Hair loss: why does it happen and how to promote hair growth with treatments, food and supplements

For as long as I have known my dear husband I have seen him try out several methods in order to promote hair growth. Somehow, I completely overlooked the fact that hair loss or alopecia happens to both men and women until I was told by my current hair dresser , that women tend to lose hair as well, when they age, but in a different way.
While men show highly visible 'male-pattern hair loss with a receding front hairline as well as baldness on the top of their head, women lose hair all over the scalp. Then it finally dawned on my why it had been next to impossible to hide the mid-section of my hair. 

OK, the solution for most people willing to spend a lot of money would be a hair transplant as long as they still have enough hair which will grow back. This is a costly procedure which a lot of Europeans get done in Turkey where entire hair clinics specialize in this process. Just today I saw the updated picture of a friend, showing the successful result of such a clinical hair transplant he underwent half a year ago, which is also why I felt compelled to write about this topic and find out what causes age-related hair loss as well as what to do to prevent further hair loss when you can't undergo the same procedure?

Finding the root cause for (abnormal) thinning hair

Losing anywhere from 50 to 150 hairs per day is considered normal, but when you start losing more than that it becomes problematic, not to mention visibly noticeable. What’s really behind your hair loss, and how can you treat the cause, not just the symptoms, with effective hair loss remedies?

It’s common for hair loss sufferers to turn to hair replacement surgery and topical hair loss products in hopes of regaining their full heads of hair — or at least some of what once was. But is that the best course of action to take with hair loss? When it comes to any problem, the first step is to find the root cause.

There are many foods and vitamins for hair growth that won’t break the bank but can really make a difference. There also are many other natural hair loss remedies like rosemary essential oil that have been shown to work as well as conventional topical products.

As your hair continues to thin, you probably want to ask, or even scream, “Why is my hair falling out?!” It’s a very frustrating and often bewildering occurrence when the hair thins. The exact cause of abnormal hair loss is not completely clear, but typically it’s related to one or more of the following:

• heredity (family history)
• hormonal changes
• medical conditions
• medications
• physical or emotional shock (sometimes called a “trigger event”)
• excessive hair styling and/or hair treatments

Heredity

The main reason why both men and women experience excessive hair thinning and hair loss is hereditary. For men, it’s a more well-known phenomenon called male-pattern baldness, but women can also exhibit female-pattern baldness. Both of these predictable, gradual hair loss patterns are linked with a family history of hair loss. For men, it can start as early as puberty. In addition to thinning hair, men may also notice their hair becoming shorter, softer and finer.

Hormonal imbalances

Hormones in both men and women are responsible for many body processes. When it comes to hair, hormones play a significant role. Hormones can play a part in the hair pattern found on your head as well as the rest of your body. Hormonal changes and imbalances that affect hair growth can be due to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause as well as thyroid problems. The good news is that hormone-related hair loss is typically temporary, and normal hair growth will return once hormonal balance returns.

If you’re a mother, you probably recall during pregnancy how full your hair was. Many women say that the times when they’re pregnant are the times when their hair looks its best. And then you undoubtedly remember the aftermath of those months of gorgeous hair. All the hair that should’ve fallen out little by little now comes out in huge amounts of hair loss in just a short period of time. This is called telogen effluvium. This occurs in 40 percent to 50 percent of women, and it’s due to the change in hormones during pregnancy. Thankfully, it’s only a temporary hair loss.

The hormones that we speak about when it comes to hair loss are the group of hormones called androgens. The three types of androgen hormones are testosterone, androstenedione and dihydrotestosterone, more commonly known as DHT. All of us have heard of testosterone and probably associate it with the male “macho” hormone. In fact, both men’s and women’s bodies contain all three of these hormones in some amount, and their imbalance can contribute to hair loss in both sexes.

How thinning hair occurs in women versus men

A healthy scalp has around 80 percent of its hair follicles in the growing stage while the other 20 percent is in the resting stage. Hair thinning and loss occur when that vital growing state either slows down considerably or stops.

What causes hair to thin out for women? Just like our bodies change with age, most women notice some hair thinning as they get older. This is quite natural. It’s said that by the age of 50, half of women will complain of hair loss. If a woman’s thinning hair is related to female-patterned hair loss, then the thinning is believed to be 90 percent genetic and 10 percent hormonal. You can’t change your genetics, but thankfully, you can work on the hormonal aspect.

Thinning hair in women typically occurs slowly all over the entire scalp without a recession of the hair line (like is common in men). If a woman has female-pattern hair loss, it can lead to extreme hair thinning but rarely leads to baldness.

What about thinning hair in men? For men, hair thinning can start as early as puberty and progress for many years to come after that. The thinning usually begins above the temples and travels around the perimeter and top of the head. Ultimately, this can result in a ring of hair often referred to as a “horseshoe” remaining along the bottom of the scalp. For a lot of men, hair thinning continues until there is no hair left resulting in a completely bald scalp.

Thyroid problems and other medical conditions

Health problems that can cause hair thinning include thyroid problems (both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism), PCOS, lupus, certain types of cancer, pituitary gland diseases, heavy metal poisoning, HIV and other chronic medical illnesses.
Research also shows that there might be a male equivalent of PCOS related to male hair loss. One study found that men with premature male pattern baldness had hormonal profiles similar to women with PCOS and they also had significantly higher insulin resistance. This shows how proper hormone balance in men is also important to health, specifically hair health.

Medicines

It’s important to make sure that you don’t take medications that could actually cause hair thinning. There are many medications that have been linked to hair loss. Make sure you know the possible side effects of your current medications as well as your supplements. If you know one of them may cause hair loss, that could be the culprit right there.

Medicines that may contribute to hair thinning:

• acne treatments
• antibiotics
• antidepressants
• antifungal treatments
• blood thinners (anticoagulants)
• chemotherapy medicines
• cholesterol-lowering medicines
• epilepsy medicines (anticonvulsants)
• high blood pressure medicines (antihypertensives)
• hormone replacement therapy — estrogen or progesterone for women, androgens and testosterone for men
• immunosuppressant medications
• interferons
• mood stabilizers
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs)
• oral contraceptives
• Parkinson’s disease medications
• steroids
• thyroid medications

Trigger events

When a person undergoes an intense shock, whether it be physical or emotional, this can result in a temporary thinning of hair that can last for several months after the shock. A death in the family, surgery, and sudden or excessive weight loss are all examples of trigger events that can be shocking to the body and resulting in hair thinning.

Hair management

Too much styling and overheating of hair can also contribute to thinning hair. Colouring, straightening and extensions can all cause the hair to become dry and brittle, resulting in strands or entire sections breaking off. Pulling the hair back too tightly can also contribute to thinning.

Other risk factors

There are several risk factors of hair loss. Family history or heredity is a cause as well as a risk factor of a thinning hair line. Other possible risk factors include age, stress, inadequate nutrition and certain chronic medical conditions, like diabetes and lupus.

Conventional treatments for thinning hair include medications and surgery

When hair loss is caused by an underlying disease, conventional medicine likely includes drugs like prednisone to reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system. Common side effects of prednisone include confusion, headache, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, thinning skin, acne, sleep problems and weight gain.

There are also two drugs on the market today to treat pattern baldness or thinning. The first one is minoxidil, and it can be used by both men and women. You may experience hair regrowth or a decreased rate of hair loss, but the growth is not permanent and will stop if you stop using it. Some common side effects may include severe scalp irritation, undesirable growth of facial hair, chest pain, rapid heart rate (tachycardia) and more.

Another conventional option in pill form is called finasteride. Again, you need to keep taking it to retain benefits. Side effects may include impotence, loss of interest in sex, trouble having an orgasm, abnormal ejaculation, swelling in your hands or feet, feeling faint, headache, runny nose, and skin rash.

For both men and women, hair replacement surgery or a hair transplant uses your existing hair to fill in the areas of significant hair thinning.

Conventional hair thinning treatments come with a lot of highly concerning side effects you should take into consideration, which is why it is recommended to use natural treatments for thinning hair.

Natural treatments for thinning hair

Reduce stress

By decreasing your daily stress, you can have a direct impact on the health of your hair as well as your entire body. Journaling and yoga are great natural stress relievers. Daily exercise is also crucial to stress reduction as well as encouraging good circulation, which both help promote healthy hair growth.

Balance hormones

From diet to exercise to adaptogen herbs, there are many ways to balance hormones naturally. Balancing your hormones can help with correcting thyroid health issues or other hormonally linked underlying causes of thinning hair.

Cooler showers

Hot water dehydrates hair strands, leading to dry, brittle hair that’s more prone to snap and fall out. Aavoid hot showers that can dehydrate hair, making it weaker and more prone to thinning. A lower temperature on hair (and skin) will help preserve moisture.

Foods to promote hair growth

The good news is that with lifestyle changes to reduce stress, dietary improvements and the use of other natural hair loss remedies, you can begin to stop hair loss.
You’ll definitely want to increase your intake of nutrient-dense whole foods if you’re hair is thinning. There is a very strong link between what you eat and the health of your hair.
Here are some of the top foods you can make use of as natural treatments for hair thinning hair:

• organic foods — choose these foods because they’re free of added chemicals. Added chemicals can act as endocrine disrupters interfering with hair growth.
• wild-caught fish — wild-caught fish like salmon are high in omega-3 fats, which decrease inflammation while supporting hair growth and hair thickening.
• grass-fed beef — iron-rich protein like grass-fed beef can really help the health of your hair. The hair follicle and root are fed by a nutrient-rich blood supply. If you have an iron deficiency (a common underlying condition with hair thinning), then the follicle becomes nutrient-deprived, and this negatively affects the normal cycle of hair growth and can lead to excessive shedding of hairs.
• iron-rich vegetables — You can also improve your iron levels by including lentils, kale, spinach and other dark leafy green vegetables in your diet.
• vitamin C-rich produce — Getting enough vitamin C in your diet is essential on its own because it’s a powerful antioxidant. It also helps your body absorb the iron it needs. Some awesome vitamin C foods include guava, red pepper, kiwi, papaya and broccoli.
• vitamin A-rich foods — Foods high in vitamin A can help maintain the health of your scalp, which is essential to healthy hair growth. Vitamin A helps make the sebum that conditions your scalp. Great food choices include pumpkin, sweet potato and kale.
• biotin-rich foods — If you don’t get enough biotin in your diet, it can lead to dry, brittle hair that’s more prone to thinning. Foods that are rich in biotin include nutritional yeast and egg yolks.
• zinc-rich foods — Zinc is yet another nutrient that’s key to overall hair health and a deficiency is linked with hair loss. Zinc is involved in tissue growth and repair including hair. High-zinc foods include grass-fed beef, pumpkin seeds and chickpeas. Pumpkin seeds are one of the top foods high in zinc, which is necessary for healthy hair health. Research has also shown that a zinc deficiency is linked with hypothyroidism and hair loss.
• green tea — green tea helps promote detoxification and contains antioxidants that promote hair growth. It also may stop the conversion of testosterone into DHT.
• superfood seeds — chia, flax and hemp seeds are high in fiber and healthy fats that can help aid hair growth.
• bone broth — high in protein, collagen and amino acids, bone broth the perfect food for encouraging healthy hair growth.
• caffeine — not technically, a food, but caffeine has been show to spur hair growth. According to research, caffeine stimulates hair shafts and helps them grow faster, by damping down the effects of DHT, a substance that infamously slows hair growth.

Foods to avoid or eliminate as much as possible:

• potential food allergens — If you consume foods that cause allergic reactions in your body, you increase inflammation, which is counterproductive to healthy hair growth. Possible food allergens include wheat (gluten), dairy, corn, soy, preservatives and food additives.
• trans fatty acids — unhealthy fats like trans fatty acids have been shown to increase inflammation and production of DHT, which can cause hair loss. Stay away from hydrogenated oils like corn oil and soybean oil, which are loaded with trans fats.
• sugar — sugar plays a role in hormones imbalances, contributes to insulin resistance, increases DHT and causes inflammation, all of which can lead to hair loss.
• processed foods — foods that are highly processed are often loaded with unhealthy fats, sugar and sodium so they’re very counterproductive to healthy hair growth.
• alcohol — alcohol can increase inflammation and cause liver toxicity, leading to hair loss. Heavy drinking as well as smoking have both been linked to increased risk of hair loss.
• caffeine — wait, wasn't it recommended above? Yes, in small amounts, organic coffee and tea can be beneficial to hair health, but you don’t want to overdo it because too much caffeine can cause dehydration, hormone imbalances and even production of DHT.

Best nutritional supplements to promote hair growth

• aloe vera juice (1/2 cup 2x daily and shampoo): Aloe vera juice can help naturally thicken hair.
• ashwagandha (500 milligrams daily): adaptogen herbs like ashwagandha help your body adapt and deal with stress, balance hormones and reduce cortisol levels (also known as the aging hormone), which all help encourage healthy hair growth.
• ginkgo biloba is an herb that can help strengthen the hair shaft, which discourages hair thinning. It also encourages blood flow and an antioxidant boost. As a standardized extract, you can try 40 to 80 milligrams three times daily.
• horsetail can soften your hair and thus decrease hair fall due to brittleness.
• pumpkin seed oil (8 grams or 1 tablespoon daily): Inhibits DHT formation throughout the body and contains fatty acids that support thick hair.
• pygeum (100 milligrams 2x daily): Addresses the cause of hair loss by blocking DHT binding sites and improving prostate health.
• rhodiola (500 milligrams daily): Another awesome adaptogen herb to fend off stress and foster hair growth.
• saw palmetto (320 milligram daily): A natural DHT blocker that can greatly improve hair growth. Saw palmetto keep testosterone levels balanced. Opinions about saw palmetto as an effective hair growth agent are mixed, but there are studies that indicate it to be beneficial.

Other nutritional supplements

• a multivitamin daily, containing the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E; the B-complex vitamins; and trace minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, zinc and selenium.
• omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish oil or krill oil (1 gram daily): fish oil helps reduce inflammation and thicken hair.
• vitamin C, 500–1,000 milligrams, 2 times daily, as an antioxidant.
• L-lysine, 500–1,000 milligrams daily, for hair loss.
• B-Complex vitamins (1 tablet daily): B vitamins aid in healthy stress management. Biotin or B7 helps thicken your hair naturally and vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) supports your adrenal glands.
• zinc (8 milligrams daily for women/11 milligrams daily for men): One of the signs of a zinc deficiency is hair loss. Zinc also boosts your immune system and helps repair your gut.
• bone broth or a protein powder from bone broth is another smart idea if you’re looking to improve your hair quality. Bone broth is rich in protein, collagen, gelatin, glucosamine, chondroitin and key minerals often missing from the average diet. These vital nutrients support optimal hair health, as well as health of skin and nails. 
• collagen protein (1 to 3 servings per day): as one ages, the body’s internal collagen production slows down. Consuming more collagen via collagen supplements can support your body’s own collagen production and help with natural hair growth.

Topical treatments with essential oils

Wondering how to regrow hair naturally? You can use essential oils to make some of best topical home hair loss remedies.

• Rosemary is one of the top essential oils when it comes to enhancing hair thickness and growth. Rosemary oil is believed to increase cellular metabolism that stimulate hair growth. Research even shows that rosemary oil appears to work as well as minoxidil, a conventional topical hair loss treatment.
• Spikenard oil is known for promoting the growth of hair and slowing down the graying process of graying. Spikenard oil may also show positive effects on hair growth activity. 
• Lavender, thyme, cedarwood, sage and peppermint are other great options that may help increase scalp circulation. One recommendation to stimulate new hair growth is to combine three to four drops each of peppermint, rosemary and sage in one tablespoon of olive oil (coconut oil or jojoba oil is also recommended). Then you simply massage the mixture gently into the area(s) of concern one to two times each day. 

Be patient!

Hopefully one or several of these natural treatments for thinning hair will be effective for you. Remember that change won’t happen overnight and consistency with natural treatments for thinning hair are key to optimal results.

If you’re a woman experiencing hair thinning, hair loss experts recommend getting tested for thyroid problems and hormone imbalances as a good starting place. If you can get to a fixable cause of your hair thinning, the great news is that hair will often grow back and continue growing at a healthy rate once the underlying cause of your hair thinning is addressed. If you’re a man or woman and you’re afraid that it’s all just genetics, don’t throw in the towel. While a family history might not be in your favour, you can still do a lot through your diet and lifestyle to slow down hair thinning and preserve your mane for as long as possible.

With a consistent, patient approach, natural treatments for thinning hair can help your scalp get back to work growing your hair as it should as often as it should or, at the least, help to to thin out at a slower pace. Hhair thinning is not easy to deal with, but give natural treatments for hair thinning a try and not put vanity before health because the conventional options can cause seriously alarming health issues that are a lot more concerning and damaging than a thinning head of hair.