Your Hair Fall Could Be Due To These Underlying Conditions

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The German fairy tale of Rapunzel letting her hair down the castle for the charming prince to climb up has captured our fantasies even as a child. Having the perfect hairstyle before we step out of our homes can go a long way in boosting our confidence. To lose it, is therefore, distressing.

Each strand of hair is a filament made of a protein called keratin. It is attached to the body by a follicle. A normal head of hair contains around 1,20,000-1,50,000 strands of hair.

At a time, most of them are in the growing stage. They grow about half an inch every month, for several years. Then, they go into a resting phase for around 3-4 months before they fall off and new hair strands replace them.

To shed hair is therefore normal. On a good day, a healthy person can lose up to 100 strands of hair. Adequate nutrition is required for hair to grow.

Certain conditions can increase the rate at which a person can lose hair. Some of them are reversible, others are not. Here are a few of the reasons for hair fall, take a look.

Too Much Of Vitamin A:

The tolerable upper limit of Vitamin A, that is the amount of the nutrient that can be taken by a person a day without causing any side effect, is 10,000 IU. If the intake exceeds, it can lead to several side effects. One such is hair fall. An overdose of vitamin A will not happen merely through food intake, but only through supplements.

Lack Of Protein:

If there is not enough protein available to the body, it will start rationing the amount available to the hair follicles. The hair strands will get into a resting phase, with no protein available to grow or to replace.

Hormonal Changes:

Levels of oestrogen in women change during pregnancy and menopause. It peaks during pregnancy and dips after child birth, causing hair fall. Insulin and testosterone also play a role in hair growth. Hair thinning in women can be caused by the presence of male hormones.

Anaemia:

Deficiency in iron can result in hair loss. The logic is simple. When the body gets into survival mode, it channels its resources (oxygen) for vital functions and keeps hair growth secondary. A balanced diet is therefore vital for good hair.

Hypothyroidism:

An under-active thyroid can reduce the ability of the body to regenerate cells. The hair frequently becomes dry and brittle and this leads to hair thinning. This condition is more common in women.

PCOS:

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome can cause the body to make excess androgens or male hormones. If your follicles are sensitive to these hormones, it will cause hair loss.

Ageing:

The hair follicles get smaller with age. They decrease in number. Many of them stop producing hair. Hair shrinks in length and diameter. The thick, coarse hair turns thin and fine. In women, hormonal changes occur during the menopause stage. All this put together affects hair growth.

Sudden Weight Loss:

The stress caused to the body due to sudden weight loss causes the hair follicles to move on to a resting phase. As the body utilizes the nutrients for its critical functions than non-essential ones like hair growth, most strands get into the resting stage.

Hereditary:

Hereditary pattern baldness is considered as one of the most common causes for hair loss. It is a combination of genes, hormones and age that causes baldness. While it is generally believed that baldness is acquired from the mother's side, both parents can contribute to it.

Stress:

With high stress levels, many strands of hair are pushed into the resting phase. In some cases, the body's immune system starts attacking the hair follicles. Some people also have the habit of hair pulling to deal with negative feelings.