Baldness is a problem that affects many individuals, both men and women, and presents itself with different levels of severity and different underlying causes. There are genetic, dietary, stress or environmental factors . We have often talked about the causes that generate hair loss, but what are the processes that determine it more precisely
? We know the connection between nutrition, stress and the health condition of the scalp
The life cycle of
hair similarly to what happens with other body hair, and can be summarized in 3 distinct phases. Anagen, Catagen and Telogen.
- The Anagen phase is the phase of birth and growth of the hair and can last up to 7 years. During this phase the hair grows about one centimeter per month.
- The Catagen phase lasts a few weeks and is the moment in which the hair dies, detaching itself from the hair papilla, but without completely detaching from the follicle.
- The Telogen phase and the last phase. The hair is now dead and awaits any solicitation to detach itself definitively from the scalp. About 10% of our hair is in this phase.
This last phase is essential for the regeneration of our hair: when the hair is definitively detached from the follicle, the regeneration process is triggered. The peliferous pupil restarts the production of a new hair, returning to the Anagen phase. In a healthy individual, the start of a new cycle is part of the natural hair regeneration process, while in subjects suffering from baldness this is the critical moment. The old hair falls out and the follicle does not start a new phase.
How factors affect hair and baldness
A normal individual loses on average between 50 and 100 hairs per day, while those suffering from baldness can see this number increase up to 10 times. Factors such as stress, wrong diet and hormonal imbalances act directly on the peliferous pupil, shortening the Anagen phase and leading directly to the death of the hair. In this way the peliferous pupil undergoes a stressful action that risks permanently deactivating its regenerative action.
Androgenetic alopecia
This type of baldness affects more than 70% of men and almost 40% of women. Again, hair thinning is caused by damage to the hair bulbs, but its main feature is its causes. In fact, it is not food or stress factors that generate it, but a hormone: testosterone. Hormone present in men but also, to a lesser extent, in women, is transformed by particular enzymes into another hormone, DHT, which often irreparably damages the follicle.
Supplements against alopecia
Although there are not yet specific treatments to combat androgenetic alopecia, there are supplementswhich can act effectively on the scalp and inhibit the action of DHT, helping the pupil to maintain its regenerative characteristics. Remember that it is essential to have a diet that is not aggressive for the scalp, thus avoiding fried foods and foods that are too greasy.
Even when choosing hair care products, such as shampoos, opt for products that respect the pH of the skin and strengthen the hair.