Common Causes Of Hair Loss + 4 Natural Ingredients To Use Instead
If youre concerned about recent hair loss, your shampoo might be to blame. Here are the common chemical culprits youre probably using, and natural follicle-boosting ingredients to look for instead.
Theres nothing like the gut-wrenching feeling of running your fingers through your strands and coming out with a fist full of hair.
Your immediate reaction is probably panic, wondering what could be causing your hair to fall out more than usual. While increased hair loss can be the result of anything from scalp irritations to hormones, theres one huge factor many people dont consider: chemicals in hair products.
Want naturally radiant skin? Weve created a FREE guide to give you the best tips & tricks for natural skincare.
It turns out there are an abundant amount of chemicals in your shampoo and conditioner that could be contributing to, or even directly causing, your hair loss. Read on to discover what they are, and how to find natural alternatives.
Treatment Of Hair Loss Related To Cancer In Cats
It’s important that can owners understand that feline paraneoplastic alopecia is a symptom of late stage aggressive cancer, not a disease itself. There is no treatment for it alone. Generally, when “shiny” tell-tale skin lesions and hair loss are apparent, the cancer is far advanced in the cat, and its prognosis is very poor. However, feline cancers can be treated and managed with success, depending on the size of the tumors, and the metastasizing of systems within the body.
Aggressive feline cancer treatment includes surgery in which tumors can be removed if not too large, and chemotherapy and radiation treatment. As with any treatment of an aggressive disease, the sooner that it is detected, the better the chances of a recovery. And owners should be aware that while the treatments described above can have effective results if the cancer is caught early enough, they also can cause injury and toxic side effects. There is also no guarantee that feline cancer won’t recur. Treatment length depends on the severity of the disease, and can range from weeks to months, depending on the course chosen.
Is Ipl Safe For The Face
Of course. It is. No problems with the face area. As long as there is hair you are trying to remove then IPL can work. But the only thing you should be concerning yourself with is any open wounds on the face, bad acne, and dark skin. I write about the dark skin because IPL can be a little tricky when it comes to the darker skin type.
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Scarves Hats And Turbans
Many people find that scarves and hats are the easiest, most comfortable, and versatile solution for managing hair loss from breast cancer treatment. Scarves and hats can hide your hair loss, help keep you warm, protect you from the sun, and they can be stylish and fun to wear. Learn more about Scarves, Hats, and Turbans for managing treatment-related hair loss.
Hair Loss And Your Children
If you have young children, you may be concerned about how theyll react to seeing you lose your hair as a side effect of chemotherapy.
Experts say that no matter the age of your kids, its best to prepare them before your hair falls out with honest, age-appropriate information about what to expect.
Since kids often follow your lead, try not to get too upset yourself during the conversation. Reassure them that your hair will grow back. It might also make them feel better to participate in some of the things youre doing to prepare, such as picking out hats, scarves, or other head coverings, or shaving off your hair.
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Why Do I Need Multiple Laser Hair Removal Treatments
People wonder why it takes multiple sessions to achieve the amount of permanent hair reduction they seek. Why cant it all go away in a single session? The reason is the hair growth cycle. The human body has around five million individual hairs on it, and each hair operates independently of the others. Each hair can be in a different phase of the growth cycle. This cycle includes active growth, called the anagen phase a transitional period called the catagen phase, and a resting phase called the telogen phase.
Laser energy is only effective if the hair is still actively anchored in the hair follicle, and this only occurs in the anagen/growth phase. But hair can also be in the catagen or telogen phases. In these phases, the hair is already on the path to being shed. The hair is no longer receiving any nourishment from the follicle and it may have already separated from the follicle. This is why laser energy applied to hairs in these phases cant get down into the follicle.
Can Laser Hair Removal Cause Cancer
Its a myth that laser hair removal can cause cancer. In fact, according to the Skin Care Foundation, the procedure is sometimes used to treat certain forms of precancerous lesions.
Different lasers are used to treat sun damage and wrinkles. The lasers used in hair removal or other skin procedures have such a minimal amount of radiation. Plus, the minimal amount is only being exacted on the surface of the skin. So, they dont pose a risk of cancer.
Its also a myth that laser hair removal can cause infertility. Only the skin surface is affected by the lasers, so the minimal radiation from the procedure cant penetrate to any of your organs.
Talk to your doctor about potential risks if youre currently trying to get pregnant.
Overall, laser hair removal is safe and effective for most people. As a precaution, you shouldnt get the procedure done near your eyes or during pregnancy. See your doctor if any rare symptoms occur after laser hair treatments.
Also, know that the procedure doesnt guarantee permanent removal. You might need follow-up treatments.
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The Look Good Feel Better Program
The Look Good Feel Better program is designed to help people cope with the effects that cancer treatment can have on their appearance. During weekly sessions, makeup artists teach makeup techniques, skin and nail care, and hair styling and head-covering options. To register for a class, call Look Good Feel Better at 800-395-LOOK or visit www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org.
Men can find information at www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org/programs/men.
Managing Other Peoples Reactions
Today, cancer is much more talked about than it was in the past. People are more aware of the effects of cancer treatment on hair. It is more openly discussed and accepted. But sometimes family and friends may be upset by your hair loss and find it hard not to show it. This can be difficult for you to deal with. Try to remember it is usually because they are concerned for you and may not know how to react.
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If Youre Having Radiation Therapy To The Pelvis
Radiation therapy to the pelvis can cause side effects such as:
- Bladder problems
- Fertility problems
- Changes in your sex life
You might also have some of the same problems people get from radiation to the abdomen, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation.
Bladder problems
Radiation to the pelvis can cause problems with urination, including:
- Pain or burning sensations
- Blood in the urine
- An urge to urinate often
Most of these problems get better over time, but radiation therapy can cause longer-term side effects as well:
Is Skin Cancer Of The Scalp The Same As Other Skin Cancers
Yes, the same skin cancers that occur on other areas of the skin can occur on the scalp.
These include the three most common skin cancers:
- Basal cell carcinoma, the most common skin cancer as well as the most common of all cancers. This skin cancer is almost always related to accumulated sun damage.
- Squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common skin cancer, which very frequently is related to sun damage.
- Melanoma, the most serious of the skin cancers, which is related to many factors, including sun damage and tanning beds.
The hair on the head does offer some protection from the sun but not complete protection.
Signs of skin cancer on the scalp are the same as signs of all skin cancers, i.e., a sore that does not heal or a new growth or a mole that is irregular, has changed or has just appeared. The biggest challenges that scalp skin cancers present involve detection and prevention.
Even people who regularly check their skin as recommended often do not think of including their scalp. It is important to have someone else check the scalp thoroughly on a regular basis. Many hairdressers are trained to look for skin cancer signs on their clients scalps and are often are the ones to notice a suspicious lesion.
Perform a Skin Self-Exam
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Diagnosis Of Hair Loss Related To Cancer In Cats
While other mammals may abnormally shed for a variety of reasons, in felines, the two leading causes of hair loss are allergy and underlying disease. While hair loss in cats does not necessarily indicate a serious medical condition, it should not be ignored, especially if it is accompanied by any or all of the symptoms described above. When the cat is brought in for examination, its vet will most likely start with a dermatological approach, examining lesions and skin condition, checking for parasites, and inquiring about food habits. If parasites and allergies don’t seem to be potential causes, the vet will move on to other testing, including skin biopsies and blood tests.
The cat’s owner can be very helpful here by keeping diligent notes on the cat’s symptoms and behavior prior to being brought in for examination. Because time is of the essence where small animal diagnoses is concerned, any information a pet owner can pass along on even seemingly trivial things can be helpful in steering a veterinarian towards a correct diagnoses. As always, it’s helpful if the cat owner can give the vet a full “litter box report” even if symptoms don’t indicate an underlying internal cause.
Does Hair Laser Removal Really Cause Skin Cancer
over a year ago
Hiya,
OK, weâve had some discussions about laser hair removal lately and some people were saying it causes breast and skin cancer. Iâve seen no evidence for breast cancer but skin cancer makes more sense to me. Iâd like to get to the bottom of this. Iâm not actively considering hair laser removal right now but Iâve toyed with the idea of course, who doesnât want perpetually smooth skin? Loads of people go for it, thatâs for sure! So, is laser hair removal dangerous and can it cause skin cancer? If anyone knows more about this, please comment.
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Guest over a year ago
over a year ago
In reply to anonymous on 2017-03-06 â click to read
Londongirl347945 over a year ago
Thanks. That kinda satisfies my curiosity but not 100%. Thereâs people out there who say that laser hair removal causes skin cancer. Why do they think that happens? Like whatâs the mechanism by which they think hair laser removal leads to cancer? I assume this has something to do with radiation. Hair laser removal involves radiation, right? Like x-rays? What kind of radiation is that and what do we know about it? So âsciency people say that laser hair removal doesnât cause cancerâ isnât quite enough for me, Iâd like to know more and I would love to hear from people who do think this kind of hair removal can cause cancer and why they think that.
over a year ago
In reply to Londongirl347945 on 2017-03-07 â click to read
over a year ago
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What Is Laser Hair Removal
A laser can be described as a beam light that is focused in one direction.
In other words, lasers used for hair removal are made up of specific wavelengths of light from the infrared range to target the hair root.
The light is attracted to the natural pigment melanin found at the root of each hair follicle.
Then, when the laser is focused on the derma, it gets absorbed by the pigment inside the hair, causing it to heat up. Thereby destroying the hair follicles this act would stop new hair growth.
However, there is a different category of lasers, and some are used to treat sun damage and wrinkles, While the other is used for hair removal.
The laser used for the hair removal procedure has minimal radiation, exacted on the skins surface. Therefore it does not expose the skin to the risk of cancer.
One of the essential factors to consider when choosing to go for laser hair removal treatments is the level of light concentration which could increase the risk of developing skin cancer.
Skin cancer often occurs due to too much exposure to certain high light levels in the UV range.
When People are exposed to UV in sunlight and some high artificial light sources, such as tanning beds, etc., have a high energy wavelength beyond the human range of vision and could be dangerous to the skin.
These lights are so powerful that they can damage the genetic material inside of our cells.
What Is Skin Cancer
Cancer can start any place in the body. Skin cancer starts when cells in the skin grow out of control.
Skin cancer cells can sometimes spread to other parts of the body, but this is not common. When cancer cells do this, its called metastasis. To doctors, the cancer cells in the new place look just like the ones from the skin.
Cancer is always named based on the place where it starts. So if skin cancer spreads to another part of the body, its still called skin cancer.
The skin
Ask your doctor to use this picture to show you where your cancer is
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From Stem Cell To Descendants In Tumors
From a single stem cell, an embryo grows into a fetus with multiple and various organs and tissues comprising hundreds of different cell types. All this is thanks to the ability of stem cells to divide, multiply, and differentiate into a plethora of specialized cells.
Stem cells can also switch cell type. While this flexibility is an asset during development, it can be hazardous in adulthood, when there is a risk that it might help drive cancer.
Scientists believe that this flexibility makes it difficult to pin down the stem cell of origin in melanoma.
Knowing the stem cell of origin could make it easier to track the progress of the cancer, rendering the disease less difficult to treat.
Because melanocytes are cells that make the pigment that colors the skin and eyes, as well as the hair, the researchers needed a way to manipulate only melanocyte stem cells in hair follicles.
They achieved this by genetically engineering a breed of mice that they called the c-Kit-CreER mouse. With this mouse model, they could alter the genes of melanocyte stem cells in hair follicles without impacting those in other parts of the body.
In addition, by altering the genes in the new mouse model, the researchers could make the follicular melanocyte stem cells glow and trace their glowing descendant cancer cells, regardless of where they ended up.
What Is Hair Skin & Nails
Hair, Skin & Nails is a form of vitamin B found in foods. This medicine helps the body break down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
Hair, Skin & Nails has been used in alternative medicine as a likely effective aid in treating or preventing this medicine deficiency. This medicine deficiency can be caused by malnutrition, rapid weight loss, long-term tube feeding, and other medical conditions.
Hair, Skin & Nails has also been used to treat seborrhea in babies. However, research has shown that this medicine may not be effective in treating this condition.
Other uses not proven with research have included treating brittle nails or thinning hair, diabetes, nerve pain, and other conditions.
It is not certain whether Hair, Skin & Nails is effective in treating any medical condition. Medicinal use of this product has not been approved by the FDA. This medicine should not be used in place of medication prescribed for you by your doctor.
Hair, Skin & Nails is often sold as an herbal supplement. There are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for many herbal compounds and some marketed supplements have been found to be contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination.
Hair, Skin & Nails may also be used for purposes not listed in this product guide.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Hair Loss
Hair loss can occur suddenly or gradually. While some kinds of hair loss are temporary, some are permanent. The most common symptoms of hair loss are:
- Gradual thinning at the forehead or receding hairline
- Circular patchy bald spots or alopecia
- Loosening of hair
- Patches of scaling due to an infection
- Full body hair loss due to medical treatments like chemotherapy
Skin Cancer Diagnosis Always Requires A Skin Biopsy
When you see a dermatologist because youve found a spot that might be skin cancer, your dermatologist will examine the spot.
If the spot looks like it could be a skin cancer, your dermatologist will remove it all or part of it. This can easily be done during your appointment. The procedure that your dermatologist uses to remove the spot is called a skin biopsy.
Having a skin biopsy is essential. Its the only way to know whether you have skin cancer. Theres no other way to know for sure.
What your dermatologist removes will be looked at under a microscope. The doctor who examines the removed skin will look for cancer cells. If cancer cells are found, your biopsy report will tell you what type of skin cancer cells were found. When cancer cells arent found, your biopsy report will explain what was seen under the microscope.
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