Myths and Facts

Facts

• The average person has 100,000 - 150,000 hairs on their head.
• One hair fibre can support the weight of 100 grams.
•The main component of hair is the keratin, which also holds the responsibility for the elasticity of the finger nails.
• Hair is the second fastest growing tissue in the body (bone marrow is quicker). A hair grows 0.3-0.5mm per day.
• At any given time, about 10% of the hairs are resting and the rest are growing.
• Everyone loses more than 40% of his/her hair - about 100 hairs a day.
• Hair loss will be visible only after losing more than 50% of hair.
• More than 50% of men above the age of 50 suffer from hair loss.
• Between a third and two thirds of all women experience hair growth issues at some stage in their life.
• The most common form of hair growth issues in women are Effluviums (all over thinning of hair).
• Common reasons for hair growth issues include: postnatal, menopause, HRT, the pill, stress, diet and trauma.
• Great looking hair makes you feel good - it also attracts the attention of the opposite sex. It is part of our personality.
• Hair gives us key information about a potential mate's health. Healthy hair tends to mean a healthy person.

Myths

• Frequent shampooing contributes to hair loss.
• Hats and wigs cause hair loss.
• 100 strokes of the hair brush daily will create healthier hair.
• Permanent hair loss is caused by perms, colors and other cosmetic treatments.
• Shaving one's head will cause the hair to grow back thicker.
• Standing on one's head will cause increased circulation and thereby stimulate hair growth!
• Dandruff causes permanent hair loss.
• Hair loss does not occur in the late teens or early twenties.

The effects of hair growth issues

•Over 25% of the population have direct experience of thinning hair.
•Thinning hair can make sufferers feel like they have lost their identity and can be so damaging that people feel as though they have become a different person .
•The psychological impact of thinning hair can be severe, particularly for women, and can involve –along with a change of identity -social phobia, lowered self-esteem, anxiety and depression. These problems can lead to significant and serious psychiatric disorders.
•Sufferers feel as though doctors do not take the psychological effects of their thinning hair seriously, leaving them distressed and emotionally isolated.
•There is a significant risk of relationships being damaged or destroyed as a result of thinning hair .
•With the majority of sufferers being perceived as unattractive, there is a lack of sympathy, empathy and sensitivity towards those with thinning hair .
•People with thinning hair do not necessarily get used to it –the condition stays with them and has an influential impact on their lives.
•It does not get easier to accept with age –there is never an easier time to deal with the issue in ones life.
•Both men and women with thinning hair are perceived to be discriminated against at work.
•Society has generally not accepted that men can have psychosocial problems relating to thinning hair until recent times.
•People have said that the problem is increased by the media rarely presenting positive images of people with thinning hair ; showing thinning hair in a negative light by targeting celebrity sufferers.
•Society differentiates individuals with thinning hair regardless of their particular personality.

Reference:

The ViviscalReport: The Hidden Impact of Thinning Hair

Dr Nigel C Hunt BSc (Hons) PhD CPsycholAFBPsS[1]

The report was prepared with the assistance of: Dr Sue McHale, Rachael Lawson, Helen Robinson, Hannah Stockton, Nina Welsh, Sarah White, and Kristina Zimini [1] Dr Nigel Hunt is an Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham. This research was carried out on a consultancy basis, independently of his role as an employee of the University.