We all fear hair loss. But why do we fear it? It is a normal part of the human life cycle and it is still one of the most feared things that can happen to you. Some people even prefer getting a dangerous disease than actually losing their hair.
The short answer is that nobody wants to look unattractive. I know it is not fair that other people get to keep their hair and you must lose yours but we must all play the hand that we are dealt. First of all do not panic. Not all types of hair loss are permanent, and the ones that are permanent can be delayed by even 10-15 years. So why does our body shed our scalp hair? To understand this we must go through the growth cycle.
There are 3 phases in the life cycle of the human hair: The first phase (anagen) is the most active phase where the hair actually grows in length. The second phase (catagen) is the phase where the hair starts to weaken and get thinner. And the third phase is the telogen phase that is a resting period for the hair.
As I previously said not all hair loss is permanent. It is perfectly normal to lose about 100-150 hairs a day. Do not panic if your hair is shedding .It is also normal on the course of a life time for your hair to get progressively thinner. If you are losing more than 150 hairs a day, that is a reason to worry. The causes can range from head fungus, bad diet, stress, menopause, thyroid disease, iron deficiency, genetic etc… For all the other causes there is a way to repair the hair loss. Avoiding fatty foods and keeping yourself hydrated and healthy can save your scalp.
The most feared of these causes is the genetic one. A common misconception is that if your father is bald, you will be bald to. That is actually not true. The gene responsible for male pattern baldness is transmitted by your mother….so if you are losing your hair stop blaming your father. However, being said that, men whose fathers had experienced hair loss are twice more likely to experience hair loss themselves, regardless of the mother’s side of the family.
But why would this gene survive in us? Evolution is known for facilitating survival not impeding it? Well, it is speculated that it is a built-in anti-adultery mechanism. The way it works is: You keep your hair for long enough to have children (early or mid-20’s) and then this gene kicks in. It is making you less appealing to the opposite sex and limits your sexual options, thereby assuring that you stay with your partner and help raise the kids. That is why we still have this gene; it has survival benefit for our children.
This is just a short background to make you understand why this is happening to you, to see that it is perfectly normal and make no mistake there are ways to fight it
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