Stress can lead to hair loss

Almost every Saturday morning I play tennis at the tennis courts near Parkinson Recreation Centre in Kelowna.

As I drive there, I listen to a garden show on the radio and I learn a lot about horticulture. I am surprised to learn the similarities of having a luscious green lawn and healthy hair.

The average human has between 100,000 to 150,000 individual hair follicles on the their head. You are born with all the hair follicles that you have. Each follicle has its own unique blood, muscle and nerve supply. The cell that produces the keratin used in hair is located in the scalp at the hair follicle. You will lose on average about 100 to 150 hair follicles per day.

Hair follicles above the surface of the scalp are mainly composed of dead cells filled and surrounded by keratin. Nerve cells that touch the hair follicle are only located on the part of the hair strand below the surface of the scalp.

Hair consists of the bulbous root located beneath the surface and the shaft located above the surface of the scalp. A cross section of hair is made up of three layers—the inner medulla, the cortex consisting of mainly keratin and the outer cuticle. Human hair grows an average of 0.4 millimetres per day or about one centimetre per month. Almost 90% of the time, the hair follicle is in a growth phase while 10% of the time it is in a resting phase.

Oil glands, sebaceous glands and sweat glands also bathe the hair root. Fine muscle fibres in the scalp can help to move the hair follicle. Small blood vessels in the scalp supply the hair root with blood containing nutrients and oxygen.

Hair follicles are mainly made up of a protein called keratin, which is also in nails and the skin. Keratin can stretch. A wet hair strand can stretch up to 30% of its original length. All hair strands above the scalp are not alive and consist of bundles of keratin wound around each other. A hair strand can support about 100 grams of weight. Keratin contains a lot of sulfur molecules in the form of the amino acid cysteine that form cross bridging to help make hair strong.

Black is the most common hair colour in the world followed by brown. Red is the rarest colour occurring in less than 1% of people and true blond occurs in about 2% of the population. Hair colour is largely genetically determined and is due to varying degrees of melanin in the middle cortex layer.

Hair grows quicker in warmer climates and grows less in colder temperatures. Cutting you hair does not affect the growth rate.

Dandruff is mainly caused by a fungus that causes dead skin cells to rise to the surface causing scalp itching and flaking.

Baldness is a loss of hair follicles in a particular area of the scalp.

Grey hair is caused by loss of melanin and build up of hydrogen peroxide in the hair shaft.

There are four main types of hair loss, including male pattern hair loss, female pattern loss, alopecia areata and hair thinning, known as telogen effluvium. Male and female pattern hair loss is due to genetic and hormonal factors that cause receding hairline on the front and sides of the forehead.

Alopecia areata is caused by the immune system leading total hair loss in areas of the scalp. Hair thinning is caused by a general thinning in the cross section of a hair follicle and decreased density of follicles on a specific area of the scalp. This is believed to be caused by both acute and chronic stress.

Hair loss, or loss of hair follicles, can be caused by various factors including nutrient deficiency, a lack of protein in the diet, autoimmune disease, genetics, hormonal imbalance, infection of the scalp, poor sleep habits, psychological factors, low thyroid, and both acute and chronic stress.

Rogaine (minoxidil) is one of the drugs used to treat hair loss. It is used as a foam or lotion applied to the scalp. Minoxidil is a blood pressure drug. When applied topically it dilates blood vessels in the scalp to deliver more nutrients and oxygen to the hair follicle. Dutasteride or finasteride are the other type of drugs used to treat hair loss. These drugs decrease DHT or dihydrotestosterone levels. DHT decreases hair follicle growth and shortens the growing season.

Managing stress to decrease adrenaline levels that cause vasoconstriction can lead to better blood flow to the scalp. Doing headstands or gentle massage can also improve blood flow.

Vitamins and minerals including B vitamins, biotin, iron and silica can improve hair growth. Healthy oils including fish and plant oils may be helpful. Herbs like nettles and rosemary can stimulate hair growth.

The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical advice. All information and content are for general information purposes only.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.