Stopping Hair Loss: Causes, Remedies & Tips

Losing your hair is not as uncommon as you would think. On the contrary, almost 40 percent of all men complain about premature hair loss.

But bald patches also affect women. Around 20 percent of all women experience thinning hair – and the trend is on the rise.

But how can this widespread problem be explained? Why are so many men and women affected by hair loss? And how can hair loss be stopped?

Let’s get to the bottom of this in order to reconquer what is rightfully ours – healthy, strong and full hair.

Stopping Hair Loss: What’s the Secret Behind it?

Why did it have to be me? That’s the most common question that patients suffering from alopecia face. Despite being the most common, there’s never an easy answer for it, considering that there are many different forms of hair loss.

Allow us to do a bit of brainstorming – and we’ll present to you the most common causes of alopecia, which will make you an expert on hair loss. Ready for the long list of possible causes?

Hereditary Hair Loss

By far the most common form of hair loss is inherited hair loss. In medical terms, this type is called androgenetic alopecia. It is often classified as a male disease – and for good reason. Hereditary hair loss predominantly affects men.

To put it into perspective: Eight out of ten men suffer from hereditary hair loss. In women, alopecia of this kind occurs much less frequently. Genetics is the cause in only 20 percent of all female hair loss patients.

The main blame for hair loss are hypersensitive hair roots (hair follicles). They react hypersensitively to male sex hormones (androgens). Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in particular is a major problem for hair loss.

Because of the inherited hypersensitivity of hair roots, the duration of the hair growth period is shortened. And the shorter the phase of growth, the weaker the hair growth. The hair either shortens and becomes thinner or it falls out completely.

Good to know: In most cases, hereditary hair loss tends to follow a certain pattern. It starts at the crown and temples and gradually extends to the back of the head. There is a reason why a receding hairline is considered the typical predictor of androgenetic alopecia.

Usually, a circular bald spot forms at the back of the head, called a tonsure. In extreme cases, even a full bald head can develop.

Hereditary hair loss in women mainly occurs on the top of the head. However, only in rare cases is complete hair loss experienced.

Hormonal Alopecia

Not only genes, but also hormones are involved in hair loss. In this case, we speak of hormonally induced alopecia. If the hormone balance is out of order, so are our growth phases.

The risk of hair loss is particularly high in special hormonal situations – for example after pregnancy, during menopause, while breastfeeding or after stopping hormonal birth control.

By the way, the risk of hair loss is even higher when hormonal fluctuations are compounded by an iron deficiency. The two are not known as the “fearsome twosome” for nothing. Hair loss, concentration problems, anemia, fatigue – the duo has it all.

Did you know? Alongside androgenetic alopecia, hormonal induced hair loss is one of the most common forms of hair loss.

Hair Loss After Pregnancy

Many women are familiar with it all too well: During pregnancy, their hair is strong, healthy and has lots of volume. But immediately after pregnancy, disaster strikes: the hair loses its shine, its bounce, its density.

The cause of this sudden change, of course, are hormones. During pregnancy, estrogen is produced and acts at full speed. As a result, estrogen levels are higher. And the higher the estrogen levels, the longer the hair roots remain in the growing phase.

At this time, the hair coat is particularly full, smooth and vibrant. But this changes beginning in the eighth week after birth. Estrogen levels drop rapidly. The body immediately banishes the hair follicles to a dormant state. And the longer they rest, the more easily they are lost when washing, styling or sleeping.

Hair Loss During Menopause

Just like during pregnancy, the hormonal balance shifts during menopause. Estrogen levels decrease noticeably – which unfortunately affects our hair. It becomes thinner and weaker or is even lost completely.

Hair loss during menopause is not rare. On the contrary, around one third of all women suffer from hormonal fluctuations in their hair.

Good to know: Estrogen is not always the culprit. Frequently, hair loss is also related to hypersensitive hair roots. They can no longer tolerate dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In this case, we also speak of hereditary hormonal hair loss.

The Birth Control Pill

Most birth control pills increase the level of estrogen in the female body. And the more estrogen is available to our body, the fuller, livelier and shinier our hair becomes. This makes it miss the extra estrogen even more once we suddenly stop taking birth control.

Estrogen levels decrease drastically and so does the fullness and strength of our hair. But there’s no need to panic: In most cases, estrogen levels stabilize again by itself after a few weeks. Your new hair is just as strong and bouncy as before.

The Wrong Diet

Our hair is a good representation of what we eat. If we eat the wrong food, we can see it. The hair becomes weak, dry and brittle. In the worst case, we even have to reckon with hair loss – especially in the case of a nutrient deficiency.

Our hair relies on the following nutrients to be healthy and happy:

• Iron: Would you have guessed that almost 60 percent of women with diffuse hair loss are diagnosed with iron deficiency? Therefore, you should never underestimate good sources of iron in your diet. Liver, wheat bran and legumes make the dream of full hair come true.
• Biotin: This super weapon ensures not only strong nails, but also strong hair. If that’s not a good reason for oranges, beef, chicken eggs and milk.
• Zinc: May we introduce you to the number one among the micronutrients? Zinc is indispensable for keratin production and thus for the growth phases of your hair. But where is the best place to get this all-rounder? It’s quite simple: Go for cheese, eggs, milk and meat.
• L-lysine: Out of all ingredients, this sulfur-containing amino acid is precious for the hair. Thus, you can enjoy soybeans, lentils, peas and wheat bran all the more every day.

The Wrong Hair Care

Excessive care is rarely good for the hair – especially not for hair on the head. Sooner or later, washing too frequently, aggressive shampoos containing silicones and parabens, or blow-drying too hot will upset our hair. With split ends, hair breakage and hair loss, they fight back against daily stress.

When it comes to styling in particular, our hair hardly enjoys it. They resent constant straightening, curling and crimping. Why don’t we leave out the styling tools from time to time, or treat our hair with heat protection prior to styling it?

But beware: Our hair also quickly resists if combed too often. It can’t handle it. Why not put the comb aside more often or at least work on your hair with gentle natural hair bristles?

Which Vitamins are Missing in Hair Loss?

There’s no doubt about it: Vitamin A is an overall booster for growth. The super vitamin has been proven to boost your hair growth. Vitamin D is at least as important, better known as the vitamin of the sun.

We receive it through UV radiation. So it’s no surprise that we suffer from a vitamin D deficiency more often in the winter, thus contributing significantly to hair loss. Especially in Northern Europe, we get far too little sunlight during this dark time of year.

May we further present to you two resourceful candidates for full hair? Vitamin B12 (biotin) and vitamin H are excellent minerals for our hair roots.

Diseases with Increased Risk of Alopecia

What if neither hormones nor genes are responsible for hair loss? And your nutrition certainly doesn’t leave much to be needed? What could be the reason for the bald patches in such a case… a disease perhaps?

Well, the possibility of disease should not be ruled out, since in some cases premature hair loss can also be understood as a warning signal from our body, forcefully pointing us to a more serious cause. The following could be the reasons for pathological hair loss:

One of the most common diseases in circular hair loss is alopecia areata. This is an autoimmune disease. In these types of diseases, our body fights against itself.

Infectious diseases such as influenza, typhoid, scarlet fever or tuberculosis may also contribute to hair loss. Severe courses in particular can demonstrably slow down hair growth and, in the worst case, lead to spreading hair loss.

Scarring of the scalp is just as likely to be the cause of alopecia. If the injury on this sensitive tissue is too severe, new hair roots often stop growing temporarily.

Stopping Hair Loss – The Way it Works

Yet another bunch of hair in the brush – in the long run, this can be quite tiring. If only you could put an end to the odyssey.

You can. Let’s equip you with three top secret weapons to put an end to hair loss:

Stopping Hair Loss with Medication

Many people suffering from alopecia swear on the effectiveness of preparations containing the active ingredient minoxidil – especially tinctures.

The substance is applied directly to the scalp, allowing it to exert its stimulating effect on hair follicles in no time. Half of all patients report a positive influence of the minoxidil products on hair growth.

Hair growth products with caffeine are just as popular. Think of it as a little stimulant. It wakes up tired hair roots – high time to get working again.

But what does a dermatologist think about hair growth products containing minoxidil, caffeine and more? They rate the products as “okay”.

Although the active ingredients can temporarily slow down hair loss, they cannot stop it. As soon as the patient stops taking them, the balding continues. Thus, hair growth products are only a temporary solution. A treatment, but not a cure.

Hair Transplant – The Permanent Solution to Hair Loss

When someone wants to get their hair back permanently, they consider a hair transplant. Basically, the doctor removes the necessary amount of hair roots from a heavily overgrown donor area – usually from the back of the head.

The reason: the hair roots in the back of the head are usually immune to the hair loss hormone DHT. And this is precisely what makes them ideal candidates to achieve a full head of hair in a permanent manner.

Then, the surgeon exposes the freshly harvested hair roots to narrow channels on the scalp. With the utmost precision and care, the surgeon inserts the grafts into the receiving area – as many as necessary, until the bothersome bald patches become almost invisible.

But not every surgeon is automatically qualified for this procedure. On the contrary: for a convincingly natural result, experience, a sensitive touch and a specialists’ knowledge are required. However, who can provide this unique combination of skills?

We at HAIR & SKIN can help you out. Among our experienced team, you are guaranteed to find a doctor you can trust. Competence and empathy are very important at our clinics – whether in Aarau, Baden, Basel, Biel, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, St. Gallen, Winterthur or Zurich.

And the best part is: Our hair transplant is available in the usual Swiss quality, but at the most reasonable price. Did you know that a hair transplant at HAIR & SKIN is among the most affordable ones in Switzerland?

Autologous blood treatment – autohemotherapy

How about a little protein boost for your hair? There’s nothing easier than autohemotherapy to make this possible for you.

Everything you need for the protein boost is already inside you – your own blood. That’s right, even a small amount of your blood will get that faltering hair growth going again.

The magic weapon against lifeless and thin hair is blood plasma. It is packed with proteins and nutrients. These are precisely the ones that your hair roots can use to the fullest extent.

Let your hair roots take up the nutritional power from your blood so they can start working on their growth. You’ll notice the difference after just a few sessions.

Sounds good, but where do you find the right specialist for your own blood treatment? You just stumbled upon it! In addition to hair transplants, HAIR & SKIN also offers autohemotherapy.

With a lot of experience, precision and sensitivity it is possible to receive the maximum out of your blood.

Have we raised your interest? Why don’t we get to know each other – right now? Contact HAIR & SKIN today for a free consultation. You’ll see for yourself: Together we’ll find the perfect solution for your hair problem – we promise.