About Hair Loss
Shen Min® is suitable for both men and women and can be used by anyone suffering
from progressive, hormone-driven (DHT or estrogen), age-related hair loss.†
Shen Min is not designed to target sudden, unusual or other types of hair loss. People
with these types of hair loss should consult a physician immediately.
Healthy hair growth consists of three phases:
- Anagen phase:
This is the growth phase of the hair cycle during which new hair is formed; lasting
from two to six years in a healthy person. Some people have difficulty growing their
hair beyond a certain length because they have a short anagen phase of hair growth,
whereas people who easily grow long hair have a long anagen phase of hair growth.
- Catagen phase:
This is the transitional stage between the growing (anagen) and resting (telogen)
phases of the hair’s growth cycle, lasting about one to three weeks. During
this phase, hair growth stops and the outer layer, or sheath, of the hair follicle
shrinks and attaches to the root of the hair. This is the formation of what is known
as a club hair, which will eventually be pushed out and replaced with new hair.
- Telogen phase:
This is the resting phase of the hair growth cycle that lasts about 3 months. The
hair does not grow in the telogen phase. While hair mostly stays attached to the
follicle during this stage, natural shedding does occur in this stage. The hair
follicle re-enters the anagen or growth phase at the end of the telogen phase, and
the hair growth cycle continues.
Hair Loss
Everyone experiences some hair loss every day. In fact, it’s normal for men,
women, and children to lose 50 to 100 scalp hairs a day. However, some people experience
hereditary or hormonal-related hair loss and lose hair at a faster rate, and often
earlier in life. In these cases, hair loss might have started with a few extra hairs
in the sink, but gradually progressed to where the scalp was becoming more and more
visible.
Hereditary or hormonal-related hair loss in both men and women is marked by a progressive
miniaturization of hair follicles, causing a shortening of the hair growth cycle.
As the growth phase shortens (anagen), the hair becomes thinner and shorter, to
the point where there is no growth at all. Hair loss or hair thinning is most commonly
associated with aging or hereditary, but can also be attributed to stress, changes
in immune health, nutritional deficiencies, and other causes. Because hereditary
hair loss is gradual, the sooner treatment is started, the better the chances of
slowing or halting the hair loss process. Hair loss may lead to baldness in men,
and excessive thinning of the hair in women when the rate of shedding exceeds the
rate of regrowth, when new hair is thinner than the hair shed, or when hair comes
out in patches.
Hair Loss in Men
Men have a 50% chance of experiencing hair loss by their 50th birthday, however,
many men lose hair to some degree by age 35. This hereditary condition, clinically
termed androgenetic alopecia, and more commonly known as male pattern baldness (MPB),
is characterized by a receding hairline, as well as a loss of hair on top of the
scalp.
MPB is the most common type of progressive hair loss caused by hormones, genes and
age. Research indicates that the primary cause of MPB is the increased level of
DHT (dihydrotestosterone), the "bad" form of the hormone testosterone.
This form of testosterone fits perfectly onto a receptor site on the follicle causing
the hair to shorten its normal growth phase. In most men, the hairs in the front
of the scalp are more sensitive to DHT, causing men to lose their hair in a distinct
pattern, starting with a receding hairline, often coupled with a growing bald spot
on top of the head. While going bald isn’t life threatening to men, it can be
life altering.
Hair Loss in Women
The effect of increased levels of DHT in women is noticeably different than it is
in men. Women tend to suffer from general thinning of the hair as they age. This
is driven by a combination of rising levels of DHT as well as decreasing levels
of estrogen brought on by menopause. DHT appears to cause follicles to enter the
resting phase (telogen) faster and this shedding continues at a quicker and quicker
rate, causing the "new" hair to become finer and ultimately leading to
the follicles shutting down and becoming dormant. This type of hair loss in women
is termed female pattern thinning (FPT).
Women also suffer from pattern hair loss, although not as prominently as men. The
condition occurs in up to 25% of pre-menopausal women and approximately 40% of post-menopausal
women. While pattern hair loss normally does not affect the frontal hairline in
women as it does in men, thinning over the front and top of the scalp is typical
and can be devastating to a woman’s self-esteem, which can leave her feeling
unattractive.
Other Hair Loss
Examples of temporary hair loss include:*
- Disease. Could include diabetes, lupus and thyroid disorders.
- Poor nutrition. Inadequate nourishment can cause you to experience
hair loss. Fad or crash diets, eating disorders, and certain illnesses can cause
poor nutrition.
- Medications. Certain drugs may cause hair loss in some people.
Taking birth control pills also may result in hair loss for some women.
- Medical treatments. Undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy
may cause you to develop alopecia. After your treatment ends, your hair typically
begins to regrow.
- Illness or surgery. These conditions cause hair to shift into a
resting phase, but will appear after the growth phase resumes.
- Childbirth. Some women experience hair loss several months after
delivering a baby, but this temporary hair loss usually corrects itself within a
few months.
- Hair treatments. Hairstyling chemicals and procedures can cause
damaged and broken hair.
- Scalp infection. Infections such as ringworm can invade the hair
and skin of your scalp, leading to hair loss. Once infections are treated, hair
generally regrows.
*People with these types of hair loss should consult a physician immediately
Shen Min is the natural solution for the following type of hair loss:
- Hormonal-driven†
- Age-related†
- Hereditary†
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