How to prevent hair loss by destressing
Crowning Glory
Hair loss. There's no denying it's a frightening thought. If you've been losing your lovely locks, relax, there
is help available. By Julia Bound.
When it started, it was innocent enough. I'd been losing small but noticeable amounts of hair for a while - I'd see the strands on my pillow or clinging to my brush. Then one day a bald patch the size of a five-cent coin appeared on my crown. Within a week its currency value had multiplied to 50 cents. My husband, a proud shaved-head type, began joking that it was true after all - you do end up resembling the person you live with. Ha ha.
One morning I stepped out of the shower, looked in the mirror and screamed. The bald patch now covered almost the entirety of my crown - my previously thick, healthy locks washed away forever down the drain. I needed help. Pronto.
"This problem of hair loss is definitely becoming more widespread," says naturopath and registered nurse, Brenda Rosenfeld. "I'm seeing more and more men, women and young girls come into my clinic very distressed about the chunks of hair they are losing."
feed your follicles
It's estimated that up to 60 per cent of men and 40 per cent of women will experience some type of hair loss within their lifetime. For men, the problem is usually hereditary. For women, causes include nutritional deficiency, pregnancy, menopause and stress. Other possible medical causes of hair loss include auto-immune diseases, fungal infections of the scalp, hormonal imbalances or hereditary contribution.
Known as alopecia areata (small areas of complete hair loss in circular areas) or alopecia totalis (baldness of the entire head) the condition has myriad causes and several options for treatment.
I chose to treat it naturally and holistically. Some of the treatments that were not for me included cortico-steroidal injections into the scalp, hair extensions, anti-androgen drugs to control hormones or artificial follicles "sewn" into the scalp.
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