Why Does My Hair Fall Out?
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Mineral Deficiency
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Certain mineral deficiencies may bring about hair loss in mild, moderate or even severe degrees. Zinc is an essential mineral credited for rapid wound healing, immune system function and for protein synthesis.
Without a satisfactory daily intake of Zinc, the body is at risk for several maladies of increasing severity depending upon the level of deficiency. Mental lethargy may manifest due to a mild form of Zinc deficiency, while diarrhea, weight loss and hair loss signal a more serious one. Hair loss as a result of Zinc deficiency occurs directly because of the slowed protein synthesis necessary for follicular strength and growth.
Although symptoms of Zinc deficiency may arise as a result of another condition, increasing or maintaining the suggested daily intake of Zinc is an affordable and relatively fast way of curbing hair loss if other conditions have been ruled out. This is especially true if your diet lacks protein and iron, with the latter being a second mineral whose deficiency can also trigger hair loss. The recommended daily intake of zinc is 8 mg for women and 11 mg for men, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Hormonal Changes
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Any event that causes extreme shifts in hormones may lead to gradual hair loss. The hair loss some women experience during menopause and/or immediately after pregnancy is similar to that caused by hormonal birth control in other women. This type of hair loss is common and usually not an indicator of a more serious medical condition.
Women who have recently given birth (within three months after delivery) often notice the loss of hair in small, non-patterned clumps, while menopausal women with hair loss may see a thinning of hair around the temples. Because dramatic hormonal shifts are the reason for these types of hair loss, women in both situations should see an improvement once a hormonal equilibrium is achieved, either naturally or through hormonal replacement therapy (HRT).
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Medicinal Treatments
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Hair loss unrelated to genetic predisposition, existing medical conditions (such as ringworm or thyroid disease) and stress may also occur as a side effect of certain medications and/or medicinal treatments.
Several hormonal birth controls cite mild to moderate hair loss as a potential side effect; even the non-pill birth control NuvaRing has been known to cause hair loss in women. Many prescription antidepressants also list hair loss as a side effect with the potential to affect both men and women.
One of the most common medicinal reasons for hair loss is chemotherapy, which consists of a series of high dosage anti-cancer medications designed to kill cancerous cells and halt their spread throughout the body. The downside to these aggressive treatments is the destruction it wreaks upon non-cancerous cells, including hair follicles, causing most if not all body hair to fall out during the course of treatment. Because medicinal causes for hair loss are not biologically based, hair regeneration is extremely likely after the given treatment is ceased.
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