Hair Loss Chronicles Part One

The last 2-3 years I've noticed an increase in my clients dealing with some degree of hair loss. On average, 40-120 strands of hair will come out each day. Yes, seasonally we may lose more or less hair. But if you're pulling clumps out in the shower, there may be an underlying problem. As a Hairstylist, of course I wish it were as easy as sending you home with haircare products to solve your issue. Unfortunately it's not that simple and doing so would only be a bandaid, therefore irresponsible of me to stop there. This is why my ears perked up when I heard about the Healthy Body, Healthy Hair: The Truth About Hair Loss summit in June 2023.

I learned so much that I'm about to share, including that 80 million people in this country are having hair loss issues. I'm going to take you on a deep dive to share many of the 50 causes of hair loss. It's never one thing that causes it; it's a complex issue that requires a whole body approach.

Hair loss is not a life-threatening issue. We can live without hair. However, it is a sign that the body is out of balance. And most importantly, if left unaddressed, it can result in scarring of the scalp hair follicles, making regrowth nearly impossible.

Here is a condensed (not total) list of underlying causes of hair loss

• the "covid shed"

• autoimmune issues (did you know every year there is a 4-9% increase in autoimmune conditions?)

• chronic inflammation

• food sensitivities

• inability to absorb nutrients (there are 42 essential nutrients our hair needs!)

• toxins in household chemicals

• childhood, generational and ancestral trauma

• elevated stress/cortisol levels

• environmental triggers

• leaky gut (permeability in the lining of the gut)

• mitochondria dysfunction

• bacterial and viral infections

• surgery

• Epstein-Barr virus

• trauma to our energetic field

• disruptions in the body from covid shot

• going on / off medication

• brain-immune-gut function

• vagus nerve dysfunction

• electromagnetic pollution

• hormonal dysfunction

• pesticides in food supply

• chemicals in our water supply

• PCOS

• low testosterone

• hypo/hyperthyroid

• genetics / epigenetics

• radiation from WIFI, 5G, satellites, cell phones, apple watches, wireless headphones, etc (out of 131 peer-reviewed studies, 95% concluded that EMF's cause oxidative stress on the body, leading to lower testosterone, linked to thyroid issues)

The list goes on. Lifelong medications, pricey painful procedures and hair products are not the answer because they comb over underlying root causes. Read that again. Instead of reaching for a shampoo that stimulates hair growth or stocking up on biotin (read below for more info about biotin), shift your thinking. We need a paradigm shift in the way we look at hair loss.

Hair loss is a symptom of your immune system attacking something to keep you safe. Take a deep dive into this question:

"What is my immune system trying to protect me from?"

Instead of trying to diagnose yourself, or going through the process of going from doctor to doctor, to dermatologist, to google, trying to find answers, there are better solutions. There are also things you can start implementing right away while you're on the hunt to find the causes of YOUR hair loss.

First, search your local area for a very specific type of doctor. Look for the words "functional medicine" or "integrative doctor". These types of practitioners are educated in getting to the root cause of health issues, versus prescribing a medication that will only be a temporary fix. They will look at your body as a whole to determine how/why it's out of balance and come up with a tailored plan.

**HOT TIP**Back to the biotin topic... biotin doesn't actually help you grow hair. All it does is help your hair to not be dry and brittle. And, too much biotin can actually throw other systems in your body off.

Let's talk for a second about the psychological effects of hair loss. Too many times I hear from people that their doctor has brushed off their concerns about hair loss. Or their Hairstylist says "Don't worry about it". One of the main issues is FIXATION. We get laser-focused on our hair loss and it leads to many psychological issues including:

• isolation

• lack of confidence

• impulsive responses

• self esteem issues

• pulling back from people, events and fun

If you see the correlation, when covid happened, it actually spurred on many of these things as well. These psychological issues also can elevate stress and cortisol levels, which also exacerbates hair loss. 66% of people who had covid are experiencing hair loss. Luckily, in my experience, I've noticed their hair starts to grow back 6-9 months after, so it's more of a temporary thing. I've also seen a pattern of hair loss and breakage after receiving covid shots and boosters.

While it may seem daunting, there are solutions. And you aren't alone. You just have to be diligent and take responsibility for your health on a total body level. If your hair loss significantly impacts you, there are solutions to add hair to get you through on your journey to pinpointing the cause.

• Wigs (from synthetic to human hair, there are local stores and options for you to try these on)

• Hair toppers (great for those who have hair loss on the top/crown of their head)

• Halo extensions (for adding overall thickness)

• Sewn-in extensions (more long-term solution for overall thickness/length)

Take a look at my other blog post for what you can implement today to jumpstart your body coming more into balance. In conjunction with finding a functional medicine or integrative doctor, you will be well on your way to having healthy hair.