Healthy Hair is a sign of good health and nutrition. Today, more than ever, changes in levels of stress, hormonal changes, dietary and lifestyle changes are leading to hair loss. Hair loss is a common complaint in both men and women of all ages.

What causes hair loss?
There are many different causes of hair loss, and they are different for men and women. Ageing, dandruff, repeated hair colouring, frequent chemical treatments like perming and straightening are some of the very common causes of hair loss in both genders. Sudden increase in hair fall could follow after two months to three months of any severe illness or after crash diets.

In men, other causes of hair loss could be due to genetic factors, especially on the maternal side. This basically means that you are more likely to go bald if your maternal grandfather balded early.

Women have hairfall due to hormonal changes, and post pregnancy hair fall is a commonly occurring problem. However, if you do not pay attention, this could progress to severe hair thinning.

Can you prevent balding?
The good news is Yes, balding can be prevented if hair loss is detected and treated early. In most kinds of hair loss, the initial hair fall does not lead to scarring and permanent baldness. So addressing this initial hair fall with good medical treatment will bring down the chances of balding.

Do you have any diet suggestions to prevent hair loss?
The hair is basically derived from protein and vitamins, and a good balanced diet is one of the most important part of it. Do include proteins from plant and vegetable sources in your daily diet. Choose whole grains, cereals, pulses, soya, mushroom, milk, yogurt and paneer if you are vegetarian. Eggs, fish and other lean meats are good animal sources of protein. Also include walnuts, dry fruits, green leafy vegetables and fruits as they are rich sources of vitamins and iron to keep the hair healthy.

My hair doesn’t grow long, what can I do to help?
Some of us are blessed with long hair, this is due to the long growing phase (anaphase) of the hair follicle. However, there are some things you can do to help. Do shampoo regularly preferably with a pH balanced shampoo and condition the lengths of your hair. Get regular trims to prevent spilts. Avoid unnecessary blow drying, straightening, ironing or coloring. Eat healthy, and get enough exercise. Make sure to get regular health checks to rule out anemia or iron deficiency, or any thyroid disorders which may be contributing to the poor hair growth. Consult your dermatologist, who may recommend low level laser treatments to increase nutrition to the hair roots.

I am losing hair in patches, what can it be due to?
Patchy hair loss can be due to different conditions such as alopecia areata, fungal infections or associated with other skin disorders such as Lupus or Lichen planus. Patchy hair loss needs a diagnosis by an experienced Dermatologist. Do consult your dermatologist to avoid permanent hair loss due to scarring.

Can I do anything to prevent greying of hair?
Greying of hair is one of the most visible signs of ageing. Unfortunately, greying of hair has become more and more common, infact upto 30% of people under the age of 30 have grey hairs. Though grey hairs are commonly inherited, you can infact help to stop the rate of greying by using some simple tips. Take a vitamin rich diet, including fruits and vegetables. Do take a supplement if your lifestyle is quite hectic. Stop smoking, kicking the habit leads to less stress to the hair follicles. Physical and emotional stress also contributes to early greying, do use techniques of meditation to reduce the stress in your environment.

Thyroid disease and megaloblastic anemia (vit B12) def can also cause premature hair greying. A new drug called Melitane that needs to be applied over the hair seems to reduce the further greying of hair. Do speak to your Dermatologist today.

Does hair dye use increase greying of hair?
This is a common question that bothers many of hair dye users. And the answer is no, the dye does not cause any further greying. In fact, when the hair is coloured, the normal process of ageing, stress and genetic factors which contribute to the hair loss persist, and the hair proceeds to grey further. When the person stops coloring the hair, they notice more greying and assume it was due the hair colour itself.

A new drug called Melitane that needs to be applied over the hair seems to reduce the further greying of hair. This gel can be used along with your hair colour to increase the intervals between the hair coloring sessions. For further information, do speak to Dr. Rasya Dixit today.