Hair fall – Causes and Remedies

If I got a Rupee every time my readers asked me about solutions to hair fall, I’d have around 100 Rupees :P. Jokes aside, hair fall is a problem that affects a large portion of the population. So I thought it’s high time I write a post on it. Hope this answers all your doubts regarding hair fall.

First and foremost find out if you are having hair fall or hair breakage. Hair fall is hair falling from the root. Breakage is experienced when you detangle hair or brush it or pull it or manipulate it too much.

How Much Hair Loss Is Normal?

This is my hair after detangling with oil. My last detangling was 2 or 3 days ago

Losing 50-100 strands every day is normal. Once you stop combing your hair daily because of starting the CG method, the dead hair strands from each day don’t fall off easily until you wash your hair and just sit in between your curls. So when there is a gap of say 4 days after your last wash, almost 400 strands fall off all at once making it look like you lost a lot of hair on that day. If you are sure you the reasons for your hair loss are not in any of the 3 reasons mentioned in this post – Do hair products cause hair loss? , or if you have hair fall in clumps or if your hair is getting thinner over time, consult a doctor soon.

Hair fall in women can manifest in 4 ways

• Losing strands from all over
• Widening of your hair part
• Bald spot(s) here and there
• And very rarely, a receding hairline

Causes of hair loss

1. Hormonal imbalances (for e.g.: Thyroid, PCOS, period bleeds but with anovulatory cycles).
   • Tests for PCOS – If your PCOS was diagnosed by ultrasound alone, it may not be an accurate diagnosis. It doesn’t always show on ultrasound. You need additional blood tests like fasting insulin, FSH, LH, Androgens (testosterone, androstenedione, DHEA-S), SHBG, Prolactin etc.
   • Tests for Thyroid – Don’t confine to just the TSH test. Also get your T4, T3, and Thyroid Antibodies tested.

A personal word from me : If you have tried many things for your hormonal issues and are still not your healthiest self, I’d urge you to read Lara Briden’s Blog and her book “Period Repair Manual“. Or even if you have regular periods but feel that something is not right – Are you really ovulating? It has changed the way I look at my body & health. In fact, it will help you with most of the below issues as well since they are all relating to a healthy body. I stumbled upon her blog trying to find a quick cure for my PMS and today (having read all of her articles and her entire book), here I am, improving my diet, lifestyle and health to correct my underlying problems. PMS was just the tip of the iceberg.

2. Birth Control Pill – The pill is not the answer to all of your period problems like most gynecologists want you to believe. It does not regulate hormones. The periods you get are just “pill bleeds”, not real periods. (The same gynecologists will most likely scoff at most of the treatment ideas in Lara’s book which looks at the root cause and doesn’t put a band aid on everything.)
3. Nutritional deficiencies like Iron, Magnesium, Zinc & Protein
   • Test for Iron Deficiency – Your serum ferritin should be at least 50 ng/mL.
   • Test for Zinc Deficiency – Your plasma zinc should be between 70-150 ug/dL. Zinc deficiency is very common in vegetarians and vegans.
4. Hypersensitivity of hair follicles to normal amount of androgens (which is caused by inflammatory food like sugar, wheat and dairy and intestinal bacteria issues)
5. Low Carbohydrate and Low Calorie diet
6. Auto immune attacks
7. Illness, Surgery
8. Pregnancy & Childbirth
9. Certain medications
10. Sudden weight gain or loss
11. Stress
12. Genetics

Remedies for hair loss

1. Check for the causes mentioned above and see if it applies to you. This is the most important step because without treating the cause, no external measures will work for you. For e.g if you have PCOS, get it treated. If you eat inflammatory food like sugar, wheat and dairy, avoid it. If you have nutritional deficiencies like Iron or Zinc, take supplements. If you take the Pill, look for alternative birth control options. Consulting a doctor is a good option. He will put you on medication/ run blood tests to check for underlying conditions. You can ask him for specific blood tests according to the above list.
2. Make sure you are getting the right amount of these 4 nutrients for healthy hair
3. Try oil massages to promote blood circulation. You can also check 7 ways to grow healthy hair.
   Here is an oil blend that you can use for hair loss. Source.
   • Thyme oil – 2 drops. Buy Here
   • Cedarwood oil – 2 drops. Buy Here
   • Lavender oil – 3 drops. Buy Here or Here
   • Rosemary oil – 3 drops. Buy Here
   • Nigella Sativa oil – 3 drops. Buy Here
   • Jojoba oil or Castor oil – 3 mL. Buy Jojoba oil or Castor Oil or Jamaican Black Castor Oil(very popular for hair loss treatments. No scientific papers to cite though)
   • Grapeseed oil – 20 mL. Buy Here

   Mix them all and store the oil blend in an airtight container. Take 5-6 drops from this blend onto your fingers and massage into the scalp for a minimum of 2 minutes every night. A warm towel can be wrapped around the head to aid absorption of the oils.

   You can also check out The Ayurveda Experience Hair Oils for hairfall here.

Products like hair spas or shampoos cannot treat hair loss. They cannot penetrate into hair follicles to create any desired effect. Don’t fall for the “hair fall reduced in 1 wash” gimmick.

Be patient

Whatever be the treatment, you will start seeing results only after a few months. It may even take more than an year. Your hair has a telogen (resting) phase. A lot of your hair strands are already in the telogen phase now. Once your hair has entered the telogen phase, it is will fall off 1-6 months later, no matter what you do. Be patient and be consistent with your treatment. Stick with it. Stopping and starting many different treatments will not get you anywhere.