Diet

Hair loss may also be due to dieting. Many diet programs, designed or administered under the direction of a physician with prescribed meals, dietary supplements and vitamin ingestion, have become popular. Clients are sometimes told the vitamins are a necessary part of the program to prevent hair loss associated with dieting. Dermatologists tend to disagree, however, as the vitamins cannot prevent hair loss associated with rapid, significant weight loss. Furthermore, many of these supplements are high in vitamin A, which increases the chances of hair loss.

Hormonal Changes

Many women may not realize that hair loss can occur after pregnancy, or following discontinuation of birth control pills. Hair loss may be delayed by three months following the hormonal change and may take another three months before new growth to be fully achieved.

Genetic Hair Loss

Female pattern hair loss results from a genetic predisposition caused by an abnormal reaction to normal hormone levels, or a normal reaction to abnormally elevated hormone levels. In the battle to find a solution to their hair loss, women have turned to wigs and hair pieces, but recently surgical hair transplantation has been an option many women have considered, provided that they are not experiencing diffused hair loss. At PAI, our consultants can correctly determine this during a private consultation. Innovative techniques for transplanting one or two hairs at a time make natural results in women possible.

The Hair Growth Cycle

Hair follicles go through repeating growth cycles, which can be broken down into three phases:

1. Anagen: the growth phase. Follicles in this phase are actively producing hairs. At any given time, approximately 85% of the hairs on someone's head are in this phase, this phase lasts anywhere from two to six years.
2. Catagen: the hair follicle then goes through a phase, lasting one to two weeks, where it ceases to produce hair. The follicle begins to shrink and separate from the dermal papilla.
3. Telogen: usually lasts five to six weeks. The follicle continues to shrink causing the hair to shed during washing or brushing. Hair may also shed due to another hair pushing it out of the way to prepare for another anagen phase. If a hair falls out before the follicle begins a new anagen phase, the follicle is said to be in exogen - or hairless - where no hair may grow for up to 12 months.