How Does Hair Grow?
After the anagen phase, the hair follicles enter a short transition phase, the catagen phase, which lasts about two weeks.
Finally, the hair follicle enters the resting or telogen phase. During this phase, the hair remains anchored in the follicle. Only when the hair follicle returns to the anagen phase will the old hair come off and fall out. The telogen phase lasts about three months.
On the normal scalp, 80 to 90 percent of the hair follicles are in the anagen phase and 10 to 15 percent in the telogen phase. Normally, a person loses an average of 100 to 120 hairs a day. The degree of hair loss depends on the season and is at its greatest in late summer. As one gets older, the hair on the scalp generally becomes thinner.
Causes of Hair Loss
Hair loss can have various causes. In addition to the use of certain medicines, hair loss can, for example, be caused by a genetic predisposition (heredity), hormones, weight loss, thyroid disorders, iron deficiency, and stress. It can be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of hair loss.
Age
Unfortunately, hair loss is an annoying side effect of aging. At some point, everyone will have to deal with it, but one is a bit luckier than the other.
As you age, the hormone balance in your body changes. If the hormones at your hair roots become imbalanced, those roots will become smaller and smaller, your hair will go through the growth cycle much faster and will fall out faster. In time, those shed hairs will no longer be replaced, and you will be left with a thinner head of hair.
Heredity
In most cases, hair loss is related to heredity, especially in men: 70% of men experience hereditary hair loss. But women are also not spared: about 33% of women over 70 suffer from it.
In hereditary hair loss, also called 'androgenetic alopecia', a hypersensitivity to a certain hormone causes the growth phase of the hair to become shorter. After that, the hair can no longer grow, because the hair follicle has died. The hair gets thinner and thinner and bald spots appear.
Other causes
In addition to seasonal changes, age, and heredity, other factors also play a role in hair loss. For example, long-term stress can temporarily cause your hair to fall out, you need to be careful with some medicines, and even pregnancy can cause hair loss.
Hair loss from medicines
Several drug groups have hair loss as a side effect. It is often difficult to make a direct link between hair loss and drug use. When the symptoms disappear after stopping the drug and the hair falls out again when the drug is used again, this is a strong indication for a bandage. However, an alternative will often be sought when the hair regrows after stopping the medication.
Combination with stress
It is striking that drugs against psychosis and depression are often associated with hair loss. This may be because these syndromes are often accompanied by stress symptoms, which in themselves can also cause hair loss. The hair loss may, therefore, be partly incorrectly attributed to the use of these medicines.
How do medications cause hair loss?
Most drugs that cause hair loss do this by accelerating the hair follicle from the anagen to the telogen phase. This shortens the duration of the anagen phase. The hair does not fall out immediately after starting the medicine. This usually takes two to four months. Not all hair falls out, but hair loss is spread all over the head. The hair becomes thinner as a result.
Cytostatics, also known as chemotherapy, cause hair loss differently. This damages the anagen hair follicles. These cells, like cancer cells, divide quickly and are therefore extra sensitive to cytostatics. The damage can cause a rapid hair loss within a few days, which can leave you completely bald. Incidentally, not all cytostatics cause hair loss.
What to do?
If you suspect hair loss as a side effect of your medications, it is recommended that you and your doctor consider whether the hair loss may have other causes. Never stop taking your medicines without talking to your doctor or pharmacist, but discuss whether there is an alternative that reduces the risk of hair loss. Hair loss from medicines is almost always reversible. After stopping the drug that causes hair loss, the hair usually returns within a few months.
Don't underestimate the effect of a healthy, balanced diet on your head of hair. After all, most people eat too little fruit and vegetables, and in that way, they do not get enough vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other substances that are good for your hair from their diet.
These building blocks promote a full cut:
Vitamin B complex
The Vitamin B complex is the collection of 8 different B vitamins, each of which contributes in its own unique way to the functioning of your body. They are essential for the metabolism, the nervous system and they ensure healthy skin, eyes, liver, and hair.
Your body does not make these vitamins itself, so it has to get them from your diet. For example, vegetables, fruits, cereal and milk products, meat, eggs, and nuts are good sources of vitamin B.
Iron
Iron is an important building block for your head of hair. An iron deficiency will cause you a lot of problems, including heavy fatigue and a weakened immune system. In the worst case, you can also suffer from hair loss, but usually, it does not get that far. To give your body a hand, make sure that you absorb enough iron from, for example, meat, fish, eggs, bread, potatoes, and vegetables.
Zinc
Zinc also plays an important role in your hair. It is mainly found in meat, fish, nuts, dairy products, and shellfish. Your body also gets it to a lesser extent from bread, nuts, rice, and legumes.
Now don't expect to get a huge head of hair if you put these things on the menu more often, but after a few months, you can see an improvement. When it comes to hereditary hair loss, you can try to slow down the process, but the hair you lost will not get back.
You can also opt for supplements, but again: don't expect miracles. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for advice. They often recommend a supplement that also contains methionine and cysteine, two of the main building blocks of your hair.
Medicines for hair loss
Most drugs and hair regrowth on the market for hair loss have limited activity against androgenetic alopecia hair loss. This is also referred to as 'male pattern baldness' and is caused by a combination of hormonal and hereditary factors. However, the cause of drug hair loss is quite different, so these drugs and hair growth products are not effective against this type of hair loss. Some drugs, especially anabolic steroids, can accelerate androgenetic alopecia.
Prevention of hair loss
Hair loss from chemotherapy can sometimes be prevented by cooling the scalp during chemotherapy. You will then be put on a hood during the chemotherapy infusion that releases cold. As a result, the blood vessels in the head narrow, the activity of the hair root cells decreases, and they are less damaged by chemotherapy. The result is no or less hair loss.
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