HAIR LOSS - Complete guide to stopping hair loss.

Hair loss is scary, embarrassing and hard to fix. As a 20 year old who has already suffered through severe hair loss, I know the anxiety and shame that can come from losing your hair. Over the last year, I have tried many different things to stop my hair loss, and finally after months of searching, researching, visiting doctors (Chinese and Western) I have finally been able to stop my hair loss, and encouragingly I have seen new growth. 

So what causes premature hair loss?

Hair is one of those non essential parts of the body, meaning that if your body is under stress or pressure from a variety of different things, your body will compensate by focusing on keeping you alive and healthy rather than having a full head of hair! It could be because of a wide range of reasons, which will be outlined below:

• Vitamin D deficiency: Because most people spend their time in doors, behind a desk or on the couch, a surprisingly high percentage of the population have insufficient levels of vitamin D in their body (Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin through exposure to UV rays.) Studies have shown that low vitamin D causes hair loss. 
• Too much vitamin D: High levels of Vitamin D can also cause hair loss, which is why it is important to have the right balance of vitamin D. 
• Iron deficiency: Iron is important for your hair, nails and skin. Too little can cause hair to fall out, or make the hair follicles smaller so your hair strands end up being thinner. 
• Calcium deficiency: Calcium is also important for your hair, and if you are not getting enough Vitamin D (which is needed for absorbing calcium) Your hair will also fall out. 
• Stress: Stress causes hair loss, this is widely known, and seeing your hair fall out can just add to that stress. Hair usually falls out 1 - 4 months after the stressful incident has taken place. 
• Lack of sleep: If you are not sleeping well, this can also have a negative effect on your hair. 
• The type of shampoo you use: The type of Shampoo you use may also be making your hair fall out. Natural shampoos are much better for your hair and scalp than chemically based ones. 
• Food allergies: Food allergies, especially to dairy can cause your hair to fall out. 
• Coeliac (or Celiac as it is known in the U.S) disease: It is not widely known that hair loss is a symptom of Coeliac, which means the small intestine cannot break down gluten, and ingredient found in bread, pasta, wheat products etc. Coeliac can also cause hair loss. 

How I 'cured' my hair loss: 
Being so young, and losing hair is scary, especially if you try and sort the problem out yourself. There are so many websites explaining hair loss, and they all seem to say different things. This is the step by step guide to how I cured my hair loss: 

1. Approximately 1 year ago, I found that I was leaving many strands of hair on my pillow each morning, and every time I dried my hair with a towel, the towel would be covered in hair. Even running my hand through my hair meant losing at least a few strands, so I went to see my doctor. 
2. My doctor asked if I had any family history of hair loss, and I told him that my father was bald (Although everyone else in my family has a full head of hair!) He prescribed me 2 medicines, one was a topical applicated (Rogaine) and the other was a pill (propecia.) 
3. I took the medicines for a couple of months and applied the lotion, but I didn't see any benefit and discontinued taking the medicine. I went back to the doctor and the doctor said the hair loss could be hormonal/due to stress and that I should wait a while to see if it went away by itself, it didn't. 
4. I started to research online about hair loss. I found out that vitamin deficiency is a leading cause of premature hair loss, so I started to take a multivitamin. To my surprise, it worked slightly, as the amount of hair that I lost decreased, but I still had hair loss. 
5. I started to research vitamin deficiency, and found out that there are a few main causes of vitamin deficiencies, including leaky gut and coeliac, both of which cause the small intestine to basically attack itself, resulting in the mal-absorption of vitamins and minerals. 
6. I started a strict diet, which involved no wheat, gluten etc, (There are alternatives for all these, including tasty cakes, breads etc which you can find in your supermarket.) 
7. I also found out that dairy intolerances can also lead to balding. Since my dad has always suffered from IBS, (Irritable bowel syndrome) I tried quitting dairy too. Overall, after these dietary changes my overall health improved and my hair fall slowed considerably. 
8. After more research, I found that sufferers of coeliac (Which i now know I have) are usually deficient in calcium, vitamin D and Iron, so I started to take daily supplements of these. After only a few weeks, my hair loss stopped completely. 

What I learned from my research: 
Hair loss is a sign that there is something wrong with your body. Rather than try to fix it by using hair loss shampoos and medication, try things such as your sleep patterns, alcohol intake, and even diet. It's not what you put on,  but what you put in your body that really makes a difference. 
Another important thing is to learn how to control stress. Seeing your hair fall out is really stressful, especially if you are young, but it is important to learn how to relax as this will also help in reducing your hair loss. 
On Head and Shoulders: 
There have been rumors flying around the internet as to whether or not Head and Shoulders has an influence on hair loss. Personally, I was using Head and Shoulders Hair Retain for Men, for a couple of months. After I started taking the vitamins, and changed my diet, I could still feel that my scalp was itchy, and a few hairs were still falling out from the top of my head. I decided to stop using Head and Shoulders and switch to a more natural shampoo (I now use Loccitane, which can be purchased from department stores) and my hair loss stopped completely. I can't say definitely whether or not it was because my body was still recovering, or whether it was in fact because I stopped using that brand of shampoo, but I can tell you that after switching shampoos my scalp is a lot healthier, and my hair a lot healthier!   

This may not help everyone, but it worked for me, and I hope that by writing this I will be able to help at least one other person beat their hair loss! If you know someone who is experiencing hair loss, please send them the link to my article as they may not know about all of this!