The Psychology of Hair Loss

Long ago, a full head of hair was valued as a means of protection, heat retention, and camouflage.

Today we value hair for other reasons. Whether we admit it or not, good hair still is associated with power, virility and youth.

Here's a brief discussion of the psychology of hair loss and its diverse hair loss effects to men and women.

Such associations date back to ancient times. Remember the story of Samson and Delilah? When Delilah cut Samson’s long hair he lost his power.

"And Delilah made him sleep on her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of Samson’s head. . . and his strength went from him."

(Judges 16:19)

As “enlightened” as we are today, stereotypes associated with hair loss persist. The bald or balding are sometimes passed over and teased at work, in the media, and in the social scene. The media idolizes the young and the attractive and often lampoons the bald or balding.

Of course, it’s not fair. But at least loosing your hair is not health threatening. However, it can result in various psychological and emotional issues. These include insecurity, isolation, panic, a sense of loss, and even depression. But let’s first look at the role of hair (and the lack of it) in our society.

How is Hair Loss seen by Society?

So why does some thing as superficial as hair seem so important to so many men and women?

Studies have shown that hair is a symbol of social, professional, cultural, and/or religious affiliations. Good hair implies power, virility, strength and youth.

Studies reveal how baldness is perceived.

In a study done in 1971, a picture of one person was distributed to 60 people. But each picture had been altered by a commercial artist to reflect a non bald, balding, or bald condition. The results revealed some negative stereotypes.

When the person was shown with a balding head of hair he was rated as weak, dull, and inactive. This same person with a bald head of hair was rated as unkind, bad, and ugly. Yet this same person with a full head of hair was rated as handsome, virile, strong, active, and sharp.

Today, more than 30 years later, it is hard to know if things have really changed. But maybe some of these tired negative stereotypes about being bald are starting to change, at least in the media.

Shedding: Understanding the Hair Growth Process

If you want to know why your hair sheds, you must first understand the hair growth process.

Hair grows in a cycle that consists of three phases: Anagen, Catagen and Telogen

Anagen - This is the growth phase that lasts between two and eight years. During the anagen phase the growth cells in the papilla rapidly divide and produce the hair shaft which becomes keratinized as it pushes up and out of the hair follicle into the pore. At the same time, the hair follicle grows down into the deeper levels of the dermis (skin) to get nourishment.

Catagen - The Anagen phase is followed by a brief two to four week Catagen phase or transitional phase. This is part of a renewal process where the hair follicle is literally degraded and the hair stops growing but does not fall out. During the Catagen phase the hair follicle shrinks to about 1/6 of the normal length. The lower part is destroyed, the dermal papilla breaks away, the bulb detaches from the blood supply and the hair shaft eventually is pushed up as the hair follicle disintegrates.

Telogen - The hair follicle then goes into the Telogen or resting phase for two to four months, during this time the hair still does not grow but remains attached to the hair follicle while the dermal papilla is in a resting phase below. Approximately 10-15 percent of all hairs are in this phase at any one time.

After the Telogen phase the cycle is complete and the hair goes back into the Anagen phase. It is at this time when the new hair shaft is forming that the old hair is pushed out and lost. So when you start using a product like Rogaine or Propecia you stimulate the hair follicle to start producing hair. What often happens is that many hair follicles that are in the Telogen phase then go into the growth phase.

When the hair follicle starts growing a new hair it has to first get rid of the old hair, which is still attached to the hair follicle. When this happens to many hair follicles at the same time you see a lot of hair falling out which is what causes shedding. So instead of these hairs falling out gradually at different times, they all fall out together giving you the impression that you are losing more hair.

The reality is that this hair had stopped growing and was due to fall out anyway. So shedding is a positive sign and means that you are responding well to treatment. In fact its ironic that people who respond the best to treatments often lose the most hair in the beginning. This often leads to people going off their treatment program when they should stay on it.

Shedding should last no longer than 4-6 weeks and usually occurs about 6 weeks into a hair loss treatment program. If you are still shedding a lot of hair after 2 months you should consult with your physician, as it may not be a shed. Shedding can also reoccur periodically since hairs that were put into the growth cycle at the same time have a synchronized growth cycle so they tend to go into the resting phase at the same time. This tapers off after a while. However be aware that its normal to lose between 50-100 hairs every day due to this natural growth process.

Hair Loss and Depression

Hair loss is not a typical symptom of depression, but depression can indeed be responsible for hair loss in severe forms of depression. Learn about hormonal balance and how this is affected by depression with help from a psychotherapist and licensed mental health counselor in this free video on depression.

Learn more about this from expert David Thomas, a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Florida since 1986 and the National Board of Certified Counselors since 1987.

How to Measure Your Hair Loss

Doctors created a series of charts categorizing various stages of hair loss. The charts are very useful when describing your hair loss to someone or as a yard stick to measure your own hair loss progression or regrowth. The charts are only relevant to Male and Female Pattern hair loss since the hair loss occurs in a predictable pattern.

Here is the most effective way to measure your hair loss!

The most commonly used chart for men is the one developed by Dr Hamilton and then later modified by Dr. o'Tar Norwood called the Norwood-Hamilton scale.

Women who suffer from Androgenic Alopecia have a pattern of hair loss called Female Pattern Baldness. This loss does not occur in the same pattern as men but appears as a diffuse thinning throughout the scalp. There is a chart designed to classify Female Pattern loss called the Ludwig Scale. There are however always exceptions and in some cases men may suffer from a diffuse type thinning and women may experience a similar hair loss pattern to men.

 

There you go, check these chart out for both men and women and measure your hair loss now.

Bad Eating Habits that Lead to Hair Loss

Here are 5 Bad Eating Habits that are scientifically proven lead to hair loss:

1. Drinking Soft Drinks

Most soft drinks are loaded with sugar.
Even diet soft drinks have a lot of sugar in them. The average diet soft drink has the equivalent of 10 cubes of sugar. Non-diet soft drinks have considerably more.
That’s for a 12 ounce cup! They aren’t considering the 32 ounce super sized drink you get at your local fast food restaurant.

2. Mass Consumption Of Processed Foods

Processed foods often lack the vitamins and minerals you need to maintain healthy hair. Foods often lose much of their nutritional benefits when they are cooked or microwaved. Without those nutrients your hair will suffer.
The best way to get some of those lost nutrients is by eating some uncooked raw vegetables. You could have a salad for example. You can also get some of your foods from natural health food stores like Whole Food Market or Trader Joe’s.
You can also take vitamin and mineral supplements instead. However, unlike food sources, you can overdose taking supplements.

3. Eating Too Much sugar

Most people don’t realize just how much sugar they consume every day. The average person consumes 20 teaspoons of sugar a day (the average teenager 34).
Sugar can deplete the body of nutrients and raise adrenal levels. The elevated adrenal levels cause the body to produce more androgen and cause androgenic hair loss.

4. Eating Too Much Salt

Table salt has also been linked to hair loss. Some people often take idolized salt for Iodine supplementation. Fish is a better source of Iodine than table salt. Sea Salt is also a good alternative.

5. Eating Too Much Saturated Fat

Eating foods with saturated fat could cause increased DHT levels in the body. You should limit the amount of saturated fat you consume while taking prescription hair loss treatments.