Thinning hair and/or total hair loss| Alternative Hair Solutions

 

pdfimg10Thinning hair and/or total hair loss (or more formally known as, alopecia) can occur for many reasons. It can affect just your scalp or your entire body from conditions like trichotillomania, when someone pulls and tugs on their hair creating small patches of scalp consciously or unconsciously, which can lead to partial or total hair loss. It’s more common among teens and college students, especially when they are experiencing pressure from school or social interactions.

A zinc deficiency can lead to a direct result of  thinning hair. It’s often associated with hypothyroidism, which is an overlooked cause of alopecia. Thyroid hormones are essential for the body to absorb zinc. It can also be found in foods like cashews, pumpkin seeds, chick peas and spinach, but sometimes it’s necessary to use supplements.

Other key factors that lead to thinning hair and/or total hair loss include heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions, medications, or stress; any of those can lead to hair loss or the more formal name alopecia.

Today, stress levels are at an all-time high. Finding better ways to release stress can be helpful.  For example, a good book, exercising, a great massage, a sport, or a hobby is a step in the right direction. Good nutrition is also an important asset for your total body.

For many of us, we don’t even realize when we are internalizing stress. As women, we can be calm, cool, and collected on the outside, but our insides can be a tangled web of emotions that ultimately surface through disease, hair loss, or depression.

Thinning hair and/or total hair loss does not discriminate, regardless of age or gender. There are many different types of alopecia. The usual suspects that can add to your risk factor are family history, age, poor nutrition, stress, or certain medical conditions such as lupus, diabetes, and cancer.

We can control some of the risks of thinning hair and/or total hair loss, but of course, there are several that we cannot. Learning the options that are available to you can provide a source of relief immediately.

For thinning hair, many times a simple clip-on hair piece is all that’s needed. There is also non-surgical bonding for areas of semi-permanent or permanent total hair loss. Wigs either synthetic or human hair are yet another option. Some women choose to just wear a scarf or trendy hat.

Thinning hair and/or total hair loss can either be temporary or permanent; therefore, it’s important to see your doctor as soon as you begin noticing a change in your normal hair, or are experiencing unusually high levels of stress.

Feel free to book a complimentary consultation with us to learn the options available for you or a loved one.  Call 203 987 5948 ext 1 or visit www.althairsolutions.com to learn more.

Hair and Gone |Alternative Hair Solutions

Beautiful asian girl

Hair loss in teenage girls has become more prevalent and with it brings a tremendous amount of stress and social anxiety. Hair can be conceived as central to one’s identity.

There are a multitude of causes to consider for hair loss in teenage girls.

Some  hair loss in teenage girls  is attributed to behavior. TRACTION ALOPECIA- can occur when an unnatural amount of tension is applied to hair for a prolonged period of time. Constantly wearing a tightly pulled ponytail or bun for competition as cheerleaders and dance teams might do is just that. Styling wet hair can be damaging as can over styling hair, particularly with heat tools.

Unconscious hair pulling- TRICHOTILLOMANIA occurs when hair is pulled until it is uprooted. This can leave large areas of thin or damaged hair or total baldness in teenage girls. The good news is that behavioral hair loss can often be reversed by identifying and stopping the actions that cause it.

Hormonal fluctuations  after puberty can trigger ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA (commonly called female pattern baldness). Keratin may also be a culprit  as that  is the protein that gives strength to cells in the body and if under produced, will result in weakened hair follicles again resulting in  hair loss in teenage girls.

Contrary to the ways many teens live their lives, the right diet, sleep and exercise are important contributors to hair health. The old adage “what you put in is what you get out “ is relevant. Vitamin deficiencies are known to be underlying causes and therefore, eating  citrus and protein rich foods like eggs, green veggies, yogurt and milk will prove beneficial to stop  hair loss in teenage girls .

There are natural methods that may stimulate hair growth and minimize loss. Scalp massage and aromatherapy are two that are commonly adapted.

However if you have already experienced teenage hair loss personally or someone you know has then there are many options available today to minimize the impact. Visit our website www.althairsolutions.com or call for complimentary consultation 203 987-5948 ext. 1

YO GA-Ta Believe | Alternative Hair Solutions

Young woman with flowers
Young woman with flowers

Yoga is a holistic mind/body medicine. I know now that it improves strength, flexability, and balance while promoting a spiritual sense of well being.

HOWEVER, I must admit that there was a time when yoga conjured up cartoon like images in my mind. Ladies with hefty bouquets of hair under their arms and long grey braids cascading down their backs, bending their bodies into pretzel like positions, sometimes making mysterious sounds. I wondered what planet they were from as I stressed over my real world responsibilities of a single mother trying to balance a career while raising a son?

My current liberated attitude about yoga- the Life Saver, was hard won. A dear friend who weathered a life altering experience with the help of yoga implored me to consider trying it after I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. She promised I would feel stronger and more in control of my life, which was currently out of control.

I felt hypocritical, but, what did I have to lose?

Truth is, what I gained was irreplaceable- pleasure, hope and strength. It taught me to think about tomorrow, not yesterday. I took an active part in clearing those toxins out and helping my body return to health. Deep breathing calmed my tension and anxiety and gave me a wonderful feeling of well being.

The moral to this story is why waste time and energy on doubt? Resilience is an understated fountain of youth- when life knocked me down, yoga gave me the vitality to get back up!

I experienced my own personal growth though yoga, it made me become my best self.

visit us at Alternative Hair Solutions www.althairsolutions.com 203-987-5948 ext 1

My Hairitage | Alternative Hair Solutions

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I’ve always spent an inordinate amount of time seeking follicular perfection! Looking effortless was an exhausting effort. I was challenged — no, rather, petrified — when it came to the simple act of handling a blow dryer and a brush.

Over and over I tried to instill that being “overtressed” adds more years than wrinkles, layers frame the face, hair should have body, hair that is washed too often can be damaged, and that I should resist heated styling tools. After all, well-maintained hair signifies health, youth, and professional credibility. From the Marie Claire magazine, “there is age, and there is hair age,” and I never wanted anyone to guess my age via my hair. I was conscious of having age-appropriate hair while also being trendy — a conundrum of sorts. Why was hair judged so harshly??

After being blindsided by cancer and the impending hair loss, I was thrust unwillingly into the hair o sphere that is wigs and hairpieces. Not having the courage to embrace “bald is beautiful” I had to venture into an arena that I previously thought was for celebrities, definitely not me. As I did my research, I found that wig and hairpiece revenue in the US is quickly heading toward the billion dollar marker. NY Magazine proclaimed “On any given day, New Yorkers encounter as many wigs on their morning commute as fake Goyyard bags”

Thanks to Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, wigs are not only accepted, they are touted.

I had to convince myself to embrace it, not to hide or deny it. As a fashion executive for 30+ years, I was used to taking risks. Why should this be any different? Each month as I perused the fashion magazines, I marveled over Anna Wintour’s bob, or wondered if I could possibly rock a pixie like Halle Berry. I got to try them all, something that I would have never done voluntarily. I now subscribe to the mantra that variety is a testament to my creativity.

Wigs today are virtually undetectable thanks to the great strides made in their quality and construction. There’s hair that blows in all directions, real parts that reveal scalp even if you have hair underneath, lace fronts that allow you to wear hair off your face and not hide behind bangs, the botox alternative. There’s highlights, lowlights — you name it.

Gone are the days of me risking my life in a nor’easter to get to a pre-dawn blow dry appointment before work, or spending the equivalent of a night at the Four Seasons to pay for a mediocre hairdo while on vacation. I will gladly visit rain forests or golf in Scotland because I know at the end of the day I won’t resemble a chia pet while pretending to have a good time.

Instead, I now say hello to sleeping in, and indulge my desire to find out if blondes have more fun. Wigs are my opportunity not only to change things up, but also to finally get the follicular perfection I was always longing for.
The most important attribute to pulling off a wig is really just this: ATTITUDE.

Contact us at Alternative Hair Solutions 203 987 5948