Dr Sarah Jarvis Hair loss
It’s our crowning glory and while we women may have to put up with the pains of periods and childbirth, we virtually never have to worry about going bald. But while women rarely lose their hair altogether, thinning hair is all too common, especially with advancingg yyears. So how do you know what’s causing it and what can you do to protect your hair? These days, it seems almost any conversation on health comes back to
Covid-19 at some point. One consequence of Covid-19 which has largely gone under the radar is hair loss following coronavirus infection. Many pe eople are reporting hair lo oss a couple of months af fter their infection.
This isn’t surprising: lo ots of physical stresses c an trigger a type of hair lo oss called telogen effluvium. e Your hair goes g through three different d “phases” in i ts lifetime:
◆ The growing (anagen) phase, which lasts 3-5 years.
◆ The ‘shrinking’ (catagen) phase happens for 10-14 days.
◆ The resting (telogen) phase which lasts for about 3 months.
After this, the hair follicle enters a new growing phase and the whole process is repeated.
Major body stresses, ranging from infections with high fever and illnesses that cause sudden weight loss, along with crash diets and major surgery, can put your hair prematurely into the resting phase. Because the hair tends to stay in the hair follicle for a couple of months before the growing phase starts again, this sort of hair loss, called telogen effluvium, often leads to hair loss 2-3 months after the original trauma. Covid-19, it seems, is no exception.
This sort of hair loss results in diffuse loss of hair over your whole scalp – you may get thinning of hair over the temple but the most obvious change is general thinning (and lots of hair on your pillow, in the plughole after you wash your hair, or on your brush after you brush it). Fortunately, your hair should regrow in time.
When we think of the menopause, most of us think of hot flushes and night sweats. There are actually far more symptoms than that – mood swings, vaginal dryness, problems concentrating, thinning of the bones to name but a few – but hair thinning is one of the least well-known.
Female hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) help hair grow faster and stay
‘‘ PATCHES OF HAIR LOSS WITH NORMAL HAIR AROUND THEM CAN BE DUE TO ’’ ALOPECIA. SEE YOUR GP FOR OPTIONS
on the head for longer. The drop in these hormones after the menopause mean that hair tends to grow more slowly and may also be finer and drier.
Lack of “first class protein” can also lead to general thinning of the hair – it’s worth taking a look at your diet and seeing if you’re short of eggs, meat, fish or dairy products. Getting enough protein in your diet can be more of a challenge if you’re vegan but it is possible with a bit of planning. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids – in flax and chia seeds and walnuts, as well as oily fish and eggs – may help.
Being short of iron or having an underactive thyroid gland (symptoms include tiredness, putting on weight, constipation and intolerance of cold) can also affect hair – your GP will be able to arrange a blood test to rule these out.
Unfortunately, thinning hair often runs in families. It’s worth asking female relatives (tactfully!) if they’ve experienced the same issue and at what age. It won’t make the thinning stop, but it may be comforting to know that you’re not the only one.
If you do tend to have thinning hair, you can be reassured that in women, complete hair loss is very rare. It is important to avoid heated hairstyling tools if you can – cut down or cut them out. It’s also important to avoid products which contain silicone.
However, volumising sprays are fine. Some perm products can damage sensitive hair, so it’s worth having a chat with your hairdresser. They can advise you on safe alternatives to use.
NEXT WEEK: Are you at risk from pneumonia?