Overview

When it comes to hair, most people worry about new hairstyles and how to dye it after it turned gray, but experts say that hair transmits much more about a person’s health. In fact, the hair and scalp health can provide important clues about various conditions or diseases. Here are some red flags after which you have to pay more attention for your hair in particular and for your health in general.


Contents

1. Overview
2. Dry, soft, thin hair
3. Scalp flaking
4. Hair becomes thinner and more rare throughout the scalp
5. Permanent hair loss, followed by alopecia
6. Dry, brittle hair
7. Alopecia areata
8. Gray hair

Dry, soft, thin hair

- What it means - Many factors can lead to dryness of the hair, including paint, hair dryer as well as swimming or bathing in chlorinated water. Significant change in hair texture, especially his thinning offers feel of less hair and may indicate hypothyroidism.

- Other indexes - hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain, slow heartbeat, feeling of cold. In some cases eyebrows thins and becomes more rare.

- What to do - report all signs and ask your doctor check thyroid levels. In these cases, blood tests are especially indicated with which to measure TSH and T4 levels.

Scalp flaking

Crusts which blister on the scalp often start from hairline.
- What it means - when forming thick crusts on the scalp, this usually indicates the presence of psoriasis, which can be distinguished from other skin conditions. Psoriasis is the most common autoimmune disease and is triggered when there is an acceleration of production and growth of skin cells.

- Other indexes - Psoriasis affects many people worldwide and occurs with other autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. If you suffer from other autoimmune diseases are more likely to develop psoriasis too. Also, the disease discovery should alert linked to more serious conditions. 30% of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes painful swelling of the joints.

- What to do - There is a long list of ingredients that help relieve psoriasis, and treatment is a process of trial and error. Topical treatments include shampoos containing coal tar or salicylic acid creams and ointments that contain aloe vera and zinc. Hydrocortisone may be useful to relieve inflammation. Creams issued with prescription include vitamin D and vitamin A. Many sufferers have seen positive results after treatment with UV light and the use of systemic medications such as cyclosporine.

Appropriate would be to consult your dermatologist to determine with him the various treatment regimens than to try multiple products on your own. It is important to note that psoriasis increases the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, certain cancers, metabolic syndrome and obesity.

Hair becomes thinner and more rare throughout the scalp

- What it means - is normal for a person to loose daily 100-150 hairs as a result of natural regeneration of hair. When you see a lot more hairs on your brush or bath, after shampooing or when the hair falls in clumps, it is time to worry. One of the most common causes would be a sudden stressful situation, physically or mentally, such as job loss. Another reason could be high fever caused by flu or infection.

Diabetes can also cause sudden loss or thinning hair. In fact, experts believe that it should be considered an early warning sign for possible occurrence of diabetes because it modifies hormonal values.

Even some medications can cause hair loss as a side effect. These include birth control pills and lithium use in bipolar disorder treatments. More rarely, some tricyclic antidepressants used to treat hypothyroidism can cause hair loss.

Hormonal changes can trigger thinning hair in both pregnancy and at menopause. In people who suffer from polycystic ovaries are recorded both hair loss and overgrowth of it, depending on which hormones are unbalanced. Another common cause of hair loss is hypothyroidism.

- Other clues - Check hairs have white bumps on the hair root: their presence suggests temporary hair loss rather than present a type of balding. Any drug that interferes with hormone production, cause hair loss: the list includes even contraceptive pills. Some medicines for treating acne have the same effect. Physical stress cause temporary hair loss and it also includes iron deficiency and protein deficiency.

- What to do - If you suffer from temporary loss of hair in order to determine whether it is hereditary hair loss, which may be permanent, you should stop the medication or treat the underlying disease that could cause the problem. Biotin supplementation could be useful; has been shown that it encourages hair growth and strength the nails. Research has confirmed that the use of vitamin D contributes to the growth of new hair: hair follicles need this vitamin in order to regenerate.

Permanent hair loss, followed by alopecia

- What it means - Both women and men may suffer from androgenetic or androgenic alopecia. They are caused by hormonal imbalances or by the diseases and conditions that could be based on this symptom. In women, it is usually a derivative of testosterone culprit that causes shrinking and even destroying hair follicles. Male pattern hair loss is often hereditary and is usually permanent if not treated with medication. Hair loss in men starts with thinning hair at the temples and the back of the head. The same pattern of alopecia can be seen in women who often experience thinning hair at the scalp.

Diabetes can cause or contribute to hair loss. Over time, this condition can cause circulatory problems, hair follicles do not receive sufficient nutrients and they can’t produce new hair. Follicles may die eventually because of insufficient nutrition, taking place permanent hair loss.

- Other indexes - There are several conditions that may underlie hair loss: hormonal changes (thyroid diseases - both hypoactive and hyperactive thyroid), and autoimmune diseases. Many of the drugs used for a long period of time prescribed to control chronic conditions can have this side effect - hair loss. These include beta-blockers, anticoagulants, medicines used to maintain arthritis control, Parkinson’s disease as well as other conditions.

- What to do - If you suspect that a drug could cause or could exacerbate hair loss, talk to your doctor about of replacing it with other drugs that may not have these side effects.

Dry, brittle hair

- What it means - when you find short hairs on your pillow in the morning, it indicates hair breakage not some problems of the follicles. Hairs become brittle and very fragile as a result of dyeing and use of various chemicals for the hair. Bleaching, hair straightening, and various techniques that involve various chemicals that make your hair more fragile. However, there are various diseases due to which hairs become fragile and brittle. These include Cushing’s syndrome and hypoparathyroidism. Low levels of parathyroid hormone triggers calcium and phosphorus increasing, leading to fragile dry hair, scaly skin and more severe symptoms such as muscle cramps and even seizures.

- Other indexes - If your hair is dry and brittle due to a disease, you will also notice the presence of additional symptoms such as dry or peeling skin. Also, excessively dry hair can mean that your diet lacking in omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon and fish oil, nuts and seeds, particularly flaxseed.

- What to do - no matter what causes hair dry and brittle, it is advisable to minimize its chemical treatment and avoid beauty techniques that involve heat, for maintaining hair health. If a hormonal imbalance affects your hair need to discuss with your doctor. Symptoms of hypoparathyroidism, for example, can be reduced or eliminated with vitamin D and calcium supplements. Application of various oils on the hair can help restore its flexibility. Indicated are coconut and avocado oils that penetrate the cuticle. Equally important is to use fish oil supplements to nourish hair

Alopecia areata

Hair loss in the portions similar to coins in the form of circular plates
What it means - This is the body’s immune response to the hair follicles: thinning and hair loss in the form of circular plates. This phenomenon is called alopecia areata, located to the temples or hairline. Diabetes can trigger the condition in some people. In some cases, hair loss will expand, and in extreme cases, sufferers lose all the hair on the head or body.

- Other indexes - Alopecia areata hair loss may involve the eyebrows or eyelashes, but also other types of hair loss with circular pattern. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition and found to be more commonly meet in families that tend to manifest autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, early onset diabetes and thyroid disease.

- What to do - Treatment involves the administration of cortisone by injection into the affected area even in the scalp, in places where hair is missing. If there will be done no steroids infections, circular plates will be larger and more visible. Some physicians may recommend treatment with minoxidil for hair regeneration speed. It may be necessary to repeat the treatment several times within a few months.

Gray hair

- What it means - Many people perceive gray hair as a warning, disturbing, indicative of stress or trauma. Experts have rejected these fears over the years by explaining that gray hair is primarily influenced by genetics. However, in recent years, after research has found that stress can trigger a chain reaction that interferes with the transmission of melanin by the follicle. In this process, an important role is played by free radicals which are hormones produced when a person is stressed and can block the signal it transmits to the hair follicles to absorb the melanin pigment.

- Other indexes - how a person will turn gray will be similar to that of its parents. However, if you suspect that stress causes premature whitening of the hair, try to careful follow stressful events. People who have experienced traumatic events that can cause hair turning into gray have found that their hair eventually returned to the original color.

- What to do - If you believe that stress or trauma are guilty for grey hair, try to find different strategies to overcome these situations and to control your reactions to them. Yoga and meditation can be an effective stress management. If you see positive results, you are on the right track. Meanwhile, you can ask your parents details about their hair changes over time, to know what to expect.

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