healthy hair central

can trauma cause hair loss Is there a link between trauma and hair loss? This is a very good question. As a matter of fact this is one of the most common questions that a lot of people have to deal with in the world today. On more than one occasion there are so many people who have been victims of this condition. For this reason therefore it is important to try and address the situation as it is. Trauma does indeed cause hair loss. As a matter of fact, the whole thing is about being stressed up.

How does stress affect your hair health?

Stress has its ups and downs on people, and in most cases, the conditions resulting from stress are usually bad on the skin and the human body in general. The hair is not an exception in this scenario. It has been proven over and over again that hair loss can be caused by traumatic experiences. This usually happens as a matter of fact when you are subject to stress as a result of your trauma.

Telogen effluvium

For those who are not aware, Telogen effluvium is the name of the condition resulting from such a scenario. So how should you handle such scenarios in the event that you become a victim? Well, it is important for you to look into ways of making sure that you can reduce your level of stress, and most importantly get to achieve longer healthier hair.

In order to handle your stress levels appropriately, you will need to try and make sure that you can most importantly control your level of anxiety. Stress and trauma are pretty much related, and if you can control your stress levels, you can rest assured that you will be ok.

Don’t tug on your hair

In the event of a traumatic event there are so many things that can happen. In most cases a lot of people tend to be stressed up as a result of traumatic events. Literally, there are those who even get to the point where things are so tough on them they tug at their own hair. Well, you will have also gone a long way in aiding in hair loss by doing that.

Healthy Hair After Pregnancy It almost seems like a cruel joke, women notice that their hair looks shinier and thicker during pregnancy, but three to six months after giving birth, they may find themselves struggling with hair loss.

Why hair loss can happen

As we have discussed before, a hair follicle may produce a new hair every three to four months and then rest. During the rest period, ‘old hair’ falls out and makes room for the new hair to grow. However, the hair follicle rest periods are drastically reduced during pregnancy because of the abundance of hormones. After the estrogen levels are reduced again after giving birth, the hair follicle rest mode is going to work harder than before to return to normal.

This means that between 5 and 10 percent of hair needs to return to rest mode, which is natural. While this may be natural, it may seem as though you are losing more hair because the resting state was dramatically reduced during pregnancy. So in short, the woman is not going bald; it is simply the hair growth coming back to normal. According to the American Pregnancy Association, this hair loss will affect approximately 50% of women.

Hair regrowth

The hair lost after pregnancy will eventually grow back. However, it is possible to enhance hair regrowth by maintaining adequate nutrition or supplementation. Most women lose a great deal of nutrients through breastfeeding. The normal regrowth rate for most women (approximately 1/2 inch per month) should be back to normal between six and twelve months after the woman delivers her baby.

Enhancing hair regrowth

While avoiding hair loss after giving birth entirely may be impossible, there are ways to ensure that hair loss is reduced. It is important to be gentle with the hair while it is fragile; this means no flat irons, curling irons, or blow dryers because these provide excessive heat that may damage the hair.

As previously mentioned, it is important to provide a proper hormone balance. This means a well-balanced diet that contains antioxidants and flavonoids. In addition, in order to help stimulate regrowth and reduce hair loss, it may be a good idea to consider supplementing with minerals or vitamins.

Even though our hair may not look it when we observe it with the naked eye, it is constantly renewing, regenerating, and being replaced. The hair growth cycle for every hair has a long period of growth and relatively short period of rest. During the rest period of the hair growth cycle, the hairs are still connected to the hair follicle, but have stopped growing completely. After the resting phase is over, a new hair begins to grow as the old hair is shed. Thus, the entire hair growth cycle starts over. We look at the three stages that the growth cycle of a hair consists of.

The growing stage – anagen

This is the actual growing stage of the hair follicle and takes quite a bit longer than most people may assume. The anagen stage will typically last between three to five years.

The intermediate stage – catagen

Hair follicles do not move from the growing stage directly to the resting phase; they go through the intermediate stage known as catagen first. During this phase, the hair follicles are preparing to enter the resting phase. The deeper portions of the hair follicles begin to collapse and the phase only lasts anywhere between one and two weeks.

The resting or shedding phase – telogen

We have come to the end of the line for the hair follicle and arrived at the resting period. This will take anywhere between three and four months and the older hairs begin to fall out, leaving room for newer hairs to grow. The majority of the growth cycle of a hair follicle is taken up by the anagen phase (approximately 90%). At any given time, approximately 10% of the hairs on our head are going through the telogen or catagen phase, which means that they are not actively growing. However, we avoid bald spots during this process because the hair follicles are distributed over the scalp randomly.

Pregnancy and healthy hair different for everyone

*Photo courtesy of seanmcgrath

There are many changes to a woman’s body when she becomes pregnant, but the changes to a woman’s hair while she is pregnant are rarely talked about. Pregnant women often notice that their hair feels much thicker than it did before they became pregnant.

Pregnancy hormones may change the hair texture or hair growth during pregnancy. That is not to say that every pregnant woman will experience this, the hormones affect all women differently. Some will notice no significant changes to their hair while others experience fast-growing hair that feels much fuller. The increased amount of estrogens will lead to thicker hair on the scalp by extending the hair’s growing cycle.

When do women notice?

The level of hormones starts to increase during the first trimester, so this is likely when most women experience pregnancy-induced hair growth. Even if a woman notices a dramatic difference, the hair often returns to its normal growth pattern approximately three to six months after the woman gives birth.

Popular misconceptions

Pregnant women who do notice a significant difference often assume that their head of hair feels much fuller while they are pregnant, but they are in fact not growing more hair. Whereas almost 90% of our hair is constantly in the hair growth stage, the increased level of estrogen ensures that this level increases even further. This leads to a more luxuriant, thicker head of hair.

Possible hair loss?

Most women have probably also heard that pregnancy is often associated with hair loss. However, this is not until AFTER the woman has given birth. While the woman is pregnant, she will have healthy hair because of the abundance of estrogen. However, it is possible that the vomiting and nausea will lead to poor nutrition, especially in the first trimester. During that time, it may be a good idea to take supplements to prevent hair loss. Of course, it is always a good idea to discuss that with your healthcare physician before you take anything while pregnant.

*Photo courtesy of izzie_whizzie

The telogen phase is the ‘end of the line’ for our hair; this is where the hair follicle rests. The telogen phase can last around two to four months. During the telogen phase, the dead hair cells gather and form a bulb at the root of the hair. Because the hair is disconnected from the dermal papilla, it may shed at any point during the telogen phase.

Moving forward to a new phase

At any point, almost 10 to 15% of the hair on our head is in the telogen phase. Because the hair follicles are no longer provided with nutrients, the hair is thin and weak and it becomes easy to pull the hair out. These are the hairs that we see when we comb or wash our hair. After about three months, most hair in the telogen phase will fall out on its own to make place for new hair that is coming through.

After the telogen phase is complete, the hair follicle will re-enter the growing (anagen) phase. The hair follicle base and dermal papilla join again and leads to the creation of a new hair. If the hair has not been shed already, this process will actually push the old hair out.

Telogen effluvium

While our hair naturally enters the rest phase after a certain amount of time, it is possible to trigger an early entry into this period. This scalp disorder known as telogen effluvium is characterized by shedding or thinning of our hair. This can occur because of physiological or emotional stress, which causes the alteration of the normal hair cycle. Some known causes include drugs, hypothyroidism, crash diets, severe emotional disorders, anemia, major surgery, chronic illness, childbirth, fever, and eating disorders.

Trademarks of the telogen phase of hair growth

During this period, the following is true about our hair:

At any point, between 10 and 15 percent of our hair is in the telogen phase
We will shed 50 to 100 hairs every day because of this phase
The telogen phase will last an average of three months
It becomes easy to pull out the hair and once the hair falls, a new hair follicle emerges.

You’ve heard of the anagen phase, but what is it?

*Photo courtesy of Karen Eliot

The active phase of scalp hair growth, also known as the anagen phase, can last between two to eight years, depending on the person. While the hair is in the anagen phase, you can expect the hair to grow about a half an inch every month. The length of the anagen phase determines the potential length of hair growth. That is the reason that people who have a short anagen phase are unable to grow their hair past a certain length. At any point, almost 90% of our hair is in the anagen phase.

The development of the hair

There is cellular activity in the hair follicle long before the hair ever becomes visible; this cellular activity marks the start of the anagen phase. The dermal papilla begins to take shape when the anagen phase starts and the hair follicle begins to grow. The dermal papilla provides the structure that controls hair growth.

The color of the hair

The dermal papilla level has many keratin cells divide and die at a rapid pace. This produces a large cone of dead cells that are eventually going to form our hair. During this time of the growth process, the melanocytes become active. These are responsible for the production of melanin – color cells. Both the keratin cells and melanin become interspersed with one another and form the layers of our hair.

The growth of our hair

Remember that hair growth takes place on a cellular level. The cells that surround the dermal papilla split and die at a rapid pace, which forms the hair shaft. These dead cells make up the hair shaft’s three layers: the cuticle, cortex, and medulla. All of this takes place directly underneath the hair shaft, in the hair follicle.

Disrupting the anagen phase

Even though the anagen phase is supposed to run between two to eight years, it is possible for it to become disrupted. Certain hair-removal procedures, scalp infection, a number of medications, hormones, poor diet, stress, illness, and trauma to the hair-forming structures can lead to the production phase stopping altogether and forcing the hair follicle into a resting state. That is when the hair becomes thinner and hair loss may occur.

Trademarks of the anagen phase

During this period, the following is true about our hair:

• The hair is growing continuously
• It grows at a speed of approximately half an inch a month
• The hair bulb produces the hair pigment
• There is an actively blood supply to the hair, providing both minerals and nutrients
• Our hair looks nourished and thick

Our blog entries are for your information only and are not intended as medical advice. Because everyone is different, we recommend you work with your medical professional to determine what’s best for you. Toji: Pure Density is designed to support healthy hair growth, and comes with a 3-bottle guarantee. Yes – this means you can try it for 3 months, and if you don’t grow faster, thicker, longer hair we will gladly provide you a complete, 100% money back, refund . For more info, check out our site: www.tojilife.com.

Image courtesy of Akash_Kurdekar

Hair loss with age can happen to anyone

You blow out the candles to (yet another) cake while looking at your friends and family around you. You are exactly where you want to be in life, but there is one problem that leers over your head every time you look in the mirror – literally. Your hair, it just seems to be falling off in tufts, with only the sides remaining now. When will this stop? Don’t worry, if you experience a little hair loss with age, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going to go bald.

Luckily, hair loss with age will stop, hopefully sometime soon, but there is no way to tell. Usually, men over the age of 60 see less hair loss with age than those unlucky men younger than them.

The later the better for men

You see, once hair loss begins, it continues over a person’s lifetime, but it’s hard to estimate where and when the hair loss will stop. Unfortunately, on average, the younger you are when you begin to notice a change in the density of your hair, the more likely you are to go completely bald sooner than you may be comfortable with.

It’s different for women

The exact opposite is true for women. Even if you hit the 50-year benchmark with a full head of hair . once there is a loss of estrogen after menopause, women will find that hair loss may increase, and get worse with age. All is not lost – like many things in life, proper nutrition can help. So make sure to eat your veggies!

Our blog entries are for your information only and are not intended as medical advice. Because everyone is different, we recommend you work with your medical professional to determine what’s best for you. Toji: Pure Density is designed to support healthy hair growth, and comes with a 3-bottle guarantee. Yes – this means you can try it for 3 months, and if you don’t grow faster, thicker, longer hair we will gladly provide you a complete, 100% money back, refund . For more info, check out our site: www.tojilife.com.

Image courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt

It’s been an exhausting nine-and-then-some-that-nobody-really-tells-you-about months, but the day is finally here. You push, shout, and cry, but finally – finally – meet your gorgeous baby…cue ball. Before you begin imagining yourself placing your baby on a life-long Rogaine regimen, you should calm down new mommy, because this is totally normal.

The reason? Telogen Effluvium, or to put it simply, a change in the normal hair cycle due to a variety of causes, like hormone changes or childbirth (yes, baby momma, this can happen to you too!). Essentially, this means that your baby has two phases of hair growth before they can even muster the strength to roll their tiny little bodies over.

While your mini-Michael-Jordan was marinating in your tummy, your baby was receiving a large amount of your hormones. Now that the umbilical cord has been cut, his or her hormone levels begin to drop, causing the resting phase of hair growth, the precursor to hair loss (these pesky hormones are also the reason why you may notice some hair loss after giving birth). So, if your baby was born bald, then the first growth has already fallen out.

The cure? Time. Within six months, your baby is going to show signs of having a luscious head of hair, I swear. On the bright side – there is always a bright side – while you wait for those curly-cute tresses to come in, there is a huge market of bald baby hair accessories, with all of the bows, caps, and headbands to keep your baby looking just as adorable (if not even more-so) as those full-haired fellow infants.

Our blog entries are for your information only and are not intended as medical advice. Because everyone is different, we recommend you work with your medical professional to determine what’s best for you. Toji: Pure Density is designed to support healthy hair growth, and comes with a 3-bottle guarantee. Yes – this means you can try it for 3 months, and if you don’t grow faster, thicker, longer hair we will gladly provide you a complete, 100% money back, refund . For more info, check out our site: www.tojilife.com.

*Image courtesy of Uggboy

Samson, Hercules, Zeus, and Poseidon are all powerful, strong, and oh-so-hairy. Take a look through any artwork of any fictional influential figure and chances are that their manes will be flowing in the wind. The bottom line is, as you grow bald, it is fair to say that you may no longer feel as up-to-it as you did during your high school days.

But it’s important for you to know that women do find bald sexy – Bruce Willis anyone? So it’s also imperative that you understand the connection between hair loss and your, well, your mojo.

The connection between baldness and virility is not direct – but it is both related to the same hormone. Baldness is caused by levels of sensitivity to a testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to be exact, which limits blood flow to the hair follicles. The body naturally converts testosterone to DHT, but not all testosterone is converted to DHT. Levels of free testosterone are strongly linked to libido, but unless the levels of free testosterone are virtually non-existent, levels have not been shown to affect virility.

Basically, the increased levels of DHT in your system as you grow older is a blessing in a (bald) disguise. As levels go up, your hair falls out – but so does your increased desire.

Our blog entries are for your information only and are not intended as medical advice. Because everyone is different, we recommend you work with your medical professional to determine what’s best for you. Toji: Pure Density is designed to support healthy hair growth, and comes with a 3-bottle guarantee. Yes – this means you can try it for 3 months, and if you don’t grow faster, thicker, longer hair we will gladly provide you a complete, 100% money back, refund . For more info, check out our site:www.tojilife.com.

Whether you are at risk for heart disease, suffer from crippling anxiety, or even if you just can’t seem to navigate your way through a healthy relationship, you can blame your mother for a lot — but when it comes to baldness, don’t start pointing your finger at her just yet.

We have all heard that myth about hair loss coming from your mother’s side of the family, but while baldness is genetic, there’s a good chance that you didn’t get it from your mama. According to the Balding Blog, which is curated by Dr. William Rassman of the New Hair Institute, the pesky hair loss gene favors the mother’s pool only slightly — by about 52%.

Can LeBron blame Gloria for his follicle follies?
Photo via the Personal Instagram of LeBron James
But even if you carry that gene, you shouldn’t go rushing to clear the Rogaine shelves at Costco. There’s still hope: carrying the gene alone does not cause baldness, if the gene is not “expressed” – or to put it in layman’s terms, if the gene does not wake up – then the gene will remain dormant. To put it simply, being a carrier alone doesn’t mean you will eventually have to give up half a paycheck to hang on to your locks.
If your grandfather on your mother’s side rocked a comb over but your coif is still complete, you’re not in the clear just yet. Other potential factors, like sickness, age, and grooming habits, may contribute to your receding hairline; so to avoid a lifetime of hats and hairbands, make sure to keep your stress levels low, maintain a healthy diet, and stock up on iron.

Our blog entries are for your information only and are not intended as medical advice. Because everyone is different, we recommend you work with your medical professional to determine what’s best for you. Toji: Pure Density is designed to support healthy hair growth, and comes with a 3-bottle guarantee. Yes – this means you can try it for 3 months, and if you don’t grow faster, thicker, longer hair we will gladly provide you a complete, 100% money back, refund . For more info, check out our site:www.tojilife.com.

*Image courtesy of YNSE

healthy hair central

Tag Archives: Genetic Factors

Can Trauma Cause Hair Loss?

How does stress affect your hair health?

Telogen effluvium

Don’t tug on your hair

Healthy Hair After Pregnancy

Why hair loss can happen

Hair regrowth

Enhancing hair regrowth

The Hair Growth Cycle

The growing stage – anagen

The intermediate stage – catagen

The resting or shedding phase – telogen

Pregnancy and Healthy Hair – What To Expect While You Are Expecting

Pregnancy and healthy hair different for everyone

When do women notice?

Popular misconceptions

Possible hair loss?

Understanding The Telogen Phase of Hair Growth

Moving forward to a new phase

Telogen effluvium

Trademarks of the telogen phase of hair growth

Understanding The Anagen Phase of Hair Growth

You’ve heard of the anagen phase, but what is it?

The development of the hair

The color of the hair

The growth of our hair

Disrupting the anagen phase

Trademarks of the anagen phase

Hair Loss With Age: When will it stop?

Hair loss with age can happen to anyone

The later the better for men

It’s different for women

Bald Baby Blues: The Meaning of Being Born Bald

Bald in Bed – Does Baldness Effect Virility?

Mommy Issues: Does Hair Loss Come from Your Mother’s Side of the Family?