Effective Hair Loss Treatments For African American Hair - Tips For Growing Black Hair

By Jenna Grey 

In order for African Americans to successfully stop hair loss, they must take an approach that involves using regular hair loss treatments along with remedies that are designed especially for growing black hair. You must determine the type of treatment you will need in order to get your strands to grow back.

Why Strands Shed Excessively 

Medical conditions such as anemia, thyroid problems, hormonal fluctuations, stress, unhealthy eating habits, or vitamin deficiencies can cause you to lose an excessive number of strands. It is considered normal to lose around 100 strands per day. Anything more than that is a problem.

Decide on a Course of Action 

Talk with a physician or licensed dermatologist about your excessive shedding. This will uncover if it is caused by a medical condition. If there is a medical issue, then get treatment for that condition and that may be all that is necessary for your strands to grow back. Remember that certain medications can cause shedding. Do not stop taking medicines or switch medications without consulting your physician.

Nutritional Issues 

Nutritional deficiencies can also affect your hair. Make sure that you are getting enough vitamin B and zinc. These vitamins keep the strands strong and cause them to grow. Biotin is a form of vitamin B that can really help regrow hair. You can also get vitamin B from potatoes.

You should also eat spinach, cabbage, and broccoli because they are loaded with iron, which is essential for maintaining healthy strands.

African American Hair Loss Treatments that Promote Growth 

African American strands are very susceptible to drying out and becoming brittle, which can lead to breakage. Strands that are chemically treated are even more vulnerable. Keep in mind that your strands are made primarily out of protein. Strands that are constantly styled with perms and relaxers are stripped of their proteins. The protein must be replaced or the strands will break.

Give yourself regular hot oil treatments to give your strands their strength back. You can use castor oil, coconut oil, or olive oil. Massage one of these natural oils onto your scalp. Put a plastic cap on your head and leave it on for at least one hour. The cap will lock in the heat from your head. This will allow the natural oils to penetrate your strands and follicles.

Other Effective Hair Loss Treatments 

You can also regrow your strands using certain herbs. Saw palmetto is very effective. This herb blocks the production of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT causes thinning because it attacks the follicles causing the strands to fall out. Rosemary, nettle root extract, and pumpkin seed are other herbal options.

Jenna Grey is a writer who does extensive research on treatments that help re-grow hair. Learn more about choosing effective hair loss treatments.

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How Over the Counter Hair Loss Treatments Actually Work

By E. Jules Gibsons

It is true that if you treat your hair loss early on you will most likely get to keep all of your hair if you are a woman and much of it if you are a man. If you want to re-grow your hair after you have become bald, obviously, the results will probably be somewhat disappointing. The secret is to 'catch' the hair follicle before it has completely atrophied; luckily, this does not happen overnight; sometimes it is just 'dormant' and it can be stimulated to produce new hair.

Prescription Treatments

There are some prescription hair loss treatments that can be effective; the idea that taking a pill a day can solve your hair problem is very appealing. However, if you are a pre-menopausal woman you will not find a doctor willing to prescribe some of those medicines for you (they are supposedly not safe for a male fetus) and if you are a man you may experience some side effects in the long run. Other prescription drugs for women, such as Dianette, can work to some extent (and if you are considering birth control bills anyway why not choose the one type which helps your hair?) but will probably need a 'boost' from topical solutions anyway. Moreover, ingesting drugs every day is not ideal in any circumstance, given that they are not as 'mild' as aspirin, are they?

The Solution in General. Both prescription drugs for hair loss and over the counter treatments address the issue of the most common hair loss form affecting men and women, namely hormonal sensitivity at scalp level to DHT, a hormone which, if it binds to the hair receptors, 'weakens' the hair follicle and eventually stops it from working.

There are generally 2 ways in which you can 'attack' this DHT problem:

1- Reducing DHT levels in general in your body and (in particular) in your scalp.

2 - Interrupt the binding process of DHT to your hair follicles.

This is where I wish to stress a very important point: unless your hair loss is caused by nutritional deficiencies or other similar problems, you will NOT stop it by taking 'hair nutrients'. In fact, if you nourish your hair follicles (by applying hair nutrients directly or ingesting hair nutrients in pill form) without addressing the DHT problem, you may risk irritating the scalp even further. I did! There is no point in stimulating hair growth unless you also get rid of the DHT interference to your hair follicles. If you do

When you research the many over-the-counter hair loss treatments, make sure they claim that they work in one or both the above ways. More importantly, and this is very important if you are considering products advertised online, do your own research into the ingredients they list to make sure the claimed properties are actually real and not just 'hype'

Topical Treatments

Personally, I find that Minoxidil is not for me, but it does work for many. I used to use a 5% solution combined with topical progesterone (which you can find over the Internet and is a proven anti-DHT hormone by combining with the hair receptors and leaving DHT 'out') and it worked. However, Minoxidil was giving me mild unpleasant side-effects and I decided to stop it. That left me open to experimenting with a few useless products. Over-the-counter homeopathy worked for a while, especially Lycopodium and Sepia, but you need to understand homeopathy really well before experimenting with their many remedies.

What worked for me was a simple shampoo, usually recommended against bad dandruff and scalp irritation. There are several shampoos that claim to 'clean' DHT from your scalp but I would research each product over the Internet, reading reputable web pages such as Wikipedia (and not just blogs or forums); this is what I did and it made the world of difference to me.

Anti-DHT shampoos are discussed on DHT BLOCKING SHAMPOOS.

Over-the-counter natural supplements and pretty much everything that worked well for me is all listed on HAIR LOSS SECRETS.

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Hair Transplant: An Effective Hair Loss Treatment

By Purushottam R Chandra

The hair transplant technique is becoming a popular choice in the world today. This can highly boost the character or personality of an individual. Follicle transplant is of different types. This includes strip, slit, micro, mini and punch grafting techniques. In addition to the follicle grafting, the patients also undergo scalp reduction or tissue expansion treatment.

Hair fall reasons

Hair loss is mainly caused due to hormonal imbalance, genetic inheritance, and age-related factors. If follicular damage starts at an early age, then the baldness problem gets extremely critical. Hair loss can also be caused by tension or burning injuries. In such cases, transplant therapy is just the ideal solution. These have a proven track record for many years now. So you do not need to worry about their efficiency.

Tuft grafting technique enhances the style quotient of an individual. With these, you will always have high self-confidence. Talk to the surgeon about your needs before you undergo the surgery. Have a proper understanding of the regeneration treatment before the surgery. Then you will always have high confidence in the treatment process.

Ideal candidates for such transplant

The candidates for a transplant need to have healthy locks on the side and back of the head. These serve as the donor areas during the grafting. The follicles are mainly collected from this donor area. Certain factors such as hair color, texture, and curliness alter the replacement technique. Different grafting techniques are available today. We can combine two or more methods for better results. Patients with low tuft growth are not ideal candidates for the replacement.

A hair transplant is a specialized treatment. Before you go for this surgery, you need to find a good replacement surgeon. Experienced doctors have a vast knowledge of different regeneration techniques. Therefore, you can definitely turn down a doctor if he is conversant with only one form of surgery.

When you meet the doctor for the first time, he should thoroughly inspect your hair growth. The surgeon should check the tuft loss as well. If you have a family history of baldness, then the doctor needs to give special attention to your case. They also need to check whether you have undergone a regeneration surgery before or not.

Lifestyle is a crucial factor. So before doing the surgery, the doctor should also assess your lifestyle. He knows about your needs and expectations very well. Then only, you will get the desired results.

Purushottam R Chandra has been writing on cosmetic surgeries for many years now. He provides valuable tips and suggestions about getting a hair transplant in Kolkata. So, this column will give you the perfect solution for your thinning hair.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Purushottam_R_Chandra

Effective Techniques for Stopping Hair Loss

By Ron Shimoff

Hair loss is a disappointing experience for many because of its effect on one's esteem. There is a myriad of factors that can cause this problem that include: environmental, hereditary, diet, pregnancy, hormonal changes due to age, and effects of cancer treatment.

There are several methods to reduce hair loss depending on the cause which should first be identified so that the correct remedy can be sought. These remedies can be divided into the following:

Surgery

There are two types of techniques that this approach covers. These are:

Scalp reduction involves the removal of the bald parts of the skin which is replaced with a scalp that is covered with hair. It can also involve the use of skin-bearing skin that can also be folded on the bald skin area which reduces scalp. This is called flipping.

Hair transplants this technique involves the removal of small sections at the back of the scalp which has several hair strands. These are then implanted on the sections of bald skin. This method is ideal for hair loss which results from hereditary hair loss because it can be repeated several times as the hair loss progresses.

Herbal remedies

Lettuce a mixture of lettuce and spinach juice taken daily is helpful in the prevention of hair loss.

Coconut milk This is applied on the scalp and massaged over it to facilitate hair growth and nourishment.

Onion patches of baldness can be reduced by rubbing onions on them twice daily and rubbing with honey later on.

Alma oil is mixed with coconut oil. It is known to be a good hair growth tonic.

Potatoes and rosemary two are boiled and then the liquid is strained and used as a hair rinse.

Green tea contains antioxidants that prevent the loss of hair and facilitate the re-growth of previously lost hair.

Supplements

vitamin B aid in the production of melanin which provides the hair with its natural color.

Vitamin A- An antioxidant that helps in the production of sebum in the scalp.

Vitamin E- it assists in improving blood circulation in the scalp which keeps the hair follicles active.

Iron is helpful if hair loss is caused by anemia.

Zinc and biotin people with metabolism disorders that lack these two minerals are known to have bristle hair.

Stress Management

Talking to a professional is helpful in combating stress which leads to hair loss. One can also seek the counsel of friends or close family members.

Practicing the art of meditation is one of the successful ways of reducing stressful situations in one's life.

Substituting the stressful situation with an activity keeps the mind occupied and makes the experience easily forgotten.

Home-based techniques

Identification of when the problem started is helpful so that the trigger of hair loss can be identified after which it can be avoided.

The use of one shower gel or shampoo is encouraged so as to limit the number of chemical products that come into contact with hair.

Hair that is kept clean at all times reduces the number of harmful substances that could cause damage to it. The washing should be done using warm water or water at a normal temperature because too much heat in the water can damage it.

Massages to the scalp are helpful as they improve circulation which stimulates the growth of hair follicles.

If you suffer from hair loss, you can read more on how to stop it here and in this article.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ron_Shimoff

Top Three Hair Loss Treatments for Men

By Christian Chandra

For some people, going bald may not be a stressful problem. For some others, however, going bald sometimes is considered fearsome. For people who regard their hair as their crown, hair thinning is a symptom that they always want to avoid. When their hair starts falling and symptoms of baldness start appearing at some parts of their head, they will start looking for the best remedy for the hair thinning problem that they are dealing with. Unfortunately, most of the time, the hair thinning problem is inevitable because it occurs on most people when they reach the later years of their age. Besides aging, other factors, such as hereditary baldness, prolonged high fever, malnutrition, and exposure to ionizing radiation, may also contribute to the development of this problem.

Fortunately, the problem with baldness is not something unsolvable. And in fact, there are several remedies and clinical treatments that are believed to be able to effectively overcome this problem. Some of those remedies and treatments are easy and inexpensive to obtain while some others are quite difficult and expensive. The following are the three most frequently used hair loss treatments for men:

1. Medication

There is a relatively large selection of medications that work well in treating hair thinning problems. Some of those medications are derived from natural ingredients, such as licorice root, horsetail, apple cider vinegar, green tea, and sage tea, while some others are made from synthetic ingredients, such as minoxidil and dithranol. Be careful, though, when you want to use synthetic medications because they may cause effects that you don't actually want. Minoxidil, for example, if used improperly, may cause irritation at the treated area and severe allergic reactions. Use natural hair loss treatments for men and avoid using synthetic remedies too excessively if you want to obtain the best result from your treatment.

2. Hair Transplants

Besides medications, surgical treatment can also be used to treat baldness. Since the late 1950s, a surgical technique has been developed to deal with male pattern hair loss problems. This technique involves the transplantation of hair tufts containing active follicles at the area where baldness occurs.

3. Cosmetic Treatment

This treatment involves the usage of hairpieces and wigs to cover the balding area of the head. Although this is not the best treatment for hair loss problems, many people still consider it the easiest way to hide their baldness.

Each of those treatments has both advantages and disadvantages. While natural treatment is safe, it requires you to wait before you can reap the result. Hair transplants, although able to provide you with quick solutions, are expensive. Therefore, think comprehensively before deciding to choose any of those treatments.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christian_Chandra

Popular Hair Loss Treatments for Women: Hair Loss Concealers

By Andrew D Wilson

Concealers are nothing new for women. Concealers for the skin, otherwise known as makeup, have been in existence since before Cleopatra to cover up a multitude of blemishes. However, the invention of hair loss concealers for thinning hair is relatively new. They are a marvelous invention - simple and easy to use and extremely quick. In less than a minute you can go from having the appearance of thinning 'see-through' hair to thick hair. The results are very natural.

History of hair loss Concealers

Hollywood makeup artists from decades ago used a very simple but effective trick to make the aging and thinning Hollywood leading man and screen siren look years younger and have thicker hair. After the stylist had trimmed the actor's hair, they would collect it off the floor and finely chop it, with a chef's knife, into microscopic particles. The hair would then be sprinkled through the actor's own, which would cover the scalp and also cling to the actor's own follicles, making it appear thicker in a matter of moments.

The 'sprinkled' hair would then be locked into place with some fixing spray or lacquer. It worked very well for the purposes of the camera and photoshoots and keeping the actor's hair loss condition a complete secret to the rest of the populace.

Hair loss Concealers today

Today this boutique process has been successfully commercialized so to the benefit of the general public. The modern-day concealer isn't collected off salon floors; rather, they are made from either wool (natural keratin), rayon (synthetic fiber), and cotton. These materials are dyed into various different hair colors and then cut into tiny particles. The delivery mechanism of these fibers is similar to that of a salt shaker. Typically, a small bottle with small openings at the end, just large enough to allow the hair fibers to sprinkle out like dust. Applications are simple. Shake the fibers over the area needing a thicker look, pat them into place, even a light comb or brush, and 'voila!'. You have thicker-looking hair!

Which Hair Loss Concealers are the Best?

Typically the more expensive brands use the natural keratin or wool hair fibers. Natural keratin fibers are often the best because they are a natural product and are less likely to cause irritation to the scalp. Some people find that synthetic fibers create additional heat and can be itchy.

The size of the individual fibers is also very important. The coarser or larger each individual hair fiber, the less likely it is to cling to your own hair, it will merely rest on the scalp. The finer or smaller each individual hair fiber is, the more that it will statically cling to your own hair rather than just the scalp. This quality enhances the appearance of the fullness of your own hair. Two brands such brands that are finely cut and use natural keratin fibers are Hairmax hair fibers and BioTHIK hair fibers.

Who should use hair loss concealers?

Everyone is concerned about their appearance! Specifically, if your hair is in the early to mid stages of hair loss, concealers will work for you. If you don't have enough hair, the hair fibers will fall directly onto the scalp. It won't make your hair look thicker, only darken your scalp. This is not the desired result. If you have reached this stage, it is time to look at alternate hair restoration and replacement options.

Good Advice.

Give it a go! Experiment! The first time you use them you will instantly see results, within thirty seconds. But the more you use it the better you will be at creating a natural result. Try different colors; mix them together if you are in between colors. Most importantly, don't use too much of it. Sparingly yields the best and most natural results.

Author: Andrew Wilson

About the Author: Andrew is the owner and Director of Transitions Hair, Sydney, Australia. He has over 16 years of experience in the Hair Restoration profession, consulting on all forms of hair loss treatments and hair restoration procedures. He is passionate about his work and loves seeing people's lives transformed by improving their hair.

http://www.transitionshair.com.au

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How to Find the Most Suitable Hair Loss Treatment and Increase the Chances of Stopping Hair Loss

By Shmuel Gonen

Introduction

There are several types of hair loss and balding. While the mechanism of the phenomenon of hair loss and baldness is not fully understood, there is vast knowledge on the ability to treat the types of hair loss and baldness by medication or natural means.

We are dividing the alopecia types into treatable and non-treatable conditions and we shall hereby explain how one can evaluate the chances of successful treatment in the treatable conditions.

When evaluating the chances of improving the condition of the hair, the most important criteria is the condition of the hair follicles. As long as the hair follicles are alive, there is a chance to grow new hair. Otherwise, there is no basis for any treatment to succeed and the only options are cosmetic- wig, hair transplant, etc.

The life period of the hair follicles may reach up to twenty-five years. The hair follicles grow hair in cycles of growth and fall. In the process of hair loss, each cycle of growth produces shorter, thinner hair and there is less pigment (color).

When the scalp has a bright plume, it indicates that the hair follicle is still alive but dormant. Given the appropriate specialist's knowledge and therapy, the hair follicle can be stimulated to grow hair. However, if the surface is completely smooth, it indicates that the hair follicle is no longer alive and there is zero chance to grow hair- except in some cases as explained below (Alopecia Areata, Totalis and Universalis).

The different types of hair loss and the chances of growth of new hair are hereby given.

Non Treatable conditions

The conditions of hair loss that have no chance of hair regrowth are Alopecia from birth, Scarring Alopecia, Traction Alopecia, and Lupus disease.

Alopecia from birth is a rare condition, where the infant is born without hair follicles.

In Scarring Alopecia the infected zone looks like a scar and the hair follicles are dead. The reasons for the phenomena are unknown. The chances of growing new hair are zero, but with proper treatment, the expansion of the Scarring Alopecia can be stopped.

In Traction Alopecia the hair is pulled out of the scalp and the hair follicle becomes weak and dies.

In alopecia which is caused by Lupus disease, the skin is rough and pink and the chances of growth of hair are almost nonexistent.

Treatable Conditions

The conditions of hair loss which has a chance to be treated successfully are Male Pattern Alopecia, Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis, and Alopecia Universalis.

Male Pattern Alopecia is common male baldness. Its characteristics are loss of hair at the front and crown area first. In many cases, there is still at least hair plume, hair loss and baldness can be stopped by affecting the hair follicles.

In Alopecia Areata condition, typical round hair loss patches evolve rapidly. Sometimes the bald patches spread to full hair loss of the scalp (Alopecia Totalis) or even whole body areas (Alopecia Universalis). The phenomenon could harm men, women, and small children. Conventional medicine assumes the Alopecia Areata condition is an autoimmune disease, though the exact mechanism of Alopecia Areata is not known nor fully understood.

In many cases Alopecia Areata is caused by psychological pressure: people who experienced trauma have sometimes lost entire hair within hours or days.

Evaluating Chances of Successful Treatment

As explained in the introduction, the condition of the hair follicles is the most important criterion for evaluating the chances of successful treatment. The existence of thin white hair is a visible sign of living hair follicles. The thin white hair can be noticed when examining the scalp from a close distance, with good light conditions. Sometimes viewing the scalp from an angle against the light source helps to see the thin white hair.

Naturally, when there is thin white hair on the alopecia area, it indicates that the hair follicles are weak but alive, so there is a basis to grow hair, given the proper treatment. But when the alopecia area is smooth, the evaluation depends on the alopecia type:

In male-pattern alopecia condition, a smooth scalp is a clear indication that the hair follicles are not alive and there is no chance to grow new hair. However in Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis, and Alopecia Universalis the hair follicles sometimes remain alive even if the alopecia area is smooth, and evaluating the condition of the hair follicles should take into consideration other important factors.

The factors which play important role in the condition of the hair follicles and hence the chances of success:

- Age of the patient: at a younger age, there are higher chances to recover

- Period with Alopecia Areata condition: if the condition is recent, the chances are higher. Among people who experienced Alopecia Areata for decades, the hair follicles are probably too weak.

- Alopecia Areata's condition was due to a shock: In those cases, the chances of recovery are better.

- Use of violent and inappropriate treatment: Some treatments cause permanent damage to the hair follicles. In such cases, even if there is the growth of hair, it is common that once the treatment is stopped the hair falls and the hair follicles remain weaker, which makes it harder to stimulate growth.

- Thin white hair: as previously explained, if there is thin white hair the chances of recovery increase.

- Use of wig: When a wig is applied, the scalp's skin is not normally exposed to air and is not breathing (skin is not able to absorb oxygen). In the case of wig users, the chances of recovery are lower. If a wig is attached by glue, chances are near zero.

It should be emphasized that these are general guidelines for treatment success chances, based on experience with a population of Alopecia Areata patients. A personal evaluation is required in order to accurately evaluate the success chances of a specific person.

Choosing the Right Treatment

There are natural or medication therapies that are intended to revive the hair roots. When considering medication treatment, it is advised to consult with a specialist dermatologist and inquire about possible side effects. The internet includes vast information about the side effects of conventional treatments. In the case of natural treatments, it is advised to seek a treatment that is certified by a recognized organization. The treatment should be certified for being safe for usage and without any side effects. In order to be certified for zero side effects, the treatment should contain only herbs and plants with the maximal safety degree - edible herbs- as defined by the U.S. CTFA list of plants.

About The Author

The scientist Shmuel Gonen has over 30 years of experience in research and treatment of hair loss, specializing in alopecia areata and female hair loss. Mr. Gonen invented Hair Up, a 100% natural active ingredients gel (according to U.S CTFA), for alopecia areata treatment. Hair Up is approved safe for usage even among babies by the Israeli Ministry of Health. Free evaluation of the condition of the hair follicles and chances of successful hair loss treatment can be obtained by contacting Shmuel Gonen Hair Treatment Institute: www.shmuel-gonen.com/english/hairup

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