Hair loss help

It is a fact that ageing causes baldness in men and, in rarer instances, women. Male-pattern baldness can begin from late teens, but in most cases starts around the mid-thirties. By the time you are 60 you will be part or fully bald but this need not be a problem!

There is no cure for this hereditary baldness no matter what product advertisements would like us to believe so here are some tips to help you keep the hair you have left for as long as possible!

1) To thicken your remaining hair you need certain minerals found in nettles and seaweed so a trip to the health food shop is in order!

Try drinking a cup of nettle tea a day - it won't taste as bad as you think!
Take kelp tablets, a form of seaweed which will also increase your metabolism and ensure that your thyroid gland works efficiently.
Make a nettle infusion to rinse through the hair once a week. Pick four leafy nettle stems about 30cm in length. Infuse in 2 pints of boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain and use when cool as the final rinse through your hair after a normal washing.

2) Massage stimulates blood-flow to the scalp, promoting hair growth. Massage your scalp with almond or olive oil before washing your hair, or get someone else to do it for you! You could even go and see an Indian head masseur for that ultimate massage and added relaxation!

3) Foods containing sulphur and vitamin B are especially good for hair. Ensure you are eating significant quantities of cabbage, brussel sprouts, turnips, cauliflowers, cranberries and raspberries.

4) Avoid stress! High levels of stress cause hair loss, even in teenagers, so make sure you allow time to relax and unwind.

The most common type of hair loss is telogen effluvium, the temporary hair shedding related to stress, surgery, medications, illnesses or occurring postpartum. Alopecia areata, autoimmune hair loss, is common in children and sometimes needs medical intervention. Androgenetic hair loss is the hormonally related hair loss usually seen with a familial genetic pattern. Sometimes, we see young people with hair loss due to pulling, twirling or traction from severe hair styles. This should be easily corrected.

The best prevention for hair loss is to keep your health generally good and stable, minimize stress and see your physician when hair loss occurs to determine if correctable measures are available.