A Shameless Attack On Naomi's Beauty and Hair Loss Problems

With no sensitivity, a photographer splashed Naomi's secret nightmare (the dread of most women hair loss sufferers) all around the world.

I am sorry I had to post the image, but like someone said "What was her hair technician doing!"

Many women and men suffer permanent or temporary hair loss, but it is almost evident that if you are a high profile person, constantly in the eye of the media, being rich, beautiful, black and even a bit eccentric will not do! 

Looking at Naomi's hair it is obvious that this is not just a simple case of traction alopecia as described by a chatty reporter that needed an anchor to support her sensational story.

 

Daily Mirror reporter  Danielle Gusmaroli 30/06/2010 states

 

She has always had a head for fashion, but Naomi Campbell shows she is losing it in the hair department.

 

A gust of wind revealed the supermodel's bald patch at a photo shoot in New York.

 

Beauty experts believe Naomi, 40, is paying the price for years of wearing tight extensions. Tricologist Renee Lagrange, who specialises in Afro-Caribbean hair in Harley Street, London said: "People get bald patches because they don't rest from wearing weaves and stress to the roots can cause temporary hair loss known as traction alopecia.

 

"If glue is used it can rip out the follicles and cause permanent hair loss. Afro-Caribbean hair is very fragile."  Read more:

 

 

What intrigues me is 'Why they had to find a Afro Caribbean Specialist?  Is hair loss problems exclusive to that sector?' 

 

Thousands and Thousands of Afro Caribbean women wear hair extensions for years, some do not even wear extensions and they still experience hair loss.  This is about attacking Naomi's beauty and continues supermodel presence and not about debating the real problem.

 

I have looked at Naomi Campbell's hairline, in some instances you can see it receding to the back.  There are many alternate explanations, but I think given the continued stress she works under to be perfect in an imperfect world, has resulted in her losing her hair.  This is very common.

 

It is time for hair loss to come out of the closet so women can openly seek a diagnosis and weigh their treatment options. What has happened to Naomi is the absolute dread of most women who are disguising and hiding hair loss problems, but she is not the first and will not be the last.

 

There is simply too much hair loss to attribute it to traction alopecia. In contrast, stress generally presents as increased hair shedding, a reversible condition referred to as telogen effluvium.  It is called this because the normal growing hair is shifted to a resting (telogen) phase before it temporarily falls out. Increased miniaturization is not associated with telogen effluvium.  So lets have a look at Telogeen effluvium a little closer.

So What Triggers Telogen Effluvium?

Total baldness is very rare in women. "It's crucial that any woman who notices hair loss visit a hair-loss professional in order to determine the reason for the loss," says Dr. Washenik. Following pattern baldness, telogen effluvium is the most common cause of hair loss in women. It is a temporary hair loss in which a higher than normal percentage of hair shifts into a shedding phase. Telogen effluvium can occur after pregnancy or when a woman goes on or off birth control pills, or it can follow an emotionally traumatizing event such as the loss of a loved one.

 

While most cases of TE do not have a specific trigger, it is mainly related to stress. Your body physically or mentally has to go through certain shock in order to trigger the hair follicles from the ANAGEN phase to the TELOGEN phase. Some of the events include

 

Mentally

  • Psychological Stress
  • Bad news
  • Lost of relatives/loved ones
  • Excessive Travelling/Jet lag

Physically

  • Down with a medical condition
  • Surgery
  • Crash Diets
  • Hormonal problems
  • Post pregnancy
  • Menopause
  • Allergies
  • New medications
  • Accidents

Whatever the reason, it's most important to know that TE must be caused by a trigger like a certain extraordinary and negative event in your life. You won't have this condition if everything in your life is normal.

 

During that time, your body is under colossal stress and therefore put itself in the situation where it has to divert it's energy to other parts of your body to compensate resulting in your huge amounts of your hair follicles to enter the resting phase.


Chronic and Acute Telogen Effluvium

 

There are actually 2 general types of TE. The most common type is Acute TE where you will notice sudden large amount of hair loss. This condition usually last for a few days to a few weeks depending on the severity of the 'shock' your body receives. Acute TE usually is triggered by sudden changes in your life like

  • After pregnancy
  • Down with a short term illness
  • Sudden mental stress

 

Most importantly, remember that Acute TE only lasts for a short duration usually depending on the shock that you receive.

 

Chronic TE however is different. It is longer and can even lasts for several years. Most cases of this prolonged condition is reported in women but men is not spared too. Chronic TE occurs when you are undergoing prolonged stress, shock or suffering from iron deficiency.

 

The reason why it mostly occurs in women is because that most women might change their diet and adapt to a less iron concentrated diet like red meat.

 

Most red meats are a good source of iron, discontinuing from taking sufficient supplies might affect the growth of your hair follicles. One of the other reasons might be irregular blood loss due to menstruation. Women with heavy periods might experience reduced levels of nutrients and iron in the body.

 

Chronic Telogen Effluvium is a long term condition. Instead of sudden loss of hair, you might experience gradual diffusing of your hair over a period of years.

Treating Telogen Effluvium

 

Most cases of Acute TE will go away, you can expect your hair to grow back to it's full length after 6 months. For chronic TE, the best way to treat it by locating the source of the trigger. Find the cause of this condition by checking back whether you have used any new medications or suffering from an illness.

 

If you are still unsure, it's best to get a blood test from your doctor. TE can indicate an underlying disease or illness that you are not aware of. So if you have prolonged diffused thinning and uncertain of any such representing events, see your doctor.

 

There is one other treatment that you can use. Minoxidil 5% like Rogaine is a hair growth stimulator. It works by stimulating and shocking your hair follicles to grow. Therefore, it is effective in stopping TE or at least slowing it down. But most importantly, if there is another reason behind it, it's best to stop it and then you can stop TE.