What does your hair say about your overall general health?
This is a question which is often asked of Crown Clinic’s hair transplant surgeon Asim Shahmalak.
The answer is: quite a lot.
Dr Shahmalak explained several ways that poor health can be reflected in a person’s hair in an article in the Daily Mirror newspaper.
You can read the findings here:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/what-your-hair-say-your-4657251
Dr Shahmalak explained, for instance, that around 30% of women going through menopause experience thinning hair. In 50% of women, hair thinning can be remedied with hormone replacement therapy.
But Dr Shahmalak added: “Unfortunately, hair lost during menopause does not grow back in women for whom HRT was not effective. The only permanent treatment is a hair transplant.”
Bald spots along the hairline can be self-inflicted, according to Dr Shahmalak.
If you wear your hair tightly in a ponytail, the so-called Croydon Facelift, you can suffer from traction alopecia where the follicles have been permanently damaged by pulling hair too tightly. A good example of this is the supermodel Naomi Campbell who has damaged the hair at the front of her scalp.
Finally, Dr Shahmalak points out that receding hair can be caused by a lack of nutrients
“Hair can recede as a result of crash diets,” he explained. “If you cut corners it will be reflected in your hair. It will look lacklustre, fall out and reflect your overall ill health.
Dr Shahmalak pointed out that receding hair was also common among women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
He said: “Women with PCOS can develop facial hair and new hair on their arms, chest and buttocks, yet recede on the scalp.”