Hair Loss Guide

Hair loss is generally an issue that affects most men across the world. Whilst some refuse to let it bother them and accept hair loss as a part of life, others tend to remedy the situation via creams, “special hair gels” or even surgery and laser treatments.

What is hair made of?

Hair consists of a special protein called Keratin. It’s special because it performs a variety of biological functions for the human anatomy, mainly to help create our fingernails and toenails. Hairs have three main layers; they are the cortex, medulla and the cuticle. Whilst hair colour varies to genetic links along a hereditary line, one must not underestimate the role melanin plays in various shades of hair colourings either.

Why do people suffer hair loss?

There are a variety of factors behind the loss of hair. One of the most pertinent reasons behind hair loss is the hustle and bustle of daily life. Stresses incurred from having to work long hours and with little free time certainly take its toll not just on your hair but your health in general. Hurried lifestyles can have severe affects on your diet often leading to eating wrong foods at late hours. This in turn could lead to having dry scalps, which cause an increase in excessive dandruff and can cause some hair loss.

Another significant cause behind hair loss is the role that genetics plays. Some families are pre-disposed to pattern baldness and is the cause of some men bizarrely losing their hair well into their early late teen years. Common traits of hair loss for men are when hair starts diminishing from the temple of one’s head. Women on the other hand tend to have their hair thin out over time, though this is usually a process that hits women around aged thirty and slightly beyond and is called female pattern baldness.

Hormones play a decisive role in how well your hair is looked after. For instance thyroid and pituitary glands help provide a balancing act in regards to ones hair growth. Any disorder in regards to these glands can lead to hair loss, if say one hormone produced more than the other. Hormonal imbalance can be a result of a genetic predisposition.

An array of medications, which in the short term may benefit other areas of your health, could have detrimental side affects to your hair. Anabolic steroids, antidepressants and ulcer drugs just to name a few can invariably affect your hormone balance, thus rendering your hair susceptible to various losses. Talking to your general practitioner will ultimately be the best thing to do if concerned about the types of side affects some drugs will have on you, as not all prescriptive drugs are like to have severe side affects and cause a vast amount of hair loss.

Can we prevent hair loss?

Unfortunately the possibility of preventing the loss of one’s hair is not guaranteed. As stated earlier in this article, it is down to a variety of factors. Whilst so-called “wonder-drugs” come on the market or on the internet guaranteeing the re-growth of hair within weeks, such thoughts are superficial and simply not feasible.

There are a number of ways we can try and preserve our hair however and one of them is by selecting healthier foods to eat that especially benefit our hair. Remembering that our hair made from a special type of protein, it’s best one stocks up on food high in that calibre of nutrient. For instance, lean meats like chicken, oily fish and eggs have high levels of protein in them and are generally considered good for your overall health too. This doesn’t mean a person should eat meats high in fatty acids every day because they are trying to eek out every ounce of protein for hair preservation. After all steaks are highly likely to be sourced from fats, which would affect your body as a whole.

What is a hair transplant?

A hair transplant is a permanent solution to hair loss. Some have tried alternative routes to restore their former glories in the guises of hairpieces and toupees, but they don’t offer a long term resolution to a problem affecting many people across the world. With the procedure being fairly simple and no severe risk attached to the operation,

It’s an attractive proposition because hair transplants are long-term and unlike toupees and hairpieces, never come off or leave you in an uncomfortable state as some know wearing hairpieces can be stuffy at times. The confidence it could instil in you would be fantastic and it would certainly be life-altering in ways you couldn’t imagine, so having a hair transplant should be given some consideration.

How much do hair transplants cost?

Costs will often vary depending on where you decide to go and of course the country you reside in. There is also the case of meeting your possible needs, which will certainly be decisive in varying up the costs. Generalising however, hair transplant procedures will cost within the region of two and a half thousand pounds. A great benefit with hair transplants is most clinics will not demand a hefty amount upfront and a payment plan can be worked out to help ease any financial burden that you the possible patient may face.

When does hair start to grow?

After the procedure has been performed, your surgeon will show you before and after photos to help you feel at ease. You also have to bear in mind that the results will not be instantaneous either. It is believed that between three and six months is when your hair should start to grow. Hair colour and the rate of its growth as it was before the hair loss will also be pertinent reasons behind when your hair will grow. This will be down ultimately to the fact that the hair has to grow evenly around the head and with the same colour in order to avoid the hair being patchy and discoloured in places.