70% of women in India face hair fall due to iron or haemoglobin deficiency.
No amounts of shampoo, oils or serums can fix this type of hair fall except a well balanced diet, warns trichologist Dr Kalyani Deshmukh.
Although hair fall is very noticeable in men, hair thinning and excess shedding is equally experienced by women too.
This is because men tend to notice crowing/hair fall from the top of the head while women experience hair thinning and widening of their partition.
This hair fall is caused by a number of factors.
Dr Kalyani Deshmukh, dermatologist at Traya, tells us about the 10 possible causes of hair fall and how they can be tackled.
1. Genetic (DHT)
Male or female pattern hair fall as you all know is caused by a sensitivity to the hormone DHT a.k.a dihydrotestosterone in the body.
This type of hair fall occurs in both men and women and is gradual which is why there are 7 stages to it called the Dr Norwood Stages of Hair Fall.
Dihydrotestosterone is a byproduct of testosterone which is produced by the enzyme 5 alpha-reductase.
Those who have genetic hair fall have a greater sensitivity towards the hormone (DHT) receptors.
These individuals contain higher levels of DHT in the body which attacks the hair roots, hampers the hair cycle, and causes hair thinning which eventually leads to hair fall.
Most people assume that genetic hair fall cannot be treated but that’s just a myth.
With the right treatment that includes DHT blockers, this hair fall can be easily taken care of provided you’re in the early stages of hair fall (Stage 1-4).
2. Stress
Stress-related hair fall is very common in both men and women.
This type of hair fall is known as Telogen effluvium and it happens due to stress or shock to the body.
Stress-induced hair fall occurs approximately three months following a stressful event.
This could be a mental breakdown or even exposure to Covid where the body experiences a lot of stress.
This can be easily reversed by targeting the internal as well as external triggers that are causing hair fall.
3. Poor energy levels
Hair loss accompanied by low energy levels is indicative of poor metabolism which means the body is unable to absorb the essential nutrients and convert them to a useful form of energy that the body requires to carry out regular bodily functioning.
This takes a toll on hair health which eventually causes hair fall.
This can be tackled by fixing the levels of metabolism which will, in turn, reflect on hair health.
4. Haemoglobin/Iron deficiency
Not getting enough iron from the diet leads to constant fatigue, tiredness, shortage of breath and many more symptoms.
This is also referred to as iron deficiency anemia and 70% of women in India face hair fall due to this condition.
Hair fall caused due to iron or haemoglobin deficiency needs to be treated by a doctor since they will prescribe the right iron supplements to help balance the levels of iron in the body which help to maintain hair health as well.
5. Post-partum
Pregnancy is very stressful time for a woman’s body.
Hair fall post pregnancy is another most common cause of hair fall for women.
Most often, this type of hair fall is seen immediately after the baby is delivered. But this is just a phase and your hair will grow back provided you are taking care of your hair and health along with newborn.
6. Menopause
Just like hormonal changes during pregnanacy, the change in hormonal balnce also occurs during menopause.
Along with mood swings and hot flushes, women also experience severe hair fall.
This change in hormonal levels causes hair thinning and eventually leads to hair fall.
7. PCOS
Polycystic ovarian syndrome aka PCOS is another type of hair fall affecting women.
This is also caused to imbalance in hormones especially the spike in the levels of testosterone in the women body.
In such conditions, women experience an increase in hair on the facial area but significant loss of hair on the scalp.
Apart from maintaining a healthy diet and this type of hair fall needs to be carefully analysed with the right treatment.
8. Thyroid
Another type of hair fall caused due to an imbalance in the levels of thyroid hormones T3, T4 and TSH.
In order to treat hair fall caused due to thyroid, a proper treatment is required that helps to maintain first your imbalanced level of the hormones which will in turn reflect hair health.
9. Nutritional deficiency
Improper intake of a diet or a diet that lacks adequate amounts of protein or low in certain vitamins can lead to hair thinning and excessive hair shedding.
No amounts of shampoo, oils or serums can fix this type of hair fall except a well balanced diet.
10. Other factors
Apart from these conditions why hair fall occurs, environment too plays a major role in affecting the health of your hair.
Dust and pollution tends to cause a lot of hair damage and breakage but apart from this women tend to use a lot of heat styling products.
In such cases the heat tends to damage the hair follicle and leads to breakage and hair fall.
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