Hair Today: Gone Tomorrow

While most of us wish we could have Rapunzel’s gorgeous locks, this is just not the reality for many of us. With the increase in mental stress, increase in food preservatives, lack of nutrients in our diet, lack of regular exercise, and inadequate sleep, it’s no wonder that chronic disease and health issues are growing in our society.

While we are well aware of the impact of diseases such as Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer, we often forget the “smaller” conditions that, sometimes, can be just as negatively impactful on our day-to-day lives.

Whether the hair on your head is thinning or you’ve lost a good portion of it, not having those luscious locks that you once did is frustrating and, sometimes, downright depressing.

So what can you do?

The first step is to determine what type of hair thinning/loss you are experiencing. Along with your Physician, you will be evaluated to rule out environmental, physical, and genetic causes. Is it “male pattern” or “female pattern” hair loss/thinning? Is it Alopecia Areata?

You must get to the “root” (ha!) cause of the problem: why is your hair thinning? Are you deficient in any particular nutrients (i.e. Iron, Vitamin D, Biotin, or Zinc?) Are you under an excessive amount of stress? Are you using abrasive shampoos, hair products, or regular hair styling with hot tools? Do you have a genetic/autoimmune condition that is contributing to this? Is your scalp showing signs of eczema and/or psoriasis?

These questions along with a variety of blood tests can help you and your Physician investigate and find the cause of your hair thinning/loss. However, sometimes, there may not be a single, most obvious answer. The cause may be multifactorial; meaning, coming from a variety of different causes.

Once a cause or causes are identified, the next step is to create a personalized management plan to alleviate and treat them. This is easier said than done. Sometimes, despite targeting treatments for those causes, the hair still does not regrow and continues to shed.

This is most frustrating. This is, however, when you can also explore a variety of hair restoration techniques: both surgical and non-surgical / non-invasive.

While there is a lot more that goes into this discussion and the management of hair thinning and loss, it is reassuring that there are also a variety of treatment modalities: eating healthy, supplementing vitamins/minerals, exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep, addressing underlying health conditions and FDA-approved technologies that can aid in restoring your gorgeous mane.

Hair today, gone tomorrow? Fret not! Contact KKaur MD to sit down with Dr. Kaur and explore the causes and treatment options for your hair concerns today!