Do you ever look at your hairbrush to find a pile of strands and feel a twinge of terror and worry something is terribly wrong with you? If so, you’re not the only one. Hair loss is a common issue that affects millions and millions of people around the world. However, the good news is that specific nutritional supplements might be able to stop and even reverse this alarming process.
The Background of Hair Loss
Hair loss, or alopecia, is considered losing numerous hair pieces when combing or showering. It might continue up to a condition of a complete head bald or even a body bald. Such hair loss is supposed to progress slowly throughout the time, while getting distinguished in patchy or altogether hair loss.
Moreover, a similar process cannot be featured as a common illness connected with a certain age group, since it may attack virtually any person. It would be fair to admit that losing hair is unacceptable to anyone, but the particular emphasis placed by the society ought to be considered.
Hair is an indicator of youth, health, and beauty of a person in many cultures. So, when the hair starts falling away or thinning, this process might become a powerful emotional stressor causing an immense hair loss.
As communicated by the American Hair Loss Association, “by the age of thirty-five, two-thirds of American men will experience some degree of appreciable hair loss”, while fifty years old’s reach 85% percent of severe male hair thinning.
Causes of Hair Loss
The most common cause of hair loss is genetic factors—also known as androgenetic alopecia. Hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, childbirth, menopause or thyroid problems can also result in temporary or permanent hair loss.
Other triggers include extensive use of harsh hair products and treatments, certain hairstyling tools that pull on the hair, certain types of medication or supplements, stress, or nutrition and diet factors.
Medical conditions like scalp infections, alopecia areata (an autoimmune disease), or a condition called trichotillomania (a habitual behavior of pulling out hair) can lead to hair loss as well. Lastly, age is an impactful factor. As people grow older, hair naturally tends to thin and fall off.
In many cases, treating the underlying cause will stop the hair from falling out. This makes understanding the cause of hair loss vital before taking any treatment steps!
The Role of Supplements
Ever noticed how your skin glows when you’re eating right? The same goes for your hair. Proper nutrition plays a crucial part in keeping your hair healthy and shiny. More often than not, a deficient diet could very well be behind your hair loss!
This is where nutritional supplements come in — they may just be the thing you need to boost hair growth! Keep in mind though that supplements should serve as a support to a balanced diet – not replace it.
Your hairstylist or dermatologist may recommend taking daily multivitamins or specific individual nutrients based on your needs. But always remember that while supplements can help, they cannot completely cure baldness or treat all causes of hair loss.
So don’t put all your eggs in one basket with supplements alone because there’s no more hair loss approach which includes a balanced diet and holistic lifestyle too!
Vitamin D and Hair Loss
An interesting nutrient that has been gaining attention for its connection to hair health is vitamin D. So, can deficiencies in this vitamin cause your hair to fall out?
Several studies suggest that yes, being deficient in vitamin D can lead to hair loss or poor hair health. You see, Vitamin D stimulates new and old hair follicles. When there isn’t enough of it in your system, new hair growth may be delayed.
This explains why getting enough vitamin D each day is crucial for maintaining good hair health. So how much should you get? The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends adults get 600-800 IU of Vitamin D daily.
Iron Supplements Effect
Iron is an essential mineral for many of the body’s functions, including hair growth. In fact, iron deficiency, known as anemia, can contribute to hair loss. How does this work? Well, iron is responsible for helping create hemoglobin in your blood. Hemoglobin transports oxygen to cells throughout your body — including those responsible for hair growth.
An iron deficiency can cause havoc with hair health. Without enough oxygen reaching the hair follicles because of reduced hemoglobin, your hairs simply won’t grow efficiently. What’s worse, this lack of oxygen could even stimulate excessive shedding or balding.
Zinc’s Impact on Hair
Zinc is another potent nutrient when it comes to maintaining healthy hair. It helps keep the oil glands around the follicles working optimally. Without enough zinc, those glands may fail to function properly and lead to a dry, flaky scalp and weakened hair strands prone to breakage.
There is some evidence showing that people experiencing alopecia had lower than normal levels of zinc in their bodies. With this revelation in mind, regularly taking zinc supplements might be a good way of aiding your hair’s performance, especially if you already have an existing deficiency.
If you lean more towards a natural approach to maintaining your hair health, you could try incorporating foods high in zinc into your diet, like legumes, seeds, or eggs.
Always remember though, moderation is key — excessive consumption of zinc could inhibit the absorption of other vital nutrients like copper and iron.
Supplements That Don’t Work
Depending on the causes of hair loss you may find help in some supplements. While some supplements can significantly aid you in your quest for healthier, fuller hair — not all are as effective as they claim. For instance, selenium at high doses doesn’t appear to have benefits for hair health and yet it is often promoted for this purpose. Surprisingly, an excess intake can even result in a form of hair loss called selenosis!
Copper is another example. The belief that copper improves scalp circulation and thus aids in hair growth is widespread. However, no scientific study yet verifies these claims. What’s worse, excessive levels of copper can actually harm genetic materials like DNA or RNA and lead to diseases.
The world of supplements is a labyrinth of potent aids but equally useless products. Hence, before you go down that route always do thorough research or consult with a healthcare provider.
To protect your hair while you boost its health from inside, remember that external factors like harsh sunlight can also damage your hair. Check out these best practices to protect your hair from the sun.
Final Thoughts
Dealing with hair loss can be stressful but there’s hope! Appropriate nutritional supplementation could assist you in this journey towards stronger, healthier hair. Whether it’s with iron helping feed oxygen to your hair follicle or biotin aiding the metabolism of protein-building amino acids necessary for hair growth.
Yet remember supplements are aids not miracles. They should support balanced nutrition, not replace it. Also note, that if the cause of your hair loss is what’s called an Endocrine Society (ES) condition, supplements alone won’t be able to tackle the problem. In such cases, medical assistance is needed.
Finally, it’s crucial to keep in mind that just as deficiency in certain nutrients could lead to hair loss — too much of them might do more harm than good. Always opt for a holistic approach when it comes to maintaining your hair health. This way, your hair will thank you and you’ll feel less stressed.
Interesting Related Article: “7 Top Reasons to Consume Supplements“