A new survey shows that one out of two Singaporean women feel depressed about hair loss and that 90% of Singaporean women agrees that hair loss affects their self-confidence.
Perhaps you don’t know if you’re prone to hair loss, or you suffer from hair loss and am not sure what to do. At a talk at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Specialists Dr. Alvin Long and Dr. Pirkko Brusila talked us through the myths and truth about hair loss. Here are 10 things you might not know about losing hair:
1. People only lose hair because of growing older.
FALSE. There are many other factors that can influence hair loss: genetics, medical conditions, hormones, humidity, heat, pollution, diet and and the biggest cause of them all – stress.
2. Unless you have a problem with hair loss, you only lose a couple strands of hair a day.
FALSE. On average, it’s natural for a person to lose up to 150 strands of hair a day
3. Young people don’t have problems with hair loss.
FALSE. An increasing number of young people are having problems with hair loss due to above factors, as well as the medical condition, Alopecia.
4. Predominantly, men lose hair.
TRUE. More men do lose hair; in fact there is an increase in hair loss among men. The reason why men are more prone to hair loss than women is that high levels of testosterone causes hair loss. However, hair loss among women is still quite common. In a survey of 7,000 women under the age of 39, one out of 10 reported problems with hair loss.
5. More men than women men attend hair clinics.
FALSE. You would think more men attend the hair clinics as they suffer the most. But, a lot more women attend hair loss clinics – about 50% of the clients are female. The reason is that hair loss among women is considered taboo and having full healthy hair is more important for women.
6. Asians have stronger hair than Caucasians.
TRUE. Hair loss among Asians is rated lower than with Caucasians. This can be due to many factors, climate and environment being the main ones.
7. It is natural to lose hair after having a baby.
TRUE. In fact 50% of women lose their hair three to four months after having a baby. This is due to the drop in progesterone levels and more testosterone being present.
8. You will generally get thinner and less hair when you get older.
TRUE. A hair has a typical lifespan of two to six years and and the average person has about 10 hair cycles in a lifetime. The chances of a full head of hair will therefore be less with age progression. The diameter of the actual hair also grows from the age of 20 up to the age of 40-45, and then decrease again and give you thinner hair.
9. Grey hairs fall out easier.
FALSE. Grey hairs are actually just as strong as pigmented hair. Grey hairs have often been named ‘dead’ hair, but it is in fact hair without pigment, as a person only has so much pigment available for a lifetime of hair.
10. Hair loss cannot be prevented.
FALSE. There is less chance of hair loss if you lead a healthy lifestyle and eat a light diet with no smoking and moderate alcohol consumption. Vitamins do not help against hair loss! You need to take good care of your scalp and wash your hair daily or once every two days. New hair products with caffeine have proven to help make hair stronger and prevent hair loss. Also, it is of course possible to have hair transplant, but keep in mind there will be no hair from the place you have done the transplant from, and that a hair cycle is only two to six years, so effects are not lasting.
