10 Factors that causes hair loss, poor hair growth, weak growth of hair follicles

Age - The skin elasticity with age, causing hair to fall out prematurely. When no new hair replaces, baldness occurs.

Bacterial infection - Causes hair to drop out in clumps leaving bald patches.

Health and diet - overeating of sweet, starchy, fatty foods may cause over secretion of sebum while poor diet causes poor health and poor supply of nutrients.)

Serious illness - Certain medicine will result in some hair loss.

Genetic factors - Children may inherit hereditary traits from 1 or both parents E.g Balding pattern (Alopecia) and racial factors have a bearing on hair growth where certain groups may have certain types of hair.

Hormones balance - Hair is replaced faster at puberty than at old age

Climate and seasons - Spring and autumn may see greater hair fall. As for summer it increases hair growth.

physical conditions - Excess sweating, tension or fear, blood flow restriction affects normal hair growth

Blood circulation - The hair derives its nourishment from the blood supply. In the absence of health blood circulation, the health of hair declines.

Emotional disturbances - Or mental tension are linked to the hair health through the nervous system

Hair structure

Cuticle

Cuticle has approximately 8-10 layers of outermost protective, overlapping flat cells. There are no pigment in cuticle dead cells. Its usually colorless, transparent cells point towards the hair end. Ceramide, like cement, is found in between the scales. It holds the cuticles in position. Chemical solutions used during perming, straightening and coloring can raise these scales so that solutions can enter into the hair shaft. It is this layer which primarily determines how much and how fast chemicals are allowed into the hair to be processed.

Cortex

The cortex is the middle of the most important layer that forms the bulk of the hair. It is this part of the hair that gives strength and elasticity.The cortex can be damaged by strong developer, perm lotion or straightening cream. Fine hair can be damaged easier than coarse hair. Protein and color pigments are found here. Hair color, light or dark, depends upon the amount of grains of melanin present in the cortex. Grey hair is due mainly to the absence of pigment in the cortical layer at the hair bulb.

Medulla

Medulla is known as the pith or marrow of hair shaft. Found in the innermost later or center of hair. It consists of very soft keratin round cells interspersed with air spaces. It is an additional deepest later in coarse hair, it is believed that it carries nutrients and other substances to the cortex and cuticle. This could explain why hair is so affected so rapidly by changes in health. The medulla may be absent in fine or very fine hair.

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