There’s a difference between hair fall and hair shedding. People generally shed anywhere from 50-100 hairs per day; any more than that could be something more concerning. Preventing hair fall is first a matter of knowing i’s underlying cause: if it’s a medical condition, then it should be treated first. But if it isn’t, supplements can be just as effective.
So which supplements can men use to prevent hair fall? This depends on the specific nutrients that your body needs in order to grow healthy hair, such as biotin, zinc, vitamin B, and keratin to name a few. These are some of the nutrients that you should be looking out for when shopping for your hair supplement.
Why Does Hair Fall Happen?
To understand why hair falls, it’s beneficial to first know why hair grows. The growth cycle of hair has 3 phases:
- Anagen: this can also be considered as the active growth stage of the hair. The anagen hair rate of your scalp tends to differ from your eyebrows or pubic hairs. Anagen hair rate for the scalp tends to be about 1 cm per month. Supplements and lifestyle changes can extend this period, however.
- Catagen: hair actually stops growing and the roots begin to shrink at this phase, forming club hairs.
- Telogen: this is where the hair begins to “rest.” The hair follicle stops growing and easily falls out. This can also be known as “shedding” which is a necessary effect that makes way for new hairs to grow and repeat the cycle all over again.
Hair fall and loss happen when the cycle is disrupted. Alopecia is when hairs start to skip the anagen phase entirely and jump straight to the telogen phase. The factors that can jeopardize this cycle include, but are not limited to:
1. Improper Hair Care
Improper hair care may not only damage hair but can also lead to scalp irritation. How you shampoo your hair has a significant impact on its quality.
The best use of shampoo is typically when you first wash your head with warm water. Applying the shampoo only on wet hair tends to be a common mistake. Shampoo is actually made for the scalp, affecting your hair roots. Another common hair care mistake is drying off wet hair too aggressively. It’s recommended to instead gently rub it with your towel.
Since scalp health is so important, alternative therapies such as massages may also help with hair care.
2. Lifestyle
When you experience constant stress at home or at the workplace, hair health tends to take a hit as well, which can be a potential cause for pattern baldness. Stress can cause one of the types of hair loss called telogen effluvium, which causes diffuse hair loss. This is when large amounts of hair in the telogen phase gets pushed out.
3. Genetics
Your genetic makeup plays a significant role in the fate of your scalp. What’s more is that there are no ways to alter them in any way; a permanent hair loss treatment for hereditary hair loss has yet to be found. According to studies, an average of 65% of the population has a gene within them that will cause hair loss. You can only slow down hereditary hair loss, but not stop it entirely.
Hair loss disorders, such as androgenetic alopecia, also tend to be passed down, affecting up to 50% of men and women. For women, they may experience what is called female pattern hair loss, or FPHL. While men tend to experience hair loss at the front, women will experience pattern baldness starting from the top or back of their heads.
4. Aging
As someone begins to age, the hair follicles on their scalp begin to give out. Hair regrowth in the anagen phase starts happening less and less. They also no longer become as effective in transporting melanin, a hair coloring pigment, and other much needed nutrients to the scalp as before, which is why hair turns white.
5. Lack of Nutrients
There are various effects of nutrient deficiency that you may experience. Healthy hair depends on the nutrients. This is why nutritional deficiencies tend to be a common cause for a loss of hair.
Nutritional deficiencies also tend to cause only temporary hair loss. Once you begin consuming the necessary vitamins and nutrients again, hair will begin growing healthy again.
Look out for food that contains nutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin A, biotin, vitamins B, C, D, or E.
A vitamin D deficiency, for instance, may cause complications with your head of hair. This is because it plays a key role in processing keratin, a protein found within the hair follicles. This is also why an imbalanced protein intake may also cause hair loss. Another essential nutrient is iron, without which may lead to a condition called iron deficiency anemia, which has potential links to hair loss. Iron can be found in sweet potatoes and red meat.
It’s important to first visit your doctor before diagnosing yourself with a certain kind of vitamin deficiency. This way, a medical professional can guide you with what nutrients you need to grow healthier hair.
Supplements for Hair Fall in Men
If you aren’t able to change your diet or lifestyle, doctors may recommend supplements for hair loss for you. Treatment of alopecia in women may also be a successful treatment for men too.
In one placebo-controlled, double-blind study involving women who had self-perceived thinning hair, researchers found favorable results in the use of an extra-strength marine protein supplement in women. They concluded that such a supplement helps to decrease shedding and hair loss in women, while promoting hair growth in women who have temporary hair thinning.
Another study found the success with the supplement on patients with hair loss, specifically subclinical hair loss in premenopausal women. Additional studies have found that it not only decreases hair shedding in women but in men with thinning hair too.
Although supplements may have benefits for hair growth, any underlying medical condition may hinder its effectiveness.
1. Minoxidil
This is commonly referred to as Rogaine. It’s essentially a 5% topical solution that you apply on your scalp that encourages hair follicle growth. It is also typically used to make hair thicker and as a solution for patchy hair loss and diffuse hair loss.
Topical application may work to increase the appearance of hair density because minoxidil tends to lengthen the growth phase, or the anagen phase, of hair. It does this by making your blood vessels wider, allowing more oxygen-rich blood to the hair follicles, catalyzing their growth.
A study found evidence to support that, for patients with hair loss, topical minoxidil can safely be used to treat female pattern hair loss. They noted, however, that additional studies may still be needed.
While it lengthens the growth phase, it simultaneously shortens the resting phase. This means that the hair has a longer “lifespan” and can continue growing for much longer, thicker, and stronger before shedding again.
This should be used with caution, however. Minoxidil tends to be potent which can easily lead to unwanted hair growth. To understand the right amount to use, it is recommended that you visit their dermatologists before usage.
2. Biotin
Another important key hair strengthening nutrient to watch out for is biotin, which also goes by the name of Vitamin H. Biotin are essentially fatty acids that produce oils that keep parts of the body well hydrated.
It’s important to know how much biotin supplements you should be taking. While it’s generally recommended to take 5 mg daily, that number may differ per person. Biotin supplementation, or any supplementation for that matter, should be discussed with your doctor first to help understand any potential underlying medical conditions such as biotinidase deficiency, a type of inherited disorder where the body isn’t able to recycle biotin in the body.
Although biotin supplementation may be positive, you may alternatively try including biotin-rich food in your diet, such as egg yolks, soybeans, lentils, nuts, and whole grains.
3. Zinc
Zinc helps your body produce protein, which strengthens hair. Not only will your hair become better, but it will also improve your overall immune system too, protecting you from illnesses such as the common cold. A study wrote that zinc has effects as both a topical treatment and oral supplement. The same study wrote that oral supplementation may have positive effects at 50mg daily.
A study found that, in the 312 patients with hair loss (alopecia areata, male-pattern hair loss, female pattern hair loss, or telogen effluvium), they all had a low serum zinc level. The study then wrote that therapeutic effects and a change in serum zinc level after zinc supplementation were found. Another study has written, however, that additional studies and further analysis of serum zinc are still needed to form conclusive findings on zinc supplementation on hair growth.
Alternatively, some zinc-rich foods that you can include in your daily diet are sesame seeds, nuts, eggs, fish, and oysters.
4. Vitamin B
There are multiple vitamin B’s that contribute to hair growth. Folic acid, or vitamin B-9, has been linked to not only keeping hair healthy but, potentially, colored too. Clinical trials found in one 2017 study found that in 52 patients with premature graying, they experienced folic acid deficiency. That being said, research on folic acid’s effect would need additional studies.
Besides supplements, folic acid can be found in leafy greens, peanuts, and seafood.
Another is vitamin B-12. It not only helps avoid hair loss but can also benefit your mind too. Clinical trials have shown that low levels of vitamin B-12 have a link with poorer memory and cognitive performance in people. Sources of vitamin B-12 are low-fat yogurt, tuna, and even fortified breakfast cereals.
5. Keratin
An important type of protein that plays a significant role in the growth of your hair is keratin. Keratin is a protein that strengthens not only your hair but skin and nails too. It is commonly found in the horns, feathers, and wool of different animals in the wild.
A study has found a link between supplementation with keratin and a normalization of anagen hair rate in women.
There tends to be rough cells that surround your hair strand that makes it so prone to breakage. Keratin will smoothen the cells, called the hair cuticle, out. The keratin then gets absorbed by this hair cuticle, which helps give an appearance of the growth of thicker hair
Prior to using keratin supplements, it’s important to consult with your doctor about the appropriate dosage for your body type. Since keratin is a protein, it’s important to know the adequate protein intake for you. While it may not be common, protein poisoning has the possibility of being life-threatening.
Benefits of PEP Factor
Medical treatments and procedures such as hair transplants or laser therapy can often be costly or too painful for the person. But through developments in hair rejuvenation technology, there are now newer alternatives to supplements for encouraging hair to grow strong and full. Individuals with hair loss may experience the benefits of PEP Factor, which include, but are not limited to:
- Organic scalp rejuvenation
- Affordability and effectiveness
- Non-surgical; you won’t need to visit the operating room to experience results
- Long-lasting results
- Easy procedure
PEP Factor is made up of a unique, 146 amino-acid polypeptide chain protein. This makes it the only bioidentical mature protein that the market has to offer. How it works is that the unique protein stimulates the fibroblasts found in the scalp. These fibroblasts contribute to generating more collagen and elastin in the body, which are the 2 components needed to rejuvenate your hair and skin, helping with pattern baldness.
PEP Factor is a unique and high-quality skin and scalp system that was formulated by licensed doctors at UMR. They also have focused research on skin cancer and are in the process of researching and developing an effective topical skin cream for treating skin cancers.
Get The Best Supplements for Your Hair and Skin at FACE Med Store
FACE Med Store provides you with high-quality and medical-grade products for your hair and skin needs at competitive prices. We embrace innovation and consistently add new products to our catalogue to give our customers the best medical and beauty supplements, devices, and tools they could get, including the in-demand hair rejuvenation tool PEP Factor. To explore your options for hair loss treatments, click here or visit FACE Med Store today.
Give your patients Pep Factor from FACE Med Store, and provide them with a unique alternative for promoting their skin and scalp health.
