If you are an African American man or woman and won’t to know why your hair is falling out don’t despair. Hopefully this article will help you understand why you are having trouble with your hair and offer you some valuable solutions, such as vitamins that you can take for hair growth, products for hair loss, and foods that you can eat. To start let’s make it clear that African Americans do not go bald or experience hair loss for different reason than other races. Regardless of your ethnicity you need to see a doctor if you are losing copious amounts of hair very suddenly.
Hair loss can happen to anyone for several reasons including, but not limited to illness, cancer medications, work, emotional stress, childbirth, thyroid disease, and more. Androgenetic Alopecia accounts for 95% of all hair loss. It can affect both men and women although men experience a much greater degree of loss. In women Androgenetic Alopecia appears as diffuse hair loss occurring over most of the scalp. In men however the pattern of loss usually starts with a receding hairline which then advances to thin the top of the head. However, African Americans do experience slower hair growth and balding specifically due to issues such as chemical overprocessing from chemical relaxers, poor diet habits that lack vitamins and vegetables, and certain medications that African Americans use to combat diabetes, lupus, and high blood pressure. Here is a list of various types of hair loss:
Trichotillomania– compulsive hair pulling. Hair loss due to trichotillomania is typically patchy, as compulsive hair pullers tend to concentrate the pulling in selected areas. Hair loss due to this cause cannot be treated effectively until the psychological or emotional reasons for trichotillomania are effectively addressed.
Alopecia areata– a possibly autoimmune disorder that causes patchy hair loss that can range from diffuse thinning to extensive areas of baldness with “islands” of retained hair. Medical examination is necessary to establish a diagnosis.
Triangular alopecia- loss of hair in the temporal areas that sometimes begins in childhood. Hair loss may be complete, or a few fine, thin-diameter hairs may remain. The cause of triangular alopecia is not known, but the condition can be treated medically or surgically.
Scarring alopecia– hair loss due to scarring of the scalp area. Scarring alopecia typically involves the top of the scalp and occurs predominantly in women. The condition frequently occurs in African-American women and is believed to be associated with persistent tight braiding or “corn-rowing” of scalp hair. A form of scarring alopecia also may occur in post-menopausal women, associated with inflammation of hair follicles and subsequent scarring.
Telogen effluvium– a common type of hair loss caused when a large percentage of scalp hairs are shifted into “shedding” phase. The causes of telogen effluvium may be hormonal, nutritional, drug-associated, or stress-associated. Loose-anagen syndrome-a condition occurring primarily in fair-haired persons in which scalp hair sits loosely in hair follicles and is easily extracted by combing or pulling. The condition may appear in childhood, and may improve as the person ages. Diagnosis and Treatment
Steps to Prevent Hair Loss for African Americans
Step #1: Avoid hair styling techniques that pull the tight. Hair pulling and twisting styling techniques used by many African Americans can lend themselves to hair loss and balding. That is why it is important that African American men and women reduce the wearing of tight braids. This can lead to Scarring alopecia– hair loss due to scarring of the scalp area. Scarring alopecia typically involves the top of the scalp and occurs predominantly in Black women. The condition frequently occurs in African-American women and is believed to be associated with persistent tight braiding or “corn-rowing” of scalp hair. A form of scarring alopecia also may occur in post-menopausal women, associated with inflammation of hair follicles and subsequent scarring. If you are going to wear your braids then please request that your stylist does not pull or plat them so tightly. Remember it is better that your hair come loose, than it fallout.
Step #2: Try using natural herbs and natural oils to stimulate hair growth. Try buying Vitamin E oil and Coconut Oil to massage into your scalp daily. Both of these oils work great. If you do not want to use chemicals like Rogain or Propecia, then try Beauty 4 Ashes Super Hair Growth System. Beauty 4 Ashes “A Double Portion” hair growth products contain rosemary, castor, fenugreek. They formulas work because they come from Indian and African herbs that have been used for years to regrow thinning hair. You can find them online at wwwdiscoverb4acom
Step #3: Start eating more foods that are rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6, such as fish. Also, try drinking protein shakes and more water. Eat leafy vegetables and foods that are reach in B-Vitamins. It is important to understand that hair is made of protein hair loss and needs proper nutrition to grow.
Step #4: Let Your Scalp breathe. Do not wear baseball caps, wigs, and weaves everyday. Stop using glue for your hair weaves.
