Hair growth is a natural process that continues (with some exceptions) throughout our lives. In this video we cover the main reasons why your hair growth slows down to the point where you feel that it doesn't grow anymore.
Hormones and hair growth
Hormones can either make it or break our hair – quite literally. Higher levels of oestrogen in women lead to healthy thick hair – which is why women during pregnancy often experience beautiful hair that never falls out (spoiler alert: only until childbirth!). Lower or decreasing levels of oestrogen in the perimenopausal period leads to thinning hair and slower hair growth.
Higher levels of androgens combined with higher quantity of DHT receptors in scalp leads to male and female pattern hair loss (also known as andoagenetic alopecia, or AGA). Applying topical DHT blockers, such as caffeine and peppermint oil – can help managing this effect.
And finally – thyroid issues, where we talked excessively in this article about TSH – a hormone produced in your pituitary gland, which regulates your thyroid and impacts your hypothalamus. Hypoactive thyroid is known to cause hair brittleness and dullness.
Generally speaking any tools and techniques that focus on blood flow can help – for example scalp massages, hair and scalp treatment masks, regular brushing your hair, inversion method amongst others.
Stress-levels
We talk excessively about impact of stress on your hair growth and it comes as no surprise, since stress affects our entire body. Hair loss that comes as a result of it, also known as telogen effluvium – and can take months to regrow your hair back.
The key takeaway is to manage your stress – then hair growth will start again once the stress-factor is minimised. Because it is such a difficult all-encompassing area to manage, getting your basics like a regular mindfulness practice, exercise and nutrition for your health should come first before you jump into buying miracle vitamins for hair growth.
Hair loss as a side effect for medication
To treat a serious medical condition you might need to take medication – whether for life or temporarily. The problem arises when as a result of this, your hair growth slows down or you experience hair loss. Important to note to never stop taking your medication without consulting your physician first.
For example some medication for thyroid conditions or cancer treatments cause temporary hair loss and hair growth issues. But you can approach hair growth becomes as an area of your health to manage as you maximise your efforts in stress-management, topical solutions, exercise and nutrition.
Sources:
Lack of efficacy of finasteride in postmenopausal women with androgenetic alopecia, Journal of American Academy of Dermatology (1)
Increased Androgen Binding Capacity in Sebaceous Glands in Scalp of Male-pattern Baldness, Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2)
Balding hair follicle dermal papilla cells contain higher levels of androgen receptors than those from non-balding scalp, Journal of Endocrinology, (3)
Cause of androgenetic alopecia: Crux of the matter, Journal of American Society of Plastic Surgeons, (4)
