If you keep losing hair, is there something wrong with your body? Here’s one tip to help you check yourself!

Hair loss has become one of the most common "baldness" problems faced by middle-aged and some young people. Almost all people with hair loss have sought medical treatment when trying to find the answer to the century-old question "Why am I losing my hair?"

But most people go to the hospital and may only get a general diagnosis of "seborrheic dermatitis" and "seborrheic alopecia", plus a few bottles of standard minoxidil. After using it, the hair loss problem does not seem to be much alleviated, and doubts still exist.

In fact, before we go to the hospital for a checkup, we can first check if we have hair loss. Generally speaking, losing 70 to 100 hairs a day is normal and does not fall into the category of hair loss . The Shanghai Municipal Health Commission provides a small method that you can use to test whether you have a hair loss problem:

Evaluation Tips

Using your thumb, index and middle fingers, gently pinch a strand of hair at the root and pull gently along the hair.

If you pull out 5 or more hairs, you may be experiencing abnormal hair loss and need to seek medical attention for early diagnosis and treatment. Note that this "hair pulling" experiment should be done within 24 hours without washing your hair.

So, are you losing your hair? If you have really "plucked" several hairs, or even more than a dozen hairs, then you may be facing the problem of hair loss. So how can you solve the problem of hair loss? Don't worry, let's talk about it in detail today.

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01

What is the real cause of hair loss?

Many people think that if I go to the hospital to test my blood and look at my hair follicles, the doctor will be able to tell me why I am losing my hair. But the fact is that current technology is far from meeting everyone's expectations.

We need to understand that hair loss is a very complex problem. It may be caused by one or more factors such as genetics, nutrition, disease, drugs, physical and chemical damage, mental stress, etc. For example, there was a case where a patient encountered hair loss caused by polycystic ovary syndrome and hair loss caused by thyroid disease during the treatment of hair loss. However, the hair loss did not improve after the two diseases were cured. Later, the doctor found that the patient was also lacking in zinc. Finally, zinc was supplemented for the patient, and the hair loss improved.

Therefore, everyone's basic physical condition, living habits, and past experiences are very different, and everyone's methods of dealing with hair loss are also different. Therefore, only by understanding one's own specific situation can one solve the problem of hair loss.

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02

Hair loss

What tests should be done?

If you really are experiencing hair loss, we can determine what factors may be affecting your hair loss through a combination of self-examination and medical examination.

1. Family genetic self-examination

The simplest and most direct way is to observe whether your ancestors, parents, parents' siblings, and your own siblings have hair loss. If someone has obvious signs of hair loss, then there is a high possibility that you have inherited this gene.

The second thing to look at is when hair loss begins. Hereditary hair loss usually begins after puberty and progresses slowly and steadily. Many people begin to lose more hair in high school or college, but because they have thick hair when they are young, they don’t notice a noticeable change in hair volume at first. But over a few years, the hair follicles gradually shrink and the overall change in hair volume becomes very noticeable. [1]

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2. Sex hormone test

Sex hormones play an important role in hair growth and loss, but the level of sex hormones in the blood is not the only factor that affects hair loss. It also depends on the sensitivity of hair follicles to androgens , which is related to genes. Therefore, we often find that people with abnormal hormones may not lose their hair, while people with normal hormones may also lose their hair. [2]

3. Dermatological examination

If you have problems with increased scalp, redness, pain, acne, or cysts, you should visit a dermatologist to see if you have scalp inflammation or fungal infection.

The doctor will assist in the examination by observing the symptoms of the scalp, collecting dandruff, using a follicle endoscope, and performing fungal culture, and will perform anti-inflammatory and sterilization procedures where necessary.

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4. Thyroid function test

Hair growth is closely related to endocrine system, and the thyroid gland is an important endocrine organ in the human body. It can secrete thyroid hormone and control the body's metabolic rate and energy consumption.

If you have symptoms related to hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, it is also highly recommended to have a comprehensive thyroid function test to rule out the impact of thyroid abnormalities on your hair . [3]

Hypothyroidism: fatigue, decreased physical strength; weight gain, easy to gain weight; dry skin, sparse hair, hair loss; memory loss, lack of concentration; low mood, anxiety, depression.

Hyperthyroidism: rapid heartbeat, palpitations, high blood pressure; headache, hand tremors, weight loss; fatigue, muscle weakness; night sweats, mood swings, insomnia; bulging eyes, decreased vision, eyelid tremors and other eye symptoms.

5. Trace element examination

Trace element examinations usually include the detection of copper, zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and other elements, which play an important role in human growth and development, metabolism, immunity, nerves and other aspects.

Zinc and iron play an especially important role in the process of hair growth. Zinc mainly affects protein synthesis, immune response, and anti-oxidation. Zinc deficiency often manifests as dry hair, easy breakage, split ends, dry skin, peeling, and decreased immunity. Iron is an essential element in the process of hematopoiesis. Iron deficiency often manifests as anemia, decreased immunity, brittle and easily broken hair, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

Friends who have the above symptoms or whose diet is not so balanced may need to pay attention to check-ups and balanced diet .

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03

Good living habits

It is a free "anti-hair loss prescription"

Hair growth is inseparable from several important factors, adequate nutrition, a healthy scalp environment, and normal and stable hormone levels. Let's take a look at what lifestyle habits affect hair growth?

1. Eating habits

Unhealthy eating habits, such as dieting and picky eating, will lead to insufficient nutrition intake, hair lacks the necessary nutrients, and hair loss will naturally come. For example, protein, vitamins, iron, etc. are all necessary nutrients for hair growth. If these nutrients are lacking for a long time, hair follicles will also be difficult to sustain.

Usually, you should pay attention to eating more foods rich in nutrients such as protein, vitamins and iron, such as eggs, meat, beans, seafood, green leafy vegetables, etc. At the same time, you should avoid dieting and picky eating to ensure adequate intake of nutrients.

2. Sleeping habits

In this era where everyone stays up late, going to bed at one or two in the morning has become a daily routine for young people, but staying up late will affect the body's normal metabolism and lead to endocrine disorders. We release growth hormone when we sleep at night, and staying up late will interfere with the normal secretion of this hormone, thereby affecting hair growth .

Try to get enough sleep, avoid staying up late, and maintain the body's normal metabolism and growth hormone secretion. Going to bed early and getting up early will improve your health and hair.

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3. Scalp care

Bad habits such as dyeing, perming, scratching the scalp, and neglecting scalp cleaning can damage the scalp environment. The first two are chemical damage and physical damage, which are easy to understand. The issue of scalp cleaning requires special attention. Many people only wash their hair but not their scalp. Dirt, oil, and dead skin cells on the scalp will accumulate on the scalp, clogging the pores, affecting the blood circulation of the scalp, and thus affecting the growth of hair.

Try not to perm or dye your hair too much to reduce scalp irritation and create a clean and healthy scalp environment. You can also use massage to increase blood circulation. Only by maintaining a good scalp environment can hair grow better.

4. Emotional stress

The impact of mood swings and mental stress on human health cannot be ignored. Long-term negative emotions and stress will have adverse effects on hair growth and health.

In the human body, stress causes a series of physiological changes, including an increase in the secretion of a hormone called "cortisol". This hormone can interfere with the body's normal metabolic process and affect the hair growth cycle. When people are under high stress for a long time, the level of cortisol will continue to rise, leading to "hair follicle atrophy".

In addition, long-term negative emotions and stress such as tension, anxiety, and depression can also have a negative impact on the human immune system, leading to a decrease in immunity and increasing the risk of scalp inflammation and infection. Inflammation can damage the cells and tissues around the hair follicles, affecting hair growth and health .

We can relieve mental stress and relax our body and mind by doing exercise, listening to music, etc. If self-regulation really doesn't work, we should seek help from a professional psychologist in time.

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Finally, eating well, sleeping well, being in a good mood, and washing your scalp well are free lifestyle "prescriptions" that we need to work hard to achieve, so that our hair can become abundant again.

References:

[1] Zhang Wenshu. How much do you know about androgenic alopecia[J]. Family Medicine, 2022(10):58-59.

[2] Xie Boyu, Qi Di, Jiang Si, Wu Jianbo. Retrospective analysis of plasma sex hormone levels in male patients with androgenic alopecia[J]. Journal of Wuhan University (Medical Edition), 2023, 44(01): 80-82+110. DOI: 10.14188/j.1671-8852.2022.0518.

[3] Yu Fei. Hair loss, it turns out that the thyroid gland is to blame[J]. Family Medicine, 2017(04):20.

Author: Li Yuqiong, popular science creator

Reviewer: Li Feng, Professor of Dermatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital

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