Order now and enjoy free shipping – only until Sunday!
There are many facts but also myths about hair loss. Hence, solutions and causes of hair loss have been explored for centuries. So which is true and which false when it comes to hair loss? We sum it up for you in this blog.
A full head of hair has traditionally been considered a beauty ideal. The search for causes and solutions for baldness therefore goes back a long time. The Greek physician Hippocrates began observing how hair grows more than 2,000 years ago and tested ways to stop it from falling out. Although much has now been studied and proven, there are still many misconceptions about hair loss. We review the most widely spread ones.
You've probably heard that the genes responsible for baldness come from the mother's side of the family. In reality, it is much more complex than that. A 2017 study published in the British journal PLOS Genetics analysed information from 52,000 men with hereditary baldness. It identified at least 287 genes involved in the process of hair loss. At least 40 of these identified genes were linked to the X chromosome, the chromosome inherited from the mother, while the others were scattered throughout the genome.
So while it is true that the strongest genes come from the maternal side of the family, the various genes underlying baldness come from both sides.
It is true that women, unlike men, generally do not go bald with age. Most men do: the hairline recedes and bald patches appear. Women generally lose a little hair on top of their heads and maybe a little at the temples.
The reason is that women have less testosterone and more oestrogen to balance it out. So hair loss due to age also occurs among women, only the hair loss tends to be more diffuse, so less hair grows back evenly on the entire scalp. So it is less noticeable, but you can often see the scalp much more clearly because the hair is less thick.
Myth. Washing your hair does not affect the hair follicles. Therefore, the opposite is also not true: shampoos against hair loss, such as those containing caffeine, do not work against hair loss.
Myth. Just as shampoo has no effect on the hair follicle in the scalp, the same goes for having your hair cut. Cutting your hair more often will not make it stronger or prevent it from falling out. You can, of course, prevent hair breakage from split ends with it, though. Hair breakage is also sometimes confused with hair loss.
Fact. Hair falls out more in spring and autumn. The exact cause of this phenomenon is unknown, but scientists believe that the sun affects hormones in the body and causes a more significant number of hair follicles to go into rest. However, this theory has not been proven.
Mostly a myth. It is true that stress plays a role in hair loss. However, the amount of stress that causes hair loss is immense. Daily stress caused by work or personal problems has nothing to do with hair loss. Extreme cases of stress or psychological problems are often responsible for hair loss, but daily stress fortunately is not.
This seems like a fact, but is a myth. In fact, there are currently at least three clinically proven alternatives to combat baldness. None guarantee results with 100 per cent effectiveness, given the complex chemical and biological system involved in hair loss, but the following three remedies can help slow or even reverse the process:
Minoxidil
The hair growth-promoting effects of minoxidil were first noticed during a clinical study on high blood pressure. During the study, it became clear that minoxidil in pill form, apart from lowering blood pressure, also had a very positive side effect; regrowing lost hair. The researchers then decided to develop minoxidil into a hair growth lotion, which has led to the many minoxidil products now available.
Finasteride
Finasteride is a drug that was used for prostate problems, but was also found to have a positive effect on hair growth. This is because it causes the male hormone testosterone to have less impact on the prostate and on the hair follicles in the skin.
Transplant
Although expensive, hair transplantation is also a possible solution. A hair transplant is a medical procedure performed to treat hair loss and repair the effects of hair loss. It is an attractive solution for people who suffer from baldness or thinning hair and would like to treat it with their own hair.
During a hair transplant procedure, healthy hair follicles are moved, usually from the back of the head, to the areas where hair is thinner or no longer growing. The hair follicles that are transplanted are genetically resistant to hair loss and will continue to grow in their new location. The various transplantation techniques have evolved greatly recently, with excellent results!
As we mentioned earlier, hair breakage is often confused with hair loss. Your hair breaks off at the thin, damaged areas, so it is not the whole hair that falls out. However, it is rather annoying, and your hair becomes less full. You can prevent hair breakage by taking good care of your hair. Do not use any styling tools for a while.
Hopefully, we have shed some light on the facts and myths about hair loss, and you now know that you can prevent hair breakage by taking the right care of your hair.