With the development of society and the change of lifestyle, irregular diet and rest habits, lack of exercise and other factors, resulting in more and more people with obesity, and the problems caused by obesity are also increasing.
1. What is obesity?
Obesity refers to the abnormal accumulation of fat in the body or abnormal fat distribution, mostly due to genetic factors or environmental factors, the body takes in too much energy, resulting in excess energy in the body into lipids, and the deliberate accumulation of lipids in the body leads to the occurrence of obesity. Obesity is not only an excess accumulation of energy in the body, but also a chronic metabolic disease closely related to life, and a large number of data show that obesity is an important cause of metabolic syndrome.
Body mass index (BMI) is an internationally recognized standard for measuring obesity, BMI = weight ÷ height 2 (weight unit: kg; height unit: m). In the mainland, a BMI of >24 is considered overweight, and a BMI of >28 is considered obese.
The authoritative medical journal The Lancet published a report on obesity in the Chinese population in 2013, which mentioned that more than 28% of adult men and 27% of adult women in China are "overweight" or "obese". The latest epidemiological survey data show that at present, the BMI >of 28 in mainland China accounts for about 17.10% of men and 13.37% of women, and this proportion is still rising.
Second, the latest research has found another important harm of obesity
At present, obesity, as an independent risk disease, has become one of the major health problems in the world, and various diseases induced by obesity have become an important cause affecting human health and quality of life. The World Health Organization has listed obesity as one of the top 10 risk factors for disease burden. At the same time, obesity is also a risk factor for inducing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, hyperuricemia, cancer and other diseases.
In addition to the above-mentioned harms, obesity may also be closely related to hair loss. Recently, the journal Nature published an article entitled: "Obesity accelerates hair thinning by stem cell-centric converging mechanisms", the article pointed out that the medical team in Tokyo, Japan found through experimental research that obesity can lead to hair loss by depleting hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs).
Many people are no strangers to stem cells, which are a type of cells with unlimited self-renewal capabilities. According to their differentiation potential, stem cells can also be divided into totipotent stem cells, pluripotent stem cells and unipotent stem cells. The HFSCs mentioned in the study of the Tokyo medical team mentioned above are a type of pluripotent stem cells, which have the potential for multi-directional differentiation and can differentiate into epidermis, hair follicles, sebaceous glands, etc.
3. The mechanism of obesity leading to hair loss
Scientists from the medical team in Tokyo, Japan, conducted experiments on the relationship between obesity and hair loss in mice. They fed the mice a regular diet and a high-fat diet to observe the changes in their hair.
It was observed that in 20-month-old mice, the hair had already fallen out after only one month of continuous feeding of high-fat food. In 2-month-old mice, even mice with vigorous hair loss and softer hair fell out after being fed high-fat food for several months.
Finally, scientists found that the number of hair follicle stem cells in mice that consumed high-fat foods for a long time decreased significantly and developed epidermal keratinization, and when there were too few hair follicle stem cells or failed, the hair would also fall out and decrease. And the fatter the mice, the more hair follicle stem cells are reduced. Obesity leads to inhibition of SHH signaling that affects the differentiation of hair follicle stem cells, thereby inducing the exhaustion of hair follicle stem cells and causing hair loss.
Although the above studies were only experimentally analyzed in mice, they provide important data support for the prevention and treatment of other diseases such as hair loss.
4. Common types of hair loss
Clinically, alopecia is a very common skin disease characterized by hair loss, among which seborrheic dermatitis, androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata and chemotherapeutic alopecia are more common.
Androgenetic alopecia
Androgenetic alopecia, also known as seborrheic alopecia or premature alopecia, more than 90% of hair loss (receding hairline, baldness, and loss of hair) belongs to androgenetic alopecia, which is the most common type of hair loss in clinical practice, and has a high incidence in men. The latest epidemiological data from mainland China show that the incidence of androgenetic alopecia is about 21.3% in men and 6.0% in women. In other words, 1 in 5 men suffer from androgenetic alopecia.
Androgenetic alopecia is characterized by a persistent decrease in hair density on the top of the head and a receding hairline. Progressive alopecia is mainly caused by the miniaturization of hair follicles caused by androgens, and the incidence of androgenetic alopecia gradually increases with age, and the pathogenesis is related to factors such as sex hormones, heredity and aging.
Patchwork
Alopecia areata is a specific autoimmune disease with a certain genetic predisposition, with an incidence of about 0.1%-0.3% in the population, mainly affecting hair follicles during the anagen period. There are many causes of alopecia areata, and the main cause that has been identified is closely related to the collapse of the physiological and immune properties of T cells and hair follicles.
Telogen effluvium
Normally, about 80% of the hair follicles in a normal person are in the anagen phase, so only a few hairs fall out. However, after surgery, postpartum, blood loss, severe mental stimulation and other factors, it can cause the hair follicles in the anagen phase to suddenly enter the telogen phase, resulting in a large amount of hair loss.
Chemotherapeutic alopecia
Chemotherapeutic alopecia, also known as anagen alopecia, occurs when cytotoxic drugs in the body reach a certain concentration in a short period of time, causing most of the anagen hair to suddenly stop growing and fall out in large quantities. Cytotoxic drugs damage the proliferative stromal keratinocytes of the hair bulb of the hair follicle during the anagen phase, causing the hair follicle to enter the degenerative phase, and the integrity of the hair shaft is impaired, resulting in hair loss. The use of drugs such as doxorubicin, paclitaxel, cyclophosphamide, and etoposide can cause moderate to severe chemo-induced alopecia. Currently, scalp cooling is the only way to prevent chemotherapeutic alopecia and is effective in about half of patients.
In addition, certain hairstyles that require long-term stretching of the scalp (such as tying the hair tightly for a long time) can also lead to one of the causes of hair loss.
5. What are the causes of hair loss?
According to statistics, about 70% of men and 40% of women in the population suffer from hair loss problems. The occurrence of hair loss is mainly related to factors such as impaired immune function, skin diseases, and environmental influences.
1. Genetic factors
Genetic factors are the main cause of androgenetic alopecia, which can affect both men and women, and is most common in men. Under the action of androgens, the hair follicles progressively shrink, resulting in clinically visible hair loss.
2. Autoimmune factors
Alopecia areata is the most typical, and according to clinical data, some patients with alopecia areata may also have other types of autoimmune diseases such as positive thyroid, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and vitiligo.
3. Drug effect
In the treatment of malignant tumors, the application of some chemotherapy drugs can cause massive hair loss in patients.
4. Excessive mental pressure
Long-term mental stress or in a state of stress, resulting in local endocrine disorders can lead to types of hair loss such as alopecia areata and telogen effluvium.
5. Infectious factors
Bacterial and fungal infections can lead to the destruction of hair follicles, inflammation and scarring, which can easily lead to permanent hair loss.
6. Miscellaneous
Some special hairdressing and combing habits, such as combing hair too hard and tying hair too tightly, will lead to long-term excessive stretching of hair and scalp, resulting in traction alopecia.
In addition, malnutrition such as excessive weight loss and anemia due to various causes can also lead to a large amount of hair loss in a short period of time. In general, hair loss due to malnutrition returns to normal after the nutritional status is corrected.
6. Be wary of adolescent hair loss
In recent years, the physical fitness of mainland teenagers has been declining, and nearly 60% of men will experience hair loss before the age of 25. According to the 2019 survey data released by the National Health Commission, the number of people with hair loss in mainland China exceeds 250 million. Among them, the proportion of people with hair loss before the age of 30 is as high as 84%, and the age of hair loss has advanced by at least 20 years, showing an obvious trend of younger age. Hair loss covers a wide range of people and a large number of people, which also has varying degrees of impact on the mental health and quality of life of adolescents.
1. What causes the increase in the number of adolescents with hair loss?
Genetic factors
Androgenetic alopecia is autosomal dominant and its genetic characteristics need to be expressed in the presence of androgens. Family history has a significant influence on the onset and progression of androgenetic alopecia.
Too much stress
Mental stress and a fast pace of life are the status quo for almost all young people. Advancement, employment, promotion, and other issues plague everyone. Many patients who visit the clinic say that hair loss will increase significantly after being particularly busy or stressed.
Experts explain that due to excessive use of the brain, it can cause the scalp capillaries to shrink, and the oxygen and nutrients supplied to the hair follicles will also be reduced accordingly, and the hair will fall out due to nutritional disorders, and mental stress will cause local endocrine disorders, abnormal sebaceous gland secretion, increased sebum secretion, sebum accumulation makes the hair follicle hyperkeratinization and embolism, and the hair follicle gradually becomes smaller and leads to hair loss.
Therefore, adolescents should pay attention to the combination of work and rest, reasonably eliminate bad emotions, and actively cope with difficulties to reduce hair loss caused by psychological factors.
Irregular work and rest
The use of electronic products such as mobile phones and computers has gradually reduced the sleep time of teenagers. Problems such as staying up late, irregular work and rest, and lack of sleep can disrupt the endocrine balance, leading to endocrine disorders and hair loss. On the other hand, factors such as lack of sleep and excessive stress can stimulate the pituitary-adrenal axis, resulting in increased secretion of adrenal androgens, which aggravates the possibility of hair loss to a certain extent.
Therefore, teenagers should pay attention to going to bed early and waking up early, ensure adequate sleep, and try to avoid emotional stress to avoid problems such as insomnia.
Poor eating habits
Dietary habits are closely related to the appearance and development of hair loss. It is mainly reflected in three aspects: food amount, frequency and type of eating. Poor eating habits such as excessive food intake, preference for fatty, sweet, greasy and irritating foods (such as high-fat foods, irritating foods such as tobacco and alcohol), and dieting for weight loss will affect the normal biological rhythm, cause endocrine disorders, and eventually lead to hair loss.
Therefore, in terms of diet, teenagers should pay attention to regular diet, eat small meals frequently, ensure that the diet is rich and varied, balanced and not excessive, and eat a light diet with less high-temperature fried, high-fat, spicy and irritating foods.
Kuza
Sitting for a long time is one of the main reasons for the aggravation of hair loss in teenagers, especially for people who need to do it in front of a computer screen for a long time. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine: sitting for a long time hurts the kidneys, long-term vision hurts the blood, the kidneys are in the hair, and the hair is more than blood. Therefore, sitting for a long time can easily lead to hair loss in teenagers.
Therefore, while studying and working, teenagers must pay attention to strengthening physical exercise, reducing sedentary time, and combining work and rest.
7. How to scientifically judge the degree of hair loss?
What is Alopecia?
The number of hairs per person is about 100,000, and due to the body's metabolism, the human body also loses hair. If you lose less than 100 hairs a day and it is even, it is normal. However, if more than 100 hairs are lost every day and they fall out in sheets, it may be pathological alopecia, so be careful.
Grading of the severity of hair loss
1. How to tell if there is hair loss?
●Count the number of hair shedding: Less than 50 hairs are lost per day, which is considered normal hair loss, more than 100 hairs are lost per day, and the number of hairs that fall out per day is 50-100, indicating that there is a risk of hair loss and need to be noted.
●Hair pulling test: Pull a bundle of hair (about 50 to 60) with your thumb and forefinger to determine whether it is alopecia by the number of hair that has fallen. It is normal to lose less than 6 hairs in a hair pulling test, and if you lose more than 6 hairs in a hair pulling test, you are at risk of hair loss.
2. How to judge the severity of hair loss?
The severity of hair loss can be judged by male, female, and male and female.
●Grade of male hair loss
Taking androgenetic alopecia as an example, the Hamilton classification method is commonly used in the international classification of the severity of male hair loss, which is divided into 7 grades and 12 types. The classification criteria for the grade of hair loss are:
(1) Grade 1: normal hairline or only mildly receding;
(2) Grade 2: The hairline of the frontotemporal region is triangular and backward, about 2cm away from the line of the external auditory canal;
(3) Grade 3: Frontotemporal hairline regression is more obvious than that of grade 2, more than 2cm from the line of the external auditory canal; grade 3 variant is most common in the elderly, with total baldness on the top of the head accompanied by frontotemporal retraction, and the severity does not exceed grade 3;
(4) Grade 4: hair loss on the top of the head with a receding hairline in the middle of the forehead;
(5) Grade 5: diffuse hair loss or baldness in the forehead, decreased hair density;
(6) Grade 6: horseshoe-shaped alopecia, with increased areas of lateral and posterior hair loss;
(7) Grade 7: In addition to horseshoe-shaped hair loss, hair loss occurs around the ears and occipital region, and grade 7 hair loss is a more serious hair loss.
It should be noted that grades 1-5 in the Hamilton classification method belong to mild to moderate hair loss, when the hair follicles are not completely atrophied, and timely and effective treatment can still have a certain degree of recovery.
Grade 6 or above in the Hamilton's classification is considered severe alopecia, and most of the hair follicles have shrunk, and the treatment effect is generally poor.
●Grade of female hair loss
The most widely used method to determine the severity level of female hair loss is the Ludwig taxonomy, which is divided into 3 levels:
Grade I (mild): thinning hair on the top of the head, retaining a forehead hairline 1-3cm wide;
Grade II (moderate): Hair in the same area is more sparse than grade I, and the scalp is visibly exposed;
Grade III (severe): In the hair loss zone of grade I and II, the hair falls out completely and the scalp is fully exposed.
●BASP grading
The BASP grading method is based on the different patterns of hair loss exhibited by patients with androgenetic alopecia, and the method is divided into two parts: basic grading and special grading. Among them, the 4 basic types L, M, C, and U represent the shape of the anterior hairline, respectively, and the 2 special types F and V represent the density of hair in specific areas (frontal F and top V).
(1) L-shaped: no receding of the forehead hairline;
(2) M type: the hairline of the two sideburns recedes significantly and symmetrically compared with the anterior central hairline;
(3) Type C: The hairline in the middle of the forehead recedes more significantly than on both sides, showing a "C" shape;
(4) U-shaped: After the forehead hairline recedes to the top of the head, it is horseshoe-shaped, similar to "U", which is the most serious type of hair loss;
(5) V-shaped: the hair on the top of the head is obviously thinning and exceeds the forehead area;
(6) Type F: Diffuse reduction of hair density, most obvious in the anterior frontal area, which is the main type of female pattern hair loss.
8. This should be done to prevent hair loss
Methods to prevent hair loss include general management and medication. To prevent hair loss, we must first identify the specific cause of hair loss, and carry out targeted treatment and prevention according to the cause. Taking androgenetic alopecia as an example, although androgenetic alopecia cannot be prevented, it is generally effective after systematic treatment. Once the cause of hair loss has been identified, targeted medication can be applied under the guidance of a medical professional, and the sooner the medication is treated, the better the effect. General treatments include dietary regulation, learning to wash hair correctly and developing good lifestyle habits.
Medication management
In the early stages of hair loss, after a slight receding hairline occurs, medication can be used. The drug treatment mentioned here is a drug that can be used after diagnosis and treatment by a professional doctor, not "Chinese medicine, Chinese patent medicine, home remedies" as advertised.
1. Minoxidil (2%, 5% concentration)
The drug can be used by both men and women, and has the advantages of few side effects, obvious effect (the effective rate of mild to moderate hair loss can reach about 70%), simple use, etc., and is currently the best and most widely used drug for the treatment of hair loss.
It is mainly suitable for hair loss, hair thinning, and a slight receding hairline in the early stage. The concentration of minoxidil for men and women is not the same, so it needs to be used under the guidance of a doctor, otherwise side effects are very likely to occur.
2. Finasteride
Finasteride is mainly used for the treatment of male alopecia, and in 1992, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved 1mg finasteride for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men, which is a reliable drug for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men. According to clinical data, taking finasteride continuously for more than 3 months can effectively prevent hair loss. About 75% of mild to moderate hair loss patients have a significant effect after taking the drug. However, finasteride has a certain degree of drug dependence, and some studies have pointed out that reversal of efficacy may occur within 12 months of stopping the drug.
3. Spironolactone (spironolactone), cyproterone
It is suitable for the prevention and treatment of hair loss in women, but not for men. And women must consult a professional doctor when using it and take the drug according to the doctor's instructions.
Dietary regulation
1. Appropriate protein supplementation
The essence of hair is a protein called keratin, so if there is a lack of protein in the diet, hair will not only grow slowly, but will also fall out easily. Long-term protein deficiency can also lead to thinning, brittle, dry, and lighter hair. If you want your hair to grow healthily, you must pay attention to supplementing high-quality protein-rich foods such as eggs, beef, chicken, dairy products, and soy products.
2. Supplement B vitamins
B vitamins are involved in the metabolism of proteins and amino acids and can play a role in protecting hair health. Multigrains and lean meats contain more B vitamins and can be eaten appropriately.
3. Pay attention to iron supplementation
Studies have found that the main cause of hair loss in postmenopausal women is iron deficiency. In addition, iron deficiency anemia due to iron deficiency can also cause hair loss. It should be noted that the absorption rate of non-heme iron in plant foods is very low, and antinutrients such as oxalic acid will further hinder the absorption of iron, so it is important to pay attention to the intake of iron-rich animal foods such as red meat and animal liver.
Learn to wash your hair properly
Washing your hair properly can be an effective way to alleviate hair loss. If you are prone to hair loss, you should pay more attention to keeping your scalp clean. However, it should be noted that the number of hair washes should not be too much, generally once every 3-5 days, if the hair is easy to produce oil, the number of hair washes can be increased according to the actual situation.
When washing your hair, you should pay attention to massaging your scalp, which can not only keep your scalp clean, but also promote blood circulation in your head. Choose a weakly acidic natural shampoo that suits your scalp and hair type, and don't use strong degreasing or alkaline shampoos, otherwise it will not only cause dry hair, but also damage scalp health. Be sure to rinse off after using shampoo and conditioner to avoid irritation or aggravation of hair loss.
Develop good habits
In order to fundamentally prevent and treat hair loss, in addition to increasing nutrition and eating less spicy, irritating and greasy food, we should also pay attention to quitting smoking and avoiding alcohol, reasonably arrange work and rest time, and ensure that daily life is regular. Exercise three to four times a week, 30 to 40 minutes each time, exercise according to your heart function and the exercise program you can stick to, strive to maintain your weight within the standard weight, control hair loss caused by obesity and ensure adequate sleep, in order to maintain the body's normal metabolism and promote normal hair growth. In addition, beauty lovers should pay attention to avoid excessive perming, and the interval between perms and dyes should be more than 3-6 months.
In addition, mental anxiety, nervousness, and excessive stress can also easily cause hair loss. Therefore, we should pay attention to the combination of work and rest, relax the mood, relieve pressure in time, and face difficulties with optimism.
Usually, hair loss does not occur suddenly, usually pay attention to the degree of hair loss, if hair loss occurs suddenly and lasts for more than 3 months, be sure to go to a regular hospital.