Whatever the cause and symptom, hair loss is a source of dejection

Hair loss is a difficult matter to face for both men and women. It is the thinning of hair on the scalp. The medical term for hair loss is alopecia. Alopecia can be either temporary or permanent. Heredity and hormonal imbalance can cause gradual hair loss that is referred to as ‘androgenetic alopecia’.

Define Hair Loss

Hair is made up of a keratin, a protein that is produced in the hair follicles. When new cells are produced the old cells are pushed out through the surface of the skin. This cycle of new hair growth and losing old hair is termed as ‘natural hair loss’. When hormonal changes and heredity are the cause for hair loss then it is termed as ‘androgenetic alopecia’. Patches of baldness that normally grow back are termed as ‘alopecia areata’. Rapid shedding of hair after childbirth, fever, or sudden weight loss is termed as ‘telogen effluvium’ and thinning of hair from tight braids or ponytails is normally referred to as ‘traction alopecia’. Hair loss is generally age-related and occurs gradually in both males and females, but is more pronounced in males.

The average adult head has about 100,000 hairs at any given time and loses up to 100 of them a day. So a few stray hair here and there cannot necessarily be termed as a problem.

Each hair usually grows in repeated cycles — that is growth, rest, falling out and re-growth. Usually this cycle repeats itself yearly and as a result 90% of the scalp hair is growing at any given time; this phase lasts between two and six years. 10% of scalp hair is in the resting phase, lasting between two and three months. At the tail end of the resting phase, the hair goes through the shedding phase. When a hair is shed, it is replaced by a new hair.

Symptoms of Hair Loss

Male-pattern baldness is hereditary and therefore runs in families. It usually sets in around the late twenties or thirties. Following a set pattern, the first stage is usually a receding hairline, followed by thinning of the hair on the crown and temples. It can even progress to complete baldness, although it is rare. The symptoms of hair loss in men include:

• Thinning hair on the scalp
• A receding hairline
• A horseshoe-shaped hair loss pattern leaving the crown exposed

With age, women generally notice thinning of hair, but they tend to lose hair mostly from the top of the head. This becomes more noticeable after menopause. It is also called androgenetic alopecia, or female-pattern hair loss. Baldness in females also runs in families. In women it includes:

• Thinning of hair in general
• Thinning of hair at the crown

In addition other symptoms may be:

• Sudden loss of patches of hair in which the immune system attacks the hair follicles and can affect all body hair – alopecia areata
• Complete loss of all hair on the body – alopecia universalis
• Patches of broken hair or bald patches because of the hair being pulled out – trichotillomania.
• Excessive shedding of hair after various illnesses or drug treatments, rapid weight loss, anemia, stress or pregnancy – telogen effluvium
• Inherited hair loss – androgenetic alopecia
• Hair loss because of fungal infection – tinea capitis

Hair being an important part of our appearance, its loss can result in loss of self-esteem and a feeling of unattractiveness, especially in women and teens.

Causes of Hair Loss

Although hair loss causes vary from person to person, there are various causes that result in scalp hair loss. However, most hair loss is not associated with systemic or internal disease or poor diet. Apart from genetics, hormonal changes as well as aging in men, women mostly lose hair due to poor circulation, hormonal changes after menopause, childbirth and poor diet.

Other causes of hair loss include stress, diabetes, certain drugs, chemicals and hair dyes and vitamin deficiencies.

In addition, disease like thyroid can also result in hair loss. Many medications also list ‘hair loss’ as one of their side effects. Moreover, cancer treatments like chemotherapy and immune suppression medications can result is loss of hair. Similarly, fungal infections may also result in hair loss.

Normally, each scalp hair has a life of around three years when in the growing (anagen) phase. Then the hair enters the resting (telogen) phase. Normally, about 10% of scalp hairs are in the telogen phase. In this three-month period, the hair root shrivels up into a small white ‘club’ a then falls out. Therefore, it is considered to be normal to lose about 100 hairs every day and more on days when the hair is shampooed. Shampooing loosens the hair root of the hairs that are ready to fall out. These hairs are then replaced.

Our circumstances or certain life altering evens may also ‘shock our system’ into altering our hair growth rhythm. This may put 30-40% of our hairs in the telogen phase. This normally happens after:

• Childbirth
• High fever
• Sudden weight loss (crash dieting)
• Surgery
• Emotional trauma

Hair loss may or may not follow these events, depending on individual threshold. Strangely enough, the more dramatic the hair loss, the better is the prognosis. This is so because once the body gets back into shape almost all the hair will come back.

Other probable causes of hair loss are follicular deterioration, zinc or iron deficiency and use of steroids.

About the Author

MHRA reviewed online clinic HealthExpress in UK for male pattern baldness. Get free hair loss consultation online and benefit of propecia next day delivery.

The First Lady Visits Caroline Family Practice

What generally comes first with cancer - weight loss or fever?

And how bad is loss of appetite? Does it just change or is it totally gone? Is it the appetite that effects weight or is it an increased metabolism, or both? Also, how prevalent is weight loss, loss of appetite, and fever with advanced cancers?

Neither generally comes first. Where did you even get that idea?Cancer doesn't cause a fever and unless you have a later stage cancer involving the digestive system, you probably won't have any weight loss. I've met many people this past year with cancer and the only one with any weight loss was an old man with stomach cancer that had metastasized to ther organs. He was in a very advanced stage and didn't live much longer.

Tags: Weight Loss

What generally comes first with cancer – weight loss or fever? is a post from: Diets-4-You-Info-Store

6 Things To Learn About Carbs Before You Finish Your Pre-Packaged Diet

If you stick to your eating plan, there will come a time when you are ready to go off your Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, or Deliciously Yours diet. You will be ready for a steady diet of grocery store foods. You can even eat out if you are prepared for the occasion. However, before you get to that point, you will be wise to learn some things about how to use carbs in your everyday diet.

1. You can eat carbs and still lose weight. This is important primarily because many people would give up dieting altogether if they thought they could not eat any carbs at all. If this is how you feel, pay attention to your pre-packaged meals. Notice that they have plenty of carbs in them to satisfy you.

2. Some carbs are considered bad carbs. These carbs are high on the glycemic index. Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, and Deliciously Yours foods avoid them. Of all of these, Nutrisystem is the most famous for talking about eliminating bad carbs.

Yet the other diet plans also stay away from bad carbs as much as possible. The simple way to talk about the glycemic index is to say that it measures the speed at which the body metabolizes that food.

If a food has a high glycemic index, the food will be used up quickly and be gone just as rapidly. It will cause a spike, followed by a drop, in your blood sugar. This is unhealthy and not conducive to good weight loss.

3. Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, and Deliciously Yours gear their food to good carbs. The carbs in these diets are low on the glycemic index. The body uses them slowly so that you have an even flow of blood sugar in your system. These foods are slow-acting carbohydrates rather than simple sugars.

4. The kind of carbs you eat will affect your energy. With the different blood sugar reactions, the good and bad carbs do not produce the same kinds of energy results for you. Most pre-packaged diets work in such a way that you feel fuller and more energetic because the good carbs will hang on and work until you get your next meal or snack.

Bad carbs would run you out of energy and make you want to eat again too soon. However, it would not work because the excess food would tend to make you sleepy rather than energized.

5. Portion size matters. By eating the pre-packaged foods supplied to you by Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, or Deliciously Yours, you will get a feel for how much you should eat. Deliciously Yours meals are possibly the most consistent with the portion sizes you will eat later on. Carry the knowledge of your particular diet over into your post-weight loss diet plan.

If the diet allows you to have a certain amount of spaghetti, try to serve yourself the same size of portion when you eat on your own. If someone else is serving, do not be afraid to leave some on your plate.

6. Watch for carbs in the most unlikely places. With your pre-packaged diet, you have been sheltered from many of the sources of the bad or high glycemic index carbs. Every time you eat a food from the diet foods, look at the labels to see if sweetener has been added. If so, expect to find sugar in similar foods when you are eating grocery store foods. One example is salad dressings, and another is instant hot cereals.

Your Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, or Deliciously Yours diet can teach you a lot about carbs and how to use them in your maintenance diet. After you have lost to your goal weight, you need this information to keep from gaining weight again.

About the Author

Ron Subs works with Beauty Brief as a public relations consultant, more information about diets can be found at www.beautybrief.com

SparkCast Episode 207 - Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs

What do you think is a better "cheat" on a low carb diet -- grapefruit or popcorn?

I'm doing the Atkins diet, and I have been for about 3 years. I only had 15 pounds to lose to begin with, but to keep it off, I have to say at around 30 carbs per day. WELL, lately I've been craving 2 things, and I don't know why: grapefruits and popcorn! It's either 1 WHOLE pink grapefruit or about 2 cups (measured) of popped pop corn with olive oil and butter on it. Which do you think is less bad of a cheat? Which has a lower glycemic index? Thanks so much for any immediate help! I'm soooooooo hungry and I'm craving these!!! THANK YOU!
Thanks for all the replies so far! Please keep them coming!!!

I'd eat the popcorn.
Im on atkins too and the cravings are crazy sometimes!
I dont know about the nutritional values, i just think the popcorn would be more filling

Tags: Glycemic Index Info

The Glycemic Index: Good Carb, Bad Carb is a post from: Diets-4-You-Info-Store