Different Stages Of Hair Loss

Good looking, shiny hair is an asset. An understanding about how it grows will help you look after it much better. If you don’t look after it, it will become dull and result in hair fall.

When you are young, you have good, healthy and abundant hair. With age, it starts thinning and losing its lustre. It gradually becomes rough and lifeless. Cosmetic treatments help to make it look good, but for your natural, healthy hair, you must look after it and nourish it so that it remains young and beautiful.

On an average, a person has about 150,000 hair follicles. Follicles are roots right under the skin from which the hair grows. The individual hairs follow a cycle of growing and shedding. It follows four stages as described below.

1. Growing stage - Anagen

The growing stage is called anagen. This stage goes on for about 2-6 years, and during this stage hair grows. The length of the anagen stage determines how long it will grow.

2. Transition stage - Catagen

After the period of growth, the transition stage starts for about 10 days, when the hair follicle reduces and detaches.

3. Resting stage - Telogen

Thereafter, the resting stage starts. It lasts for about three months. At the telogen stage, the hair rests. At any given time, about 10-15% of the hair is resting while other, newer hair is in the growing stage.

4. Shedding stage - Exogen

At this last stage, the old hair dies and falls out. An average person loses some 50-150 hairs in a day. It is abnormal process, because when the old hair is dying, new one continues to grow.

The Hair Loss problem arises when the hair shedding increases or the new hair is less or the replacement rate is low. This happens due to a number of reasons. Bad nutrition, illness, irregular lifestyles and stress could impact hair re-growth. Genetics play a role too – if your parents lost hair, then you will too. Medicines and chemicals too are known to harm a person’s hair. Smoking a drinking also affect the hair adversely.

It is also the natural process of ageing that everyone starts losing hair Even Men are also Suffering from Male Pattern Baldness . The length of the growing, or the anagen stage, slows down. So the hair becomes weak and thin after each cycle. The importance of a nutritious diet is therefore stressed by doctors. People must ensure that their diet contains essential minerals and vitamins. Essential fatty acids, like Vitamin E, help hair re-growth. Iron-rich foods are recommended. These include vegetable greens, fish, beans and cereals. Remember to have a glass of milk everyday, yoghurt, eggs and soya, as they are rich in proteins and amino acids that nourish the hair.

So if you want your youthful hair to last long, look after it well. Eat a well balanced, nourishing diet. Try to get rid of stress, or at the very least, try to reduce it. Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Avoid over-styling and use less chemicals on your hair.

It is also recommended not to wash the hair daily. Do not use hair dryers but let the hair dry naturally. Wet hair should not be combed, as it is weak.

These simple precautions and a good diet will prevent hair loss and make your hair look young and beautiful!