Is genetics the only cause for thinning hair?

[Special K]

Originally posted by: chusteczka

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: chusteczka

Originally posted by: Descartes
...
I honestly don't even know how to respond to you. You're correlating hairloss from everything to prolonged thought to resting your hand on your forehead (also note that when people talk about loss they don't refer to the forehead; that alone shows you haven't researched the topic).

Hairloss is no longer a mystery, but you seem to think it is and you support that through these mystical notions of yours. A lot of progress has been made in the past few decades, and there are scientifically proven solutions available to everyone. You can choose to ignore it if you wish.

Do more research and then come back.

Sure my points may sound farfetched but I believe I have provided a sound logical reasoning behind my beliefs. The effects our personal habits have on our lives are not really understood since few people have taken the time to consider the effects of minor, repeated, actions on our health.

No, I have not researched the topic because I do not care about it so much since I am not losing my hair and do not think I ever will. However, I do suffer from migraine sinus headaches that are sometimes caused by going outdoors without drying my hair after a shower, not wearing a hat in freezing weather or extremely hot and sunny weather, and driving the car with the windows open and the wind constantly blowing on my head. These headaches usually occurr 10-12 hours after such exposure and it took a lot of consideration and experimentation to finally figure out what habits of mine were causing them. This realization has led me to consider how habitual actions can affect me in other aspects of my life, such as with the possibility of hair loss.

I suppose, more than the topic of hairloss, I care about the use of personal observation and "old wive's tales" successfully practiced and passed down numerous generations and how this can affect the many decisions I make each day in life for varying situations and ultimately improve the life that I live. Such information has good use in life even though much of it really is baloney. For me, it will all receive proper consideration and if I think it will help then I will adopt it in my lifestyle.

Some components in the causes of hair loss may not be a mystery any longer but even that website you provided mentioned the following:
Step 1 - Understanding Hair Loss

It is still not fully understood what causes hair loss, ...

In combination with my previous post to Amused, I certainly do not ignore scientific study but I try not to limit my life by the inherent limitations of such studies.

That's all anyone needs to know about what you've said.

I am not so insecure in my beliefs to neglect the truth, especially since these points you bring up do not invalidate my discussion. This has been a discussion in which I have hopefully introduced thoughts to consider. No one has or even can prove my points incorrect and maybe they will help someone.

EDIT: Removed final statement, which may have been provocative.

Maybe I'm misinterpreting your postion, but it seems like you are trying to argue in the opposite way that science does - you are making a statement, and then assuming it to be true unless someone can prove it wrong. Science actually works the other way. It's incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to prove a negative.

 

[chusteczka]

By the way, I do not understand what the big hullabaloo was about. Shortly after I made my original post, I edited it to distinguish between proven causes and those statements that are conjecture. This edit was captured in a later quote, so I know it was not missed.

I suppose you guys motivated me to state why I include such conjecture when it has not been scientifically proven. When such lack of scientific proof mistakenly implies the information to be worthless.

The following are the items I had stated are proven.

• Limited blood flow is commonly understood to be a factor for hair loss by heart surgeons.
  About Hair Loss
  

  The major causes of hair loss have to do with circulation, ...
  
  Poor Circulation and Nutrition
  In many individuals, the extremities -- including the top of the head -- are the most difficult places in the body for blood to reach. Follicles which are constantly deprived of blood and nutrients cannot produce hair properly. One study indicated that blood flow to the scalp of young men diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness) was 2.6 times lower than in the normal control group. A lack of proper nutrients, certain amino acids, acid polysaccharides, minerals, and vitamins can certainly hamper hair growth.

• Stress
  towards the bottom
  

  Other Disorders
  Unexplained Hair Loss (Alopecia Areata). Alopecia areata is hair loss that occurs in localized (or discrete) patches. The cause is unknown but stress is suspected as a player in this condition. For example, hair loss often occurs during periods of intense stress, such as mourning.

• Diet/Food Therapy relating to hair loss is discussed here.
  
• Hair Care Products - One of my conjectures
  

  Other reasons for hair loss include psychological factors such as a stressful lifestyle; heavy sebum/ cholesterol, bacteria or dirt build-up around the bulb, which is the reproducing part of hair, thus, causing hair loss and thinning; lack of proper diet and essential nutrients, causing various deficiencies resulting in hair loss; or use of heavy chemicals and hair styling products on the scalp which causes a lot of wear and tear and weakens the hair.

• Testosterone - One of my conjectures
  

  Hair loss in men can be attributed to DHT (Di-hydro Testosterone). It is a combination of male hormone, Testosterone, and androgen receptors, along with dirt and sebum. Hair particles which are sensitive to DHT, shrink when contacted with it, and finally shut down completely, causing hair to fall.

Hair Loss Myths Debunked - This page possesses incorrect statements in view of the other pages I have quoted.

Excessive use of hair products causes hair loss
There are no hair-care products that cause hair loss. You may sculpt your locks with as much gel, mousse or spray as you desire. ...

Standing on your head cures hair loss
The idea is that, by standing on your head, blood flow will be increased and your scalp will be regenerated. Specialists agree on the fact that it has no influence on hair loss at all; follicles need more than blood flow to grow hair.

This last statement returns to the concept of blood circulation.


Taking a look at these quoted pages makes me think I did a pretty darn good job of covering the various aspects even without having researched this topic first.

 

[chusteczka]

Originally posted by: Special K
Maybe I'm misinterpreting your postion, but it seems like you are trying to argue in the opposite way that science does - you are making a statement, and then assuming it to be true unless someone can prove it wrong. Science actually works the other way. It's incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to prove a negative.

That was not my original intention but I think that may have been the result and this may have led to some confusion. When pressed on my conjectures, I attempted to take the stance that there are some things in life that current scientific methods of proof are unable to prove due to numerous and possibly unknown variables that cannot possibly be controlled over a time period long enough to prove or disprove them. Some of the topics that cannot be proven or disproven are "old wive's tales" that are passed down through generations of ancestral human learning and sometimes even simple intuition. However, this is my first time stating intuition.

 

[91TTZ]