Hair Loss Products for Women

Each and every one of us (perhaps with the exception of the dalai lama), deals with stress on a regular basis. Life, especially in these days and times, can feel pretty uncertain if not completely overwhelming. It has been my experience that in general, stressful situations are just plain unavoidable – there are just some things we have no control over.

Once a stressful situation presents itself, it sets off a series of chemical and hormonal reactions throughout the body, which is needed to get us through the situation and then bring our bodies back to homeostasis (balance) safely. The problem however, is that in today's overstressed society, our bodies can easily end up in a constant conflict, which in short, leads to constant distruption in the body's entire endocrine system, thereby resulting in hormonal imbalance, and a compromised immune system. In short, I can best describe this as a vicious cycle which ultimately can manifest itself in various ways… stress headaches, tummy trouble, anxiety, illness, depression, pain, and yes… even hair loss.

Sidebar here, although hormonal imbalance, in and of itself, is enough to trigger hair loss – the human body, in its infinite wisdom, knows that it does not need hair to survive. So during times of stress, it will conserve energy and direct it to life sustaining functions first and foremost.

Now that we've discussed how stress can result in hair loss, let's talk about ways to effectively cope, thereby minimizing the effects of stress in our lives.

Regular Exercise: Whether it's a brisk walk, dancing, swimming, or an aerobics class – exercise gets the blood flowing, the endorphins pumping, and is a healthy way to effectively reduce stress. Be careful however not to over-train. Exercise puts physical stress on the body and working out “too much” can definitely counteract your efforts. A well rounded exercise routine consists of both cardiovascular and resistance training, performed 3-4 times per week for 45 minutes to an hour in duration. Recovery is key as this is where the results of proper exercise are realized. Sidebar – yoga is a WONDERFUL way to strengthen the body and mind, while providing relaxation.

Balanced Nutrition: Food is fuel for the body. Filling your body with foods that are overprocessed, full of artifical ingredients, high in fat, simple carbs and sugar is like pumping watered down, sub-standard fuel into your car's gas tank. It will run, but it will run like crap. Support your body with foods closest to its natural state (fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, legumes, oats, rice, eggs, etc). Choose organic whenever possible to avoid xenoestrogens (chemicals and pesticides which have a detrimental hormonal impact on the body), and when eating meats, poultry or dairy, choose free range, antibiotic and growth hormone free, organic sources. Also, eat a small meal or snack every three hours as this will keep your metabolism and blood sugar levels functioning evenly throughout the day… imperative in maintaining balance.

Supplementation: Certain vitamins and minerals are quickly depleted during times of stress. Consider incorporating some vitamin C and a B-complex supplement into you daily routine. Research indicates that vitamin C and B-complex supplementation, assists the body in its response to stress. Take a trip to your local health food store or online at vitacost.com, and check out whole food supplementation such as Our Daily Foods or New Chapter. Avoid cheap drugstore brands as you definitely get what you pay for. These brands are synthetic and contain artificial colors and fillers – which will not be well assimilated or tolerated by the body.

Also and along the lines of supplementation, valerian root is a wonderful herbal anti-anxiety remedy. However, as with any herbal remedy or medication aimed at relaxing the body, be careful when driving or operating heavy machinery. I strongly recommend that herbal supplementation be administered under the care of a reputable naturopathic doctor or herbalist to ensure you are getting the proper dosage at the proper times.

Aromatherapy: It is well known in the holistic community that essential oils can trigger a healing response in the body. In one double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the use of a specific blend of essential oils were examined in 86 people suffering from Alopecia Areata. The essential oil blend was a mixture of thyme, rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood essential oils in a mixture of carrier oils (jojoba and grapeseed). This oil was massaged into the scalp daily. The control group used only the carrier oils for their massage, also daily. After 7 months, 19 (44%) of 43 people using the essential oil blend showed an improvement compared with 6 (15%) of 41 people in the control group. Although no side effects were associated with the topical application of essential oils, there can be an allergic reaction in some people.

Get Enough Sleep: Research studies show that sleep deprivation results in an overproduction of stress hormones, it affects the hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism, causes inflammation in the body, and not to mention, it can result in a bevy of illnesses and disease because it weakens the immune system. You do not need to stay up to watch the Late Show or the Evening News… especially in today's digital age where shows can be recorded for later viewing, or even be viewed on the internet. Need to catch the weather for tomorrow's commute? Watch the weather channel after dinner or go to weatherchannel.com. Need to decompress after a long day with the kids or at the office? Curl up with a good book or flip through a magazine while in bed.

Making Time for “Me” Time: I'm busy, you're busy, we're all pretty busy. Heck, that's one of the reasons we are all so stressed out. Do yourself a favor and schedule some regular time for yourself to enjoy an activity that brings you happiness. It could be a walk on the beach, going to the park with a good book, lighting some candles and taking a nice hot bath, journaling, scrapbooking, etc. If you've been neglecting yourself for awhile and can't think of anything off the top of your head… sit down with a pen and some paper and make a list of the times in your life that you were doing something that has brought you joy and/or peace. And if your schedule is overloaded… then pencil it in and treat it as an important appointment. You have to look out for number one… because nobody else will. And please wives and mothers… do not feel guilty for doing this. You can only give so much water from the well that is never replenished before it drys up. Follow me?

Get Away from the Computer for Awhile: Those of us who have been dealing with female hair loss know all too well what I'm talking about here. Whether its spending hours upon hours googling and researching hair loss and treatments, or spending the entire day on various hair loss forums sifting through thousands of posts – it's just not healthy to be obsessed with your hair loss issues. I know it's frightening, I know you want answers. Been there, done that, bought the tshirt and wrote the book (or in this case – articles). But I can tell you right now that obsessing and stressing out over your hair loss is only contributing to / exacerbating the problem. It is perfectly okay to be your own best advocate, to research and reach out, and to try and find answers / solutions. It's not okay to stop living life and give all of your free time and attention to your problem. As almost any female hair loss forum veteran will tell you, myself included, if we could change one thing about our journey – it would be that we didn't allow it to run our lives for as long as we did because by doing so we missed out on so much.

I hope that what I've shared in this article will be helpful to my readers. The bottom line is that although you cannot control the flies that land in life's ointment, life is 10% of what happens to you… and 90% attitude in dealing with it. So although you have little to no control over the rollercoaster ride life takes you on… there are things you can do to help you enjoy the ride… or at least help keep your health and sanity in tact.

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