HAIR LOSS HORMONAL BALANCE AND MENSTRUAL HEALTH
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND FOOD
BEFORE YOU READ THIS GUIDE... There are many conditions that can cause someone to suddenly start to experience rapid hair loss, but the two most common reasons are hormonal imbalances and nutritional deficiencies. The hair growth cycle has 4 phases: anagen, catagen, telogen and exogen. The length of each phase is effected by the nutrients that we consume and our hormones. When the body is being deprived of certain nutrients these phases can move at a more rapid pace, become stagnant or cause the structure of the hair shaft to become weak, so the hair falls out quickly, doesn't come back or breaks very easily. If your hair loss is due to hormonal imbalances or nutritional deficiencies, this guide will teach you how to heal it naturally.
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"HAIR LOSS IS A NORMAL PART OF AGING, BUT PREMATURE HAIR LOSS OR ANDROGENIC ALOPECIA ARE USUALLY S I G N S T H A T S O M E T H I N G I S WR O N G " You should start to notice a difference in your hair growth after 3 months of consistently implementing the tips from this guide into your regimen. Check in with your physcian to see if it’s safe for you to use the recommended dietary changes and supplements . This information is meant to bring awareness to how nutrition and hormones can have an affect on your hair growth cycle but is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Do not wait to seek medical counsel, diagnosis or treatment.
THE FOODS THAT WE EAT CAN HAVE A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE EFFECT ON OUR HAIR GROWTH CYCLES PAGE 02
POOR CIRCULATION Oxidative stress to the scalp and insufficient blood circulation to the scalp stops the roots of your hair from receiving adequate nutrients, which leaves your hair follicles weak and lifeless.
The more healthy, oxygenated blood that you have circulating to your scalp, the more nourished your hair follicles will be. A mineral called iron is responsible for making sure the roots of your hair gets an adequate amount of nutrients daily. People who menstruate between the ages 19-50 need 18 milligrams per day to compensate for menstrual losses. Its recommended that you don’t exceed 40 milligrams per day. If you can't get enough from food daily, you need to take an iron supplement.
This is my favorite iron supplement to use Oxidative stress in the scalp can also weaken or damage the hair follicles. Vitamin E is the nutrient that fights oxidative stress in the scalp and it also promotes healthy circulation. The recommended daily intake of vitamin E for people who menstruate is 15 milligrams(mg) or 22.5 international units(IU). If you can't get enough vitamin E from food daily, you need to take a vitamin E supplement.
This is my favorite vitamin E supplement to use PAGE 03
DEHYDRATION Dehydration accelerates hair loss because "thirsty" hair becomes thin, brittle, dry and breaks off very easily.
The recommended daily intake of water for people who menstruate is about 64 ounces(8 cups) per day. If you exercise often or work in a hot environment that causes you to sweat a lot you should drink about 96–128 ounces(12-16 cups) of water per day to ensure that your hair, as well as your entire body is hydrated enough. Drinking too much alcohol also indirectly causes premature hair loss, because it is an extremely dehydrating substance. Binge drinking also contributes to hormonal imbalances like high testosterone, low progesterone or low thyroid hormones that are notorious for causing premature hair loss. You don't have to completely eliminate alcoholic beverages from your diet, but you should minimize it down to a couple of drinks every two weeks to keep your hormone levels stabilized.
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MALNOURISHED SKIN Skin is the body's largest organ. Its made of water, protein, fats and minerals. When skin does not receive an adequate amount of these things, it becomes weak and damaged, which causes anything that grows out of the skin such as your hair and nails to be negatively effected. Hair is primarily made up of a protein called keratin and chains of amino acids. When you don't consume the recommended daily intake of protein it can break up the amino acid chains, which causes brittle, dull, and damaged hair strands that break very easily. Most people get a large portion of the recommended daily intake of protein from the meats that they eat, but there are also many plant-based sources of protein too. If you spend most of your day seated or you're not very active, you need at least 50 grams of protein per day and a person who is active most of the day will need more than that. If you struggle to get the recommended daily intake of protein, I suggest you try adding one smoothie that contains plant-based protein powder into your daily eating regimen. This is my favorite plant-based protein powder Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. Its found in the bones, muscles, skin, and tendons and its responsible for holding the body together. The amino acids in collagen build hair proteins and strengthen the skin that contains your hair roots, as well as prevents hair follicle damage and premature graying. The body needs vitamin C to make collagen. When you're not getting the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, the low collagen levels will cause your hair to become dry, brittle and damaged. The recommended daily intake of vitamin C for people who menstruate is 75 milligrams per day. PAGE 05
HORMONAL IMBALANCES Having too much testosterone in your body or a thyroid disorder can cause excessive hair loss in people who menstruate.
When the testosterone levels in the body are too high, it can easily lead to a condition called Androgenic Alopecia, which is thinning edges and thinning hair parts due to high levels of male sex hormones being present in the body. It can easily be reversed by reducing the amount of testosterone that the body is producing daily. Thyroid disorders also cause hair loss. Your thyroid is the small, butterfly-shaped gland situated at the base of the front of your neck. It produces thyroid hormones that have an impact on your overall health. When it produces too much or too little of these hormones, it has a negative effect on your hair growth cycle and the structure of the hair shaft. Click here to read a testosterone guide that will teach you how to stabilize your testosterone levels naturally. Since the thyroid gland is indirectly effected by the exact same organs that regulate your testosterone levels, you can also use the testosterone guide to balance your thyroid levels because it's the same solution. PAGE 06