Hair Loss Help For Women

By Jennell Nelson, MD

Hair loss, known medically as alopecia, is a very common disorder in women. Although many of us have alopecia that is transient, related to hormone use, pregnancy or stress; others may have underlying medical conditions that may worsen the condition. Here are my pearls for managing hair loss

Seek the advice of a board certified dermatologist for proper evaluation and management. There are many fraudulent products that are available over the counter and you can lose a lot of money without proper guidance. Your physician can screen you for medical conditions such as iron deficiency, anemia, thyroid disorders and nutritional deficiencies that can be the root cause of hair shedding. In addition, several prescription medications can be a common cause of hair loss. If it is a necessary medication like hormonal therapy or blood pressure medication, your dermatologist can help design a program to counteract hair loss effects that prescription medication may cause.

Seek the services of a licensed cosmetologist for all chemical processing. Inform your cosmetologist of your concerns so they can assist you with regrowth and avoid using products that may worsen the issue. Avoid any chemical processing at home.

Turn down the heat. Chemical processing along with heat styling can damage even normal hair. Turn the blow dryer to a lower setting. It may take a little longer to dry, but your hair follicles will thank you in the long run.

Work with what you have. Learn to optimize your natural hair pattern. If your hair is curly find products to enhance the curl instead of using heat and chemicals to force it to be straight all the time. If your hair is straight try low heat or heat free methods to obtain the curl pattern you desire. If every time a chemical straightener is applied hair damage occurs, take a six month break to determine if you really have hair loss or if the chemical processing you are doing is the cause of the hair shaft damage.

Less is more. Avoid excess manipulation of the hair. Gentle hair care is a good objective for all hair types. The goal is to preserve what you have.