The finer and softer the hair, the more prone it is to hair loss? Hair loss is due to physical weakness and requires heavy tonics? Using hair masks frequently can make hair stronger? Summer is a "dark season" for those with hair loss, and there are certainly many questions about hair. Professor Xian Guowei, a national renowned physician-in-charge at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Guangdong Province, points out that the above questions are all common misconceptions. Everyone's constitution and the cause of hair loss are different, so they cannot be generalized. However, the principle of "relax, rest more, eat less sweet and greasy food, and quit smoking and drinking" is generally applicable to those with hair loss.
Wake up and wash your hair to see how much is falling out.
"Hair loss is not scary. I've had it myself. The key is to seek timely treatment and be good at maintaining the current situation." Xian, who is over 70 and famous for treating hair loss nationwide, has dense hair, though it is white. Xian Guowei explained that under normal circumstances, everyone loses hair, about 70-100 strands per day, but patients with hair loss disorders lose much more. "There is a way to distinguish it: when you wake up and wash your hair, see if it's falling out significantly more than before," Xian Guowei said. If this persists for two or three months, the hair will become sparse or patchy hair loss will occur.The most common types of hair loss in clinical practice are alopecia areata and seborrheic alopecia. "Patients with alopecia areata can be of any age, while seborrheic alopecia patients are mostly young people," Xian Guowei said. In recent years, hair loss has become more and more common, especially among people in their twenties and thirties, with the youngest patients being even under 20. The degree of hair loss in patients in their twenties may vary; some people's hair changes from thick to thin and from dense to sparse, while others have obvious local hair loss.
It is reported that the most common sites of hair loss in men are the sides of the forehead and the top of the head, with the hairline receding in a V-shape or forming a "bald spot" like a Mediterranean on the top of the head. Adult women, especially after childbirth, in addition to the two aforementioned types, experience a general reduction in hair volume, making it look sparse.
Causes
About 70-80% of alopecia areata patients have liver and kidney deficiency.
From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, liver and kidney deficiency, qi and blood deficiency, blood deficiency with wind-dryness, and liver depression and blood stasis can all cause alopecia areata, with liver and kidney deficiency being the most common, accounting for about 70-80% of patients. Alopecia areata caused by liver and kidney deficiency has its own characteristics. "Patients usually have dry, yellow, or grayish hair. When the disease occurs, large areas of hair fall off evenly. In severe cases, all body hair may fall out, even the eyebrows, and some have a family history of hair loss." According to Xian Guowei, this type of patient often experiences symptoms such as soreness in the lower back and knees, dizziness, tinnitus, spermatorrhea, insomnia with many dreams, aversion to cold with cold limbs.Female patients with alopecia areata are mostly of the qi and blood deficiency type. Especially after childbirth, they present with progressive hair loss. The area of hair loss becomes larger and larger, the scalp is smooth and shiny, and residual hairs can be seen scattered in the bald areas, but they fall off with a light touch. At the same time, patients may have pale lips, palpitations, mental fatigue, shortness of breath, talkativeness, dizziness, blurred vision, drowsiness, or insomnia. Some men who have had a serious illness or have been ill for a long time may also become this type of patient.
In addition, the blood deficiency with wind-dryness type of alopecia areata is characterized by sudden patchy hair loss, sometimes with scalp itching or a feeling of heat in the head, and patients are often irritable and prone to anger. In individual cases, both eyebrows and beards fall out. The liver depression and blood stasis type is characterized by symptoms such as headaches, scalp pricking pain, or chest pain before hair loss occurs. Patients often have nightmares, irritability, insomnia, and are full of anxiety. In severe cases, it can lead to total alopecia.
Treatment
After the "bald spot" forms, it's too late to treat.
"The liver and kidney deficiency type accounts for about 20% of seborrheic alopecia, but it is very common among young people, the weak, or mental workers, regardless of gender," Xian Guowei said. It is characterized by a smooth scalp at the hair loss site with a few sparse, fine, and short hairs, and the person often experiences dizziness, insomnia, poor memory, and frequent urination at night.It is worth noting that in the Pearl River Delta region, the number of patients with hair loss caused by liver and kidney deficiency is far higher than in the western and northern parts of Guangdong. This is not only related to parental inheritance but also to the fast pace of life, high mental stress, and disrupted regulation in the human body in this region.
However, from the situation in Guangdong, damp-heat steaming and blood-heat with wind-dryness are also common causes of seborrheic alopecia. Among them, damp-heat steaming accounts for 60%-70% of patients. Patients usually eat more rich, sweet, and greasy foods, their hair is greasy, they have a lot of scalp oil, the scalp is reddish, they have a lot of dandruff, and are prone to itching, and are often irritable. Patients with the blood-heat and wind-dryness type, on the other hand, have dry hair, slightly yellowish hair, even hair loss, dandruff, a dry mouth and tongue, and yellow urine.
Treatment for hair loss should be targeted. For example, those with liver and kidney deficiency need to nourish the liver and kidneys; those with damp-heat steaming need to clear heat, remove dampness, and strengthen the spleen; and those with blood-heat and wind-dryness need to cool the blood and clear heat, expel wind, and moisten dryness. In terms of timing for treatment, do not wait until hair follicles atrophy and large "bald spots" have formed before seeking treatment. The earlier the treatment, the better the effect.
Prevention
Don't take Korean ginseng. Wash your hair at most three times a week.
Since hair loss is related to both diet and mental factors, Xian Guowei especially emphasized that while undergoing drug treatment, mental adjustment and dietary conditioning are also very important. First, relax and be happy; second, ensure adequate sleep and a regular routine; third, eat less sweet and greasy food, such as not overindulging in ice cream in the summer, avoid smoking and drinking, and eat spicy food in moderation.Some people believe that soft, yellow, and sparse hair is most prone to falling out. Xian Guowei said that this hair type is largely related to genetics, and with proper conditioning, it may not necessarily lead to hair loss. However, if the hair was originally coarse, black, and hard, and there is a sudden change in hair texture, then prevention of hair loss is necessary. If someone used to have a lot of hair, especially women, and it starts to become sparse around the age of 25, they should pay special attention. Women should also pay attention to changes in their hair during childbirth. "If you lose a lot of hair, you should go to the hospital for treatment after giving birth."
Many hair loss patients often eat tonics that nourish yin and kidneys, such as walnuts, sesame seeds, and American ginseng. Xian Guowei warned that light tonics are okay, but it is not suitable to eat foods that are too sweet, greasy, or hard to digest, and especially not to take Korean ginseng.
Hair loss patients should pay special attention to daily hair care to avoid worsening the condition. Xian Guowei introduced the following aspects that need attention:
First, do not wash your hair too frequently. Generally, indoor workers can wash it 2-3 times a week. Unless you are a patient group with high dust exposure, such as construction workers, who need to wash it daily.
Second, the water temperature for washing hair should not be too high or too low. Generally, 30°C is fine. When using a hairdryer afterwards, do not blow it too dry, and pulling the hair is also a bad habit.
Third, it is best to choose shampoos that contain plant-based ingredients and use fewer shampoos with all-chemical ingredients, especially for people with sensitive scalps, as it can easily worsen hair loss.