Before you consider
purchasing a hair loss product, it makes sense to learn
a little about hair loss-- and growth. So
we'll go over how hair grows, why people lose their
hair, and potential causes of hair loss.
We'll also cover the main ways to stop hair loss and
regrow hair.
How Hair Grows
Before we get started, know that hair goes through
different "stages". About 90% of the hair on a
person's head is in a 2-6 year growth stage.
The remaining 10% is in a 2-3 month resting phase.
It is estimated that most people shed about 50-150 hairs
per day. Upon shedding, the growth stage begins
again as new hair from the follicle that shed replaces
that hair. In normal hair growth, this process
repeats itself for many years.
Most problems with hair loss occur when this natural
rate of shedding exceeds the rate of regrowth (and/or
the regrowth is thinner and shorter). Obviously
this leads to baldness.
What Causes Hair Loss
It is believed that hair loss is caused by an
increase in testosterone (occurring after puberty) which
eventually leads to an imbalance in too much DHT
combining with androgen receptors. DHT (dihydrotestosterone)
is formed when testosterone and an enzyme called
5-alpha-reductase combine.
Basically, the over-abundance of DHT in follicles
causes hair to grow back thinner and shorter, eventually
causing androgenetic alopecia (a fancy name for male
pattern baldness). The above scenario is mainly
attributable to genetics or an underlying medical
condition.
Temporary Hair Loss
In addition to permanent reasons for hair loss such
as genetics, there are also a number of causes for
temporary hair loss. Hair loss can generally be
halted in these cases when the underlying causes are
removed. There are also a number of OTC
supplements for dealing with some of these causes:
