​Losing hair is scary. You may notice that there are more hairs in the drain when you shower or in your hair brush. Soon you may notice that your hair doesn’t feel as thick when styling it.

When you come to the conclusion that your hair density has changed, you start looking for reasons – anything that might be causing it. There are many factors that can contribute to hair loss. One very common cause is nutritional deficiency with iron deficiency as the most important factor. This is most common in pre-menopausal women between the ages of 35 and 50, when heavy menstruation contributes to iron loss often resulting in anemia.

Even if anemia is not present, low iron can cause problems with hair loss. Iron is an essential part of hemoglobin, a part of the red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. Iron deficiency sometimes triggers hair loss in large quantities but it can also be the cause of subtle, slow thinning over several months or even years. 

Warning:
If you think that you may have hair loss due to iron deficiency, go to a doctor to get the proper tests. Don’t go out and load up on iron supplements. You should be tested by a doctor who can prescribe supplements if needed. Self- medicating can be dangerous. Excess iron in the blood can be harmful. It can build up to toxic levels in some people. Studies have shown that too much iron can lead to increased risk of coronary heart disease and even some cancers.

​Focusing on getting iron from natural sources is the best preventative measure. Always make sure that you have a well rounded diet consisting of all essential nutrients and well as iron rich foods. There are plenty of great sources of natural iron in the food you eat.

Be sure that you include several servings of a variety of the following foods in your diet everyday.

• Dried Fruit – especially figs, dried apricots, prunes, raisons, currants and dried peaches
• Leafy Green vegetables – such as dandelion greens, spinach, arugula, kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard and chicory.
• Beans and lentils
• Red meat
• Liver – both beef and chicken
• Oysters
• Clams
• Shrimp
• Chicken and turkey
• Fish – tuna, halibut
• Whole grains and brown rice
• Soybean flour
• Blackstrap Molasses
• Enriched cereals

When eating foods for their iron content, it is advised that you also include food rich in Vitamin C to aid in the absorption of the iron

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Each individual hair on your head goes through three phases in its lifetime.

• Anagen is the longest phase.  The hair is growing. It usually last 2 to 3 years. If your hair stays short and never seems to grow--you have a shorter anagen phase. If growing long hair is no problem for you, you have a longer anagen phase.
• Catagen or intermediate phase is the shortest phase. The lower 2/3 of the follicle is destroyed. It's preparing to shed.
• Telogen is the resting or falling out phase.  When the hair has fallen out, the follicle is empty and is preparing to return to the anagen phase.

Parts of the hair and skin are a follows:

• Papilla This is a group of specialized cells that are intertwined with capillaries. This is where a new hair develops.
• Hair Follicle This is a sophisticated receptacle in the scalp from which the hair grows. Rapid cellular activity in the bulb is responsible for providing the cells to make form the hair shaft.
• Sebaceous Gland This is an oil gland in the skin. It is hormone regulated and over production of hormones can form sebaceous 'plugs' that clog the follicles.
• Capillaries   These are small blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the papilla as well as carry toxins away from the follicle.
• Epidermis    This is the top layer of skin that joins the hair follicle.
• Stratum Corneum  This is the layer of dead skin cells. When you exfoliate, this the layer of skin that you remove. Excess oil and debris can build up at the opening of the hair follicle and cause the follicle to be blocked.