Hair is three-quarters of a woman’s face, as the old saying goes. So if it starts to thin significantly, it can be emotionally devastating. It can also be a sign that all is not well physically. “One of the things we use as a barometer of health is the hair,” explains Auckland trichologist Nigel Russell.
Although hair naturally thins as we age, Russell is seeing an increase in the number of younger women with hair-loss issues. He’s trying to find out what is causing the problem.
Stress is a big culprit. “It can take three to five months for the effects to be seen, so we’ll look back and see if there was a particularly traumatic or difficult period. Many people are under medium levels of stress for a long time. It’s a lifestyle they’re locked into and they don’t think it’s unusual, but there will be one spike that takes them to the next level – a common one is undertaking a big house renovation.”
Nutrition is another factor. The current trend for fad diets and giving up entire food groups isn’t helping, but in younger women the problem can be as simple as having low iron levels, so Russell generally recommends a blood test.
Hair springs from follicles that live just below the top layer of the skin and these go through a natural cycle of growing and resting. Pregnancy is one of the things that disrupts this and so it is normal for women to lose a lot of hair a few months after giving birth.
“I find if women breast-feed for a long period of time, it can take longer for their hair to get back on the right cycle again,” says Russell.
Generally we lose 80 to 100 hairs a day. If there is excess shedding leading to an obvious thinning all over the head (known as telogen effluvium), then lifestyle may be to blame. A high fever, infection and medication are also possible causes.
If there is patchy loss across the scalp, then an autoimmune condition called alopecia areata is the likely diagnosis. And hair loss at the crown and temples is a sign of androgenic alopecia, which tends to happen to post-menopausal women and may be hereditary.
Drug companies have been slow to respond to female hair loss. Regaine, whose active ingredient is minoxidil, is available in products used topically. It’s believed to work by increasing the supply of blood to the follicles and prolonging the growth phase of hair, but benefits last only as long as the product is being used. The drug finasteride, marketed as Propecia, is not considered safe for women as it has been linked with fetal abnormalities.
A number of mice studies have been in the headlines. University of California researchers found that plucking hairs in one small area can stimulate the scalp into a burst of regeneration that extends beyond the plucked area. There have also been rodent research projects using growth factors and the bee product propolis. However, there are differences between mouse and human hair, so it’s unclear whether any of this will lead to an effective treatment.
Russell says he’s seen people have success with PRP (platelet rich plasma therapy), more commonly used in cosmetic medicine to regenerate the skin. However, he believes the use of stem cells to generate hair growth offers the best hope for the future.
In the meantime, he favours a holistic approach that looks at improving nutrition and well-being to help hair back to a healthier cycle. Supplements such as the amino acid L-tyrosine and saw palmetto extract can be useful. And he also suggests women care for their hair by using gentle products and minimising the use of heated appliances such as such as blow dryers, irons and tongs.
“What the body really loves is routine,” he says. “So try to have a regular regime of mealtimes and sleep. If you’re using oral contraception, find a pill that suits you and stick to it – don’t keep chopping and changing. And if life is stressful, think about what you might be able to change – maybe it’s possible to work one day less, for instance.”
People are looking for a magic bullet. “They want it cured now,” says Russell. “But hair only grows about 1.25cm a month, so we won’t know for at least three months whether what we’re doing is working.”
Words by: Nicky Pellegrino
Photos by: Getty Images
