A person’s hair truly defines their beauty. Be it silky straight or springy curls, lustrous shiny hair surely works as eye candy. Everyone is blessed with good hair but as age and time progress, maintaining the luster and sheen of one’s hair becomes challenging. This can mainly be attributed to a busy lifestyle and lack of time, both of which lead to neglect and over time people get dependant on beauty products and other chemicals to try and bring back the life in their hair. What can be most disheartening in the course of this neglect is hair fall and subsequent hair loss. Initially this problem may tend to be overlooked but when bald patches form and show that’s when all hell breaks loose. Many factors lead to hair fall. In this topic, we will discuss how dandruff causes hair fall and how this problem can be altered.
Common Causes of Hair Loss
Hair clusters on the floor are not just unsightly to look at but also alarming – the former because it makes the place look dirty, unkept and the latter because it is a tell-tale sign of a weakened scalp as well as a desperate call for hair rejuvenation. Hair falls due to many reasons. Let us take a look at some of the common factors that lead to hair fall:
- Frequent usage of chemicals and beauty products
Beauty products meant to enhance the external beauty and sheen of the hair often contains harsh chemicals disrupts the pH balance of the hair which weakens the hair follicles and may permanently scar the roots. This can lead to excessive hair fall and permanent bald patches if not looked into immediately.
- Usage of hot irons, curlers and others
Hair straighteners and curlers can expose the hair and scalp to a lot of heat which will not just weaken the hair strands but it can also cause havoc to the roots leading to hair-thinning and falling.
- Hereditary
If hair thinning and hair fall is prevalent in one’s family one can fall victim to untimely hair loss and related stress. In medical terms, it is referred to as androgenic alopecia. Based on gender, in men, it shows initially as a receding hairline and in women hair thinning in the scalp along the crown.
- Hormonal Imbalance
Changes in hormones owing to thyroid problems, during pregnancy, childbirth and menopause are common factors leading to hair fall. This can be permanent or temporary depending on the cause.
- Medication, Radiation Treatment, etc
Medicines and radiation therapy used to treat illnesses like cancer, depression, heart problems, blood pressure and others show hair fall as a side-effect.
- Owing to stress
Extreme stress leads to hair fall which often is a temporary effect arising from emotional distress.
- Consuming an improper diet
When sufficient nutrients are not supplied to the body through food and necessary supplements it does not just deem the person weak and unhealthy but it can also often lead to hair loss.
- Lifestyle
Someone who is always occupied and drowned in workload often experiences an overwhelming amount of stress and stress often leads to hair loss.
- Unclean Scalp and Hair
An unclean and unwashed head does not just give the scalp an unpleasant odor but it also leads to dandruff which in turn causes excessive itching and unintentional injury of the scalp. This in turn can cause hair fall and subsequent hair loss.
What Causes Dandruff?
Several factors can give rise to dandruff. Medically termed as seborrhea, these white, unsightly dots and flakes often cause great discomfort and uneasiness to the extent that the person suffering from it would do anything to avoid being invited to a party than have them scratch their heads off involuntarily in public! Not only are they unpleasant to look at but they also lead to bad odor, injury due to excessive scratching, boils, flaky scalp and hair fall. Some common causes of dandruff are the skin type of people for instance those with oily and dry skin tend to have dandruff problems, medical conditions like psoriasis, eczema, reaction to hair-care products, weakened immunity as well as not washing the hair often can also lead to dandruff. In some studies, it has been found that men tend to have more dandruff problems in their lifetimes than women and this could be attributed to male hormones. Those suffering from Parkinson’s and diseases of the nervous system also tend to have dandruff problems.
Can Dandruff Lead To Hair fall?
Although dandruff leads to hair fall, it is not the root cause of it. A simple explanation as to how dandruff causes hair fall would be when a person gets dandruff they naturally tend to scratch their head most of the time. This continuous scratching can cause injury and damage to their hair follicles and give rise to redness and inflammation. The injury can in turn lead to scarring which in turn can adversely affect hair growth. The scalp becomes weak, flaky and hair turns brittle and dry. To suppress the urge to scratch using their nails people often use a sharp comb and rub-down the scalp harshly causing more hair breakage. All of this leads to an overall weakening of the roots of the hair and contributes to hair fall. Certain skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, scalp ringworm primarily cause dandruff formation which in turn leads to hair fall. Certain skin conditions cause both dandruff and hair fall. let us take a look at some of those:
- Folliculitis decalvans – this skin condition causes extreme inflammation which damages the hair follicles causing itching and redness. This tends to cause flakiness and hair fall.
- Fungal Infections – ringworm and similar fungal infections of the scalp lead to extreme itching, dry flakes and boils. Hair falls out revealing bald patches for those suffering from this disease.
- Seborrheic Dermatitis – This particular skin disease can affect any part of the body. When it affects the scalp it causes greasy, grey and reddish scales and patches which causes a burning sensation and inflammation. This could lead to excessive and aggressive itching and irritation which gives rise to dandruff and hair fall. This could lead to excessive and aggressive itching and irritation which gives rise to dandruff and hair fall.
- Scalp Psoriasis – this autoimmune condition affects the scalp causing itching and irritation. It leads to symptoms similar to that of a dandruff outbreak and results in bald, scaly spots and patches.
Simple Remedies to Minimize Hair Loss
Listed below are some simple remedies that can help to reduce hair loss:
- Regular hair wash – Wash hair daily in cold water using a mild shampoo. It is important to keep the scalp clean to avoid any built-up so that the air follicles don’t get clogged or oily leading to hair loss.
- Massage Therapy – At least once a week pamper the hair by giving it a thorough massage using any oil of your choice, slightly warmed. Give the roots a good massage and cover it using a warm towel. Rinse off after an hour to let the goodness of the oil penetrate the roots nourishing the hair and scalp.
- Consume a balanced diet – Ensure regular intake of a balanced, nutrient-rich diet preferably rich in proteins like fish, soy, lean meat etc which promotes hair growth.
- Increase water intake – Drink plenty of water throughout the day ass it is good for both hair and skin as well as enhances overall health.
- Hair Supplements – Vitamin A promotes sebum production in the scalp, Vitamin E improves the circulation of the blood in the scalp and vitamin B retains the hair’s natural color so taking these supplements for better hair growth is highly recommended. Folexin capsules rich in vitamins, minerals, biotin and other herbal extracts are highly recommended as it promotes healthy hair growth and can be consumed by both men and women.
- Home Remedies – Resort to home remedies for better hair growth and overall scalp health by using ingredients readily available in the kitchen like coconut oil, yogurt, egg yolk, green tea and others, all of which are excellent for hair growth as well as reduces hair loss and dandruff.
- Avoid smoking and drinking – Drinking and smoking both can get addictive and just as much harm it causes the rest of the body, so does it adversely affect hair growth as well as causes hair loss.
- Reduce stress – Stress leads to hair fall. Meditation is a great way to relieve oneself of stress so practice yoga, go swimming, read a book in peace, basically indulge in a day at least one activity that would help to distress the mind and rejuvenate one’s being.
- Avoid a harsh beauty regime – Avoid using harsh chemicals on the hair and as much as possible reduce the usage of rollers, curlers and hot irons to style the hair as all of this can lead to hair fall.
Conclusion
Just as with the rest of our body, our hair also deserves proper care and pampering. Probably the first feature another person notices about us would be our hair as to how well it has been maintained and groomed. Someone who can confidently flaunt their healthy manes in front of another can be termed as a responsible individual. So make sure those locks and curls are tended to timely to not just reduce hair fall but also to avoid built-up and unsightly problems like dandruff.