Can Hormonal Hair Loss Be Reversed?
Hair has long been associated with strength, physical attractiveness, health, femininity, and even social standing. Hair is likewise a symbol of self-confidence, and our hairstyles are an effective way to express ourselves. When you excessively lose hair, it may destroy your sense of self and be so distressing that it leads to depression, debilitating anxiety.
However, regrowing your hair by utilizing new medications, hair loss treatment, and a healthy diet can be feasible if you begin therapy early, regardless of the cause.
What is Alopecia?
It is an autoimmune pathology that results in your hair falling out in clumps that resemble a quarter. The quantity of hair loss varies. Some people lose it only in isolated sections of their bodies.
Lost hair is a common and very distressing problem in most women. It often starts with gradual hair sheds or patchy areas of baldness where you used to have hair. Your body’s immune system has attacked the hair follicle. The hair is gone for good, but new hairs can regrow in these areas of hair loss if you stop the attack.
The term “alopecia” means that there is no hair at all on an area of skin that once had hair on it. Alopecia areata causes both female pattern hair loss and male pattern hair loss equally, although some people who have it don’t develop bald patches. They only experience the thinning of the usual number of hairs on different parts of their bodies. These parts include the scalp, beard, mustache, or eyebrows. It is not known why this happens to some people but not others with alopecia areata.
Alopecia areata is unpredictable. The hair might regrow within weeks or months, or it might take years. The hair usually grows back without treatment, but there are treatments for people who want it to grow back more quickly.
There are two methods of treatment available now, one is topical minoxidil, and the second is an injectable form of corticosteroids – triamcinolone acetonide (TA).
Topical Minoxidil 2% & 5%
This product has been used for many years to treat male pattern baldness in men. The medication has also proved effective in women with female pattern baldness as well as alopecia areata. It can stimulate new hair growth on the scalp within 2 to 6 months.
This is how it works: For people at the early stages of alopecia areata, topical minoxidil can help hair regrow on the scalp. Topical minoxidil needs to be used twice daily for at least six months before you should expect to see any effects. It should not be applied directly to the eyelashes or eyebrows because it may cause hair growth in these areas.
Corticosteroids Injections
If you have severe cases of alopecia areata, corticosteroids might improve your condition if they are injected into the bald patches on your head or other parts of your body. These injections may reduce inflammation and promote hair growth.
But there are some risks with these injections, which can be serious. You should have this treatment only if topical minoxidil has not worked for you. If possible, try topical minoxidil first before considering corticosteroids injections.
Topical Corticosteroid Creams
Another treatment is to apply a very potent cortisone cream to the bald patches on your head or other parts of your body twice daily for three months or longer. You mustn’t use too much because it may reduce the inflammation in part of your skin – but might cause increased inflammation in another area.
Can Alopecia or Hormonal hair Loss Be Reversed?
Hormonal hair loss commonly occurs during menopause due to the decrease of estrogen production, which can contribute to thinning hair; however, it can also be caused by other factors. Regrowing your hair by utilizing new medications and changing your diet can be feasible as long as you begin therapy early, regardless of the cause.
Finding the reasons for your hair loss:
If you believe that hormonal hair loss results from a medical condition, such as PCOS or an illness, then discussing your options with a doctor is the best first step. If you believe that a lack of estrogen may be causing this type of hair loss, then hormone replacement therapy may be an option. Some medications have been shown to successfully regrow hair in people who have experienced hormonal hair loss.
If your hormonal hair loss is so sudden that you have noticeable bald spots or patches, then medical treatment may be able to increase your chance for success by stimulating new growth within the year. In addition to medication and hormone replacement therapies, dietary changes can help stimulate hair growth by providing proper nutrition to promote healthy hair development.
Diet:
A nutrient-rich diet with plenty of vitamin C from foods such as oranges and vegetables will help provide collagen for skin health [which keeps [the scalp] strong]; [vitamin] B 12 will help red blood cells carry oxygen to the scalp, and iron will help prevent hair breakage.
Effective Medications and treatments:
In Alopecia areata, hair loss is usually temporary; however, it may take several months to regrow your hair. Your doctor may suggest applying a topical medication, such as minoxidil or corticosteroids, directly to the areas of hair loss. You can also take over-the-counter supplements that will boost the immune system and encourage hair growth.
It is essential to know that if you suffer from Alopecia areata, there is a 50 percent chance it will reoccur within five years; however, this does not mean it will occur in all affected areas if it does return. To protect your scalp from sun damage and reduce irritation during treatment, wear a hat outdoors and avoid tight hairstyles. Also, be sure to use moisturizers [to keep [the scalp] hydrated]. These methods do not guarantee hair growth and can take several years before you see any results.
If you suffer from Androgenetic alopecia (AGA), which is hereditary male or female-patterned hair loss, topical treatments may effectively stimulate new hair growth. Minoxidil is the only FDA-approved topical treatment that has been proven to regrow hair; however, it takes time and usually begins to work after three months of daily use. Other over-the-counter products such as those containing caffeine or ketoconazole claim to boost hair growth; however, no peer-reviewed studies confirm their success.
How do Hair Follicles work?
Each hair is held fast in the skin by a hair follicle. The hair bulb is where the hair follicle begins. Living cells divide and divide and grow to create the hair shaft in the hair bulb. Blood vessels supply nutrients to the cell in the hair bulb and hormones that control how your locks develop and form throughout life.
Hair Follicles and Hair Loss:
When the hair follicle begins to shrink, it causes the hair shaft to become thinner. A new hair follicle starts to form under the old one, but this growth cycle is shorter than before. This is because the younger follicles are less likely to survive as they are smaller, weaker, and have less blood supply, cells, or hormones that are necessary for their survival. These short cycles prevent dead hairs from falling out quickly. Unfortunately, your body cannot keep up with this massive loss of hair. If you do not treat balding now, you will most likely go completely bald in an average period of two years after experiencing noticeable thinning or receding at your temples.
One of the biggest causes of hair loss is a hormonal imbalance in your body. Hair loss can also stem from having too much testosterone in a male or a lack of estrogen and progesterone in a female.
Steps to regrow hair
You can take three main steps to regrow your locks: taking medications, eating better, and using supplements.
Step 1: Taking Medications
The most common type of medication for thinning hair is minoxidil (Rogaine). This topical solution will help stimulate blood flow to the follicles that were not treated well enough because they had little blood supply before treatment. You can also combat hormone imbalances by taking this medication orally with finasteride (Propecia). This drug combats both types of hormones that cause hair loss: DHT and testosterone.
Step 2: Eating Better
Your daily diet is vital for taking care of your body, especially when regrowing that mane you used to have. You must eat foods high in protein and vitamin C if you want the best chance to grow back healthier hair. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron, which in turn makes red blood cells within blood vessels. This means more nutrients will be available in your follicles to help produce healthy hair growth. Protein is also very important for this process because it allows cells to regenerate themselves and grow stronger.
Step 3: Using Supplements
Supplements such as biotin (vitamin B7) can be ingested orally and, in some cases, topically to help any hair loss by stimulating keratin production and helping to thicken the hair. Since biotin is a vitamin, you will need to take it daily in small doses until your body becomes acclimated, or you risk developing an overdose, which can cause muscle cramps and nausea.
Step 4: Avoiding Hair Damaging Products
The last step to regrowing your hair is avoiding harsh chemicals that may strip your locks of natural oils and cause damage over time. Also, if possible, avoid using hot tools such as flat and curling irons because they apply too much heat to the strands of your hair and can break them off at the root. This doesn’t mean you need to cut your hair short and go around looking like a caveman. Many low-heat hairstyles will keep your locks healthy and shiny.
Iron Deficiency- Anemia and Hair growth
Iron plays a vital role in the formation of red blood cells.
Hair loss is frequently seen with iron deficiency anemia because the lack of iron slows the production of new red blood cells necessary for hair growth.
Those suffering from this type of anemia should incorporate more iron into their diet, including foods rich in Vitamin C, which can help with better iron absorption.
How Common is Hair Loss?
Hair loss is a common concern that many people have. There are many different reasons for hair loss, including but not limited to stress, poor diet, genetics, and age. At least 50 million men and 30 million women in the United States suffer from hair loss.
Hair Loss Affects Everyone:
It is thought that about 80% to 90% of people are experiencing hair loss as they age. Different types of hair loss exist anagen effluvium (hair abruptly stops growing), telogen effluvium (when excessive shedding causes thinning), and androgenetic alopecia (AGA – genetic-based thinning). Androgenetic alopecia is one of the most known causes of hair loss among men and women due to a genetic sensitivity to the DHT hormone.
Hair loss can happen in patches on the scalp or all over the head. In some cases, the person may see a lot of hair in their hands or the shower drain after washing their hair.
Hormonal hair loss can be reversed, and there are many ways to do it. The sooner you start following professional medical advice, the better your chances of regrowing your hair. We hope this blog post has helped answer any questions you may have about what treatments might work to reverse hormonal hair loss or how to reverse a thinning head of hair using natural remedies.