A flowing mane, thick curls, strong strands - nobody wants to do without beautiful, thick hair. But if you think that hair loss is a problem that only affects others, you are unfortunately often wrong.
On average, we lose around 80 to 100 hairs a day. What sounds like a lot is completely normal and part of the natural growth cycle. However, if you find significantly more hair in the brush over a longer period of time or if soon spots even form, we speak of alopecia, ie hair loss.
“Hair loss affects women just as much as men,” says Stefanie Seyda, developer of Natucain, contrary to the popular belief that women are completely spared.
But what types of hair loss are there, why do they occur and what can be done about it?
Hereditary hair loss
At around 60 percent, it is the most common type of alopecia. In male androgenetic alopecia, the hair follicles are hypersensitive to the male sex hormone dihydrosterone (DHT). In the affected men, the hair growth phase - the so-called anagen phase - becomes shorter and shorter and the follicles gradually shrink . In women, however, hereditary hair loss is much less common and its cause is still unclear. An increased testosterone production is suspected , which is caused by a reduced activity of the enzyme aromatase. The enzyme converts male hormones into estrogens - if it is not active enough, the same hypersensitivity to DHT occurs as in men.
Circular hair loss
Alopecia areata is a form of inflammatory hair loss . However, its causes have not yet been clarified and remain largely unexplored - even though around 1.5 million people in Germany are affected. Typical, as the name suggests, are the hair that falls out circularly and leaves individual but completely bald spots. It is thought that an autoimmune reaction could be responsible for the hair loss. Due to a disorder, the immune system attacks the hair roots and causes them to fall out. In addition, a genetic predisposition or psychological factors can promote the development of alopecia areata.
Diffuse hair loss
The hair loss, which occurs more or less evenly over the whole head, can have many different causes. Here the hair falls out because its roots are damaged. This can be the case, for example, when taking certain medications, for example as part of chemotherapy or when treating an overactive thyroid . But also with infectious diseases such as severe flu, metabolic diseases or a hormonal change diffuse alopecia can occur. “Hair loss is often situation-dependent,” explains Stefanie Seyda. "The body - and with it the hair - can react sensitively to stress, changes, hormone fluctuations or drastic situations."- Hormone imbalance
Women go through several hormonal changes and fluctuations in their lives : During puberty, during and after pregnancy, during menopause and because of the birth control pill. During pregnancy, for example, the body produces an above-average amount of estrogen - if the hormone level drops back to the normal level after the birth, this is often noticeable in thinning hair.
- stress
Everyone knows stressful phases in life. Regardless of whether there is a lot to do in the job, you are in trouble with your partner, sleep is neglected, or or or ... Regardless of what stresses us, it can lead to our losing hair. On the one hand, psychological stress can mess up the hormones, on the other hand, stress can also affect digestion, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies and thus to hair loss or even promote dandruff. If these are on the scalp, their pores clog and the hair roots can be damaged.
- crash diets
A lack of nutrients can not only result from sensitive digestion. Diets can also have a negative effect on hair. A lack of protein and vitamin B is particularly common in crash diets with a one-sided diet , which can manifest itself in the form of hair loss a few weeks after the diet. The insufficient supply of vitamins and trace elements also affects hair growth. The activity of the hair roots is particularly impaired if there is a lack of iron, zinc, vitamins B and C or biotin , which is why a balanced diet is essential for beautiful, full hair.
- The wrong hairstyle
If you are prone to hair loss anyway, you should think twice about how you wear your hair. A tight, tightly tied braid, for example, invitably pulls the hair and puts pressure on the follicles . This also irritates the scalp and hair roots.
After all the no-gos: what can you do to prevent or even stop hair loss?
"In view of all these different causes, it was important to me to find a formulation that is effective for both men and women - regardless of age or life situation," says the developer of Natucain. “The most important thing is that we prevent. We have to protect the hair from the first day it grows! "
Natucain brings the hair growth cycle back into balance. Hair growth consists of three phases: In the first, the anagen phase, the hair develops in the hair root and grows for around five years. In the second phase, the catagen phase, the hair follicle shrinks, detaches from the blood supply and goes into a kind of dormant state. This phase lasts no more than a couple of weeks. The telogen phase follows at the end. During this, the hair loosens and falls out.
“This is exactly where Natucain comes in. Due to its active ingredient MKMS24 , the anagen phase is lengthened and the catagen phase is shortened. The hair grows faster and hair loss is reduced. "
MKMS24 is a molecule that, thanks to the latest technologies from the field of medical engineering and biochemistry, could be obtained from lentils, thyme and bamboo and is therefore actually purely vegetable .So one thing is clear: if we pay attention to all these factors and take care of ourselves, value each other and take care of our body and health, we have great chances of wearing a beautiful, mane into old age.
