Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Close Banner
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

Tune In: Everything You Need To Know About Hair Loss Causes & Solutions

Alexandra Engler
Author:
June 04, 2024
Alexandra Engler
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
By Alexandra Engler
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior beauty and lifestyle director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.
June 04, 2024
We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.

Hair loss is an incredibly pervasive problem for women. Some estimates show that more than half of women will experience some form of hair loss in their lifetime, from female pattern hair loss to postpartum and postmenopausal hair loss to traction alopecia and more. 

So if you've noticed more hairs in the drain or a thinning part, you're not alone. It just means you may need to be a little more strategic about the ways you're caring for your hair and overall health. 

That's exactly what we discussed in today's Clean Beauty School episode with trichologist, scientist, and hair loss expert Isfahan Chambers-Harris, MPH, Ph.D., founder of Alodia.

We get into a wide variety of hair loss topics, including how nutrition influences hair growth, the best oils for hair growth, and taking care of the skin on the scalp.

She also spends a generous amount of time diving into the root cause of hair loss, including these three factors.

Hormones

A pretty significant factor in hair loss and growth is hormones. The most common hormonal issue seen in female pattern hair loss is dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a type of sex hormone: "As you age, particularly with women, testosterone or DHT may accumulate on the scalp, and that will cause the miniaturization of the follicle. The hormone is actually choking off the follicle," she explains. 

This is common for those who experience menopause—in fact, some research indicates that anywhere from 20-60%1 of women will have some form of hair loss before the age of 60, during the pre- and postmenopausal period. 

Other sex hormones play a role in hair health. "On the flip side, you can see when people have higher levels of estrogen, such as when they're pregnant or menstruating, this will cause the hair to stay in the antigen phase a lot longer," she says, explaining that the antigen phase of the hair growth cycle is when the scalp is better able to hold on to the strand. "The hair will look more luxurious and full." 

But it's not just sex hormones to consider. Several hormones influence hair growth, such as cortisol (the "stress hormone"), vitamin D (yes, vitamin D is a hormone), and thyroid hormone will also play a role in hair loss or growth. "For example, whether you have hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, it can cause your hair to thin a bit," she explains. 

Chemical processing

I went through a period of pretty significant hair loss several years ago. It took many different types of interventions—from diet to stress management—to address it. And one of the most meaningful changes I made to regain some fullness was limiting the amount I was coloring my hair. 

In the episode, I told Chambers-Harris about my experience. "Chemical straighteners and coloring, they affect your hair growth, but in a different way [than hormones or diet]," she explains. "When you use chemical straighteners or coloring treatments, it can damage the follicle, which will lead to thinning."

In fact, this isn't exclusive to chemical processing. "Something similar can actually happen with hairstyling, wearing tight buns, high ponytails, and things of that nature—what's happening is it's putting stress on the follicle and leading to scarring," she says.

If you're experiencing thinning and can't seem to get to the root cause (or, like me, have addressed several factors but are still struggling), it might be time to reevaluate your styling and processing habits. "[After limiting use], you'll see the density start to grow in a bit more, and the hair in general will just look a lot healthier because you're not damaging the scalp follicle as much," she says. 

Autoimmune conditions 

An estimated 23.5 million Americans now struggle with an autoimmune disorder—a shocking 80% of whom are women2. (Read more about why here.)

There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases, including Type I diabetes, arthritis, multiple sclerosis (also known as MS), and Graves' disease. All of these come with their own unique symptoms—one of which is hair loss. 

"Autoimmune conditions will affect hair growth," explains Chambers-Harris. "And the reason why they do this is because the immune cells attack the follicle, causing hair loss. We see this with androgenic alopecia, for example. This is a chronic autoimmune condition where you have these circular patches of hair loss."

And other types of conditions will also often see thinning or loss: "Many autoimmune conditions have the secondary effect of causing this type of hair loss and thinning because of the destruction of the follicle."

Tune in:

For more insights on how to care for your scalp and hair to maximize hair growth, tune in here: 

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

What Is Meditation?

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Light Watkins

Box Breathing

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

What Breathwork Can Address

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

Nutrition | Rich Roll

What to Eat Before a Workout

Nutrition | Rich Roll

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Nutrition | Sahara Rose

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Love Languages

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Related Videos (10)

What Is Meditation?

Box Breathing

What Breathwork Can Address

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

What to Eat Before a Workout

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love Languages

Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

More On This Topic

more Lifestyle
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.