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H air Thinning
Thinning Hair and hair loss are related conditions;
however the two are different even if hair does not fall out.
After our mid-twenties our hair follicles and scalp receive
less nourishment. A gradual decline begins as the hair becomes
weaker, thinner, duller and more prone to damage. In fact,
both men and wormen's hair loses about 5% of its thickness
from age 20-50 and another 15% from 50-80.
Hair thinning can happen in women, too. Some of the most
common causes are medications, nutritional deficiencies, hypothyroidism
and hormones. It is well known that chemotherapy drugs can
cause hair loss, but a surprising number of more ordinary
drugs can too, including non- steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs such as aspirin, antibiotics, antidepressants, ulcer
medications and heart and cholesterol medications.
Nutritional deficiencies affect every part of the body, including
hair. The deficiencies that seem to be most common in hair
loss are vitamins A and B,
zinc and iron, and essential fatty acids like those found
in hemp seed oil.
Hypothyroidism is also a well known cause of thinning hair.
Surprisingly, hormone-related hair thinning is also common
in women. The antioxidant
vitamins C and E may help as well as the herb saw
palmetto.
Another herb that may be helpful is Beta-Sitosterols.
To better understand hormone-related hair loss and thinning
see androgenetic alopecia
and pattern baldness.
Quit Smoking
If you ever needed an additional reason to quit smoking,
this may be it. Smoking contributes to your hair loss.
By the time smokers turn 40, many sport the withered hair
follicles of much older men and women. Smoking may play the
same role in hair loss as it does in heart disease, says Dr.
Proctor: Tobacco smoke damages the linings of blood vessels,
which produce less nitric oxide, and this might short-circuit
hair growth.
Smoking also constricts blood vessels and hinders circulation,
says Wilma F. Bergfeld, M.D., head of clinical research in
the department of dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic. Diminished
blood flow "ages" hair follicles prematurely.
Products that may help you quit smoking
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