay away from highly-processed foods, refined sugar, and saturated fats as much as you possibly can.
- Stop Making These Hair Care Mistakes
Your hair care regimen has a direct impact on your hair health. The more intentional you are with caring for your hair, the lower your hair loss rate will be. Here are a few things to avoid:
- Don’t overwash. There’s no need to shampoo and wash your hair on a daily basis. In fact, if you’re washing your hair more than three times per week, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re doing more harm than good. Only wash as needed (and be as gentle as you possibly can).
- Don’t overheat. Heat styling tools, such as straighteners, curling irons, and blow dryers, are not kind to your hair. They make hair dry and brittle, both of which lead to an increased likelihood of hair loss.
- Don’t overstyle. Tight hairstyles (like ponytails or cornrows) pull on hair and may lead to excessive hair loss. In many cases, it causes hair that’s still in the growth phase to fall out.
If you abide by these three hair care rules, you’ll limit damage to your hair and encourage healthy growth.
- Give Medication a Try
There are two commonly used medications for hair loss. Over-the-counter minoxidil (Rogaine) comes in a variety of forms, including liquid, foam, and shampoo. This medication is designed to slow the rate of hair loss and encourage steady regrowth.
The second option is finasteride (Propecia). It requires a prescription and is taken in a pill form. Finasteride is primarily designed to stop excessive hair loss, though it can also encourage some new hair growth.
Try the Kiierr Laser Cap System Today
Low level laser therapy (LLLT) is also a great option for overcoming hair loss. The Kiierr laser cap system is the safest and most advanced hair regrowth treatment option on the market. It uses premium laser diodes (650nm wavelength) for maximum hair growth efficiency and comes backed by a two-year product warranty. Benefits of using the Kiierr laser cap include:
- Treats thinning hair
- Addresses premature balding
- Reverses hair loss
- Promotes healthier and thicker hair follicles
- Revitalizes frail and/or damaged hair
- Safe and effective (FDA approved)
- Portable and easy to use
- No reported negative side effects
When you order a Kiierr laser cap, you’re getting an entire system that can be easily adapted to your hair growth needs. This includes one laser helmet that fits inside any standard baseball cap, a plain black ball cap, a stretch-fit headband, wall charger power plug, USB cord, portable power pack, and user manual to answer all of your questions. You can learn more here!
Conclusion
It’s important to know the factors that contribute to rapid and excessive hair loss, but you don’t have to stand by while all your hair falls out. There are lots of natural hair loss treatments available. Know the hair growth cycle and what you can do to prevent hair loss.
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