When women lose their hair...

Losing your hair? You can blame fall
By Nadine Bells

(Thinkstock)

With the wind, rain and dropping temperatures comes... hair loss?

A recent Swedish study found women tend to lose the most hair in autumn. It’s all part of a strand of hair’s lifecycle.

A human hair grows for about two to six years. Scientists have discovered that at any one time, about 90 per cent of our hair is growing, while the rest is in the telogen stage — a resting phase — for two to six months before falling out. That hair follicle rests for about three months, and then another strand grows.

It’s normal for women to lose up to 100 hairs a day.

Researchers found that in a study of 800 healthy women, the highest proportion of hair in the telogen stage was in July.  The stage ended — with hair shedding — in late October and beyond.

[See also: Are you eating right - for your hair?]

This autumn hair-loss pattern is likely evolutionary. We don’t need our hair to protect our scalps from the sun in the wintery months.

Hair is also a barometer for health.

'Hair cells are the second-fastest produced cells in the body after bone marrow, so hair is often the first thing to suffer from any bodily upset,' said Glenn Lyons, consultant trichologist at the Philip Kingsley clinic.

We don’t need our hair to survive — just ask Bruce Willis, who appears to be thriving nicely without it — so your body knows to prioritize other organs.

“If it’s a choice between your hair growing or keeping blood going to vital organs, the former will suffer,” Marie Claire reports.

“Hair is an incredibly sensitive barometer. It can even forewarn you when there are no other symptoms of illness,” said Dr. Hugh Rushton of the University of Portsmouth.

Hair loss outside of normal growth rhythms has been linked to a number of other factors, pointing to disruptions in health, medication use, nutritional deficiencies and crash dieting, stress, pregnancy and birth-control usage, thyroid conditions and infections.

So if a hairbrush with more rogue strands in it than usual is causing you to panic, talk to your doctor. Here’s a list of blood tests to request. No use stressing over hair loss — since stress might be partly to blame.

Why you may always wake up feeling tired

7 Avoidable Reasons You’re Waking Up Tired

If you’re getting the recommended seven to 10 hours of sleep, yet still can’t shake a lethargic feeling, your fatigue may have little to do with the amount of z’s you’re catching. Health conditions and factors in your waking life could be contributing to your general malaise. Before hitting the snooze button yet again, check out the following 10 potential reasons you’re waking up tired and learn how to restore your spark.

1.    You’re anemic.
 While there are several types of anemia, a condition that relates to abnormally low levels of red blood cells and hemoglobin, which prevent adequate oxygen from traveling throughout your body, the common symptom is often loss of energy and chronic tiredness. If you find yourself easily fatigued, you could have deficiencies in your blood. A blood test can determine if you are anemic and the condition can often be managed by taking supplements as suggested by your doctor.


2.    Your sleep schedule is inconsistent.
It may feel good to sleep in on the weekends, but if you go to sleep and wake up at different times throughout the week, you’re disrupting your circadian rhythms that are crucial regulators of your sleep cycle. Consistency is key in maintaining energy so sleep specialists suggest going to sleep and waking up within an hour of the same time each day.


3.    You’re bored.
Lack of stimulation can wreak havoc on your energy levels. If you find yourself bored with your job, consider taking on a new, exciting project. You’ll find that an active mind can do wonders for your energy.

How to Enjoy Your Office More


4.    You’re not getting enough sunlight.
Sunlight sends the signal to your brain to release serotonin, a naturally occurring feel-good chemical that makes you feel happier and more alert. Unfortunately, desk jobs and the use of unnatural light can mess with our circadian rhythms and the regulation of crucial alertness chemicals in our bodies. According to WebMD, spending at least 20 minutes outside can make you feel instantly more energized throughout the day and increase the quality of your sleep that night.


5.    You’re drinking too much caffeine.
It’s hard to break the cycle of over-indulging in caffeine when you lack energy, but whether or not you’re completely aware, caffeine can have negative effects on the quality of your sleep, which in turn can have you reaching for another cup of coffee. Break the vicious cycle by abstaining from coffee within six hours of your bedtime to ensure it does not affect your ability to reach and stay in REM sleep, the most restorative part of your night.  


6.    You’re stressed out.
Stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, initially rev you up, but if your inner alarm system is constantly on, it’s bound to wear you out. Chronic stress ultimately saps your body of energy and reduces your ability to cope with real or perceived stressors or dangers. If you find yourself anxious much of the time, consider meditation, yoga, or exercise to quiet your mind. Not only will your sleep improve, but you’ll literally free up your brain to focus on supplying your body with the energy it needs.

14 Luxurious Ways to De-Stress

7.    You’re not getting enough exercise.
Research indicates that regular exercise can increase energy levels in the long run. According to Patrick O’Connor PhD and co-director of the University of Georgia exercise psychology laboratory, 90% of exercise and energy-level studies showed that sedentary people who began exercising reported improved fatigue. Next time you’re tempted to take a 20-minute nap, opt for mild-to-moderate exercise instead.

SMACKS OF HAPPINESS: Couples who kiss frequently are 8 times less likely to have stress or depression

Stressed out? Kiss more...

6 Surprising Stress Fixes. Simple, Field-Tested Strategies You Can Use Right Now

You know what stress looks like: The sun rises; so do you. Your child suddenly remembers that he needs cupcakes for the school party. The dog's gotten sick in the living room. Your spouse leaves for work in a
huff after a pre-breakfast tiff over finances. You leave for work without a report that's due today. You double back, grab it from the kitchen counter, trip over an Everest of laundry -- must we go on?

You know what stress feels like: Your pulse quickens, your lungs squeeze shut, your ears ring, and you wonder if this is the time your head actually explodes. Sensing anxiety overload, your brain orders up a chemical surge that makes your blood vessels narrow, heart race, blood pressure rise, and muscles tighten. Your body is mobilizing to deal with threat.

Good plan, nature! But you weren't meant to stay on red alert forever. Prolonged stress leads to health problems. High levels of the stress hormone cortisol are associated with heart disease and cancer; stress
has also been linked to gastrointestinal problems, eczema, asthma, and depression.

And you probably already know what's involved in long-term, big-commitment stress reduction: physical changes (exercising, eating right, getting plenty of sleep); organizational changes (planning ahead, divvying up chores equitably); attitude changes (letting go of what you can't control, for starters); and relationship changes (finding ways to talk through, directly and respectfully, the problems that are the sources of anxiety). All of these transformations are definitely worth the effort.

But here's what you may not know: Recent studies have suggested six new stress reducers -- research-tested, rather surprising, and relatively simple. You can ease these strategies into your life right now.


*Strategy 1:* Smooch spontaneously
"When I come home from a hard day at work and kiss my husband, the bad
stuff doesn't seem to matter anymore," says Cheryl Kennedy Henderson,
47, an accountant in Knoxville, TN. Science says she's on to something.
A recent study of 2,000 couples showed that those who kiss only during
lovemaking are eight times more likely to report suffering from stress
and depression than those who frequently kiss on the spur of the moment.
Study leader Laura Berman, Ph.D., an assistant clinical professor of
psychiatry and ob-gyn at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of
Medicine, explains why: "Kissing relieves stress by creating a sense of
connectedness, which releases endorphins, the chemicals that counteract
stress and depression."


*Strategy 2:* Take the cuddle cure
More good news from the annals of affection: Researchers at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently found that holding
hands and hugging can measurably reduce stress. Fifty couples were asked
to hold hands for 10 minutes, then hug for 20 seconds. A second group of
85 people rested quietly, not touching their significant others.
Researchers then asked people in both groups to talk about a past event
that left them angry or anxious. Those who hadn't cuddled before
revisiting the past exhibited signs of elevated heart rate and blood
pressure. But couples who had hugged and held hands weren't nearly as
ruffled. "The gentle pressure of a hug can stimulate nerve endings under
the skin that send calming messages to the brain and slow the release of
cortisol," explains Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of the University of
Miami Medical School's Touch Research Institute. And if your honey isn't
on hand? Field says other studies have found that a hug from a friend or
a professional massage can also help banish tension.


*Strategy 3:* Lash out less
You may have already concluded what a series of studies has confirmed:
When married couples argue, men are more likely than women to withdraw
-- and this frustrates their wives. The studies also revealed something
not as obvious. The way a woman deals with frustration during hostile
arguments can measurably affect her stress load, and thus her physical
health. Women who responded to their husbands with verbal hostility
showed elevated stress-hormone levels during arguments and for hours
afterward. Their mates didn't show these physical signs of stress, says
Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at Ohio State
University College of Medicine and a member of the research team.
Prolonged surges of stress hormones can damage the immune system, she
notes. (One serious physical consequence of a hostile fighting style was
discovered last year by researchers at the University of Utah, who found
that wives who lashed out at their husbands during disagreements had
twice as much coronary artery calcification, a sign of heart disease, as
wives who stayed calm. Hostile husbands weren't affected.) "Conflict
isn't necessarily bad," says Kiecolt-Glaser. "It's the /way/ couples
disagree that affects health." Her advice: Concentrate on the issue at
hand and forget about getting even; drop the sarcasm and name-calling.
"Generally it's best to try to keep the emotional temperature as low as
possible," she says. "The more heated the words or tone of voice, the
harder it is for husbands and wives to hear each other. If necessary,
take a deep breath and respectfully end the conversation, promising to
talk about the situation later, when you're calmer."


*Strategy 4:* Put the kettle on
Tea is the most popular beverage in the world (after water); even
coffee-worshipping Americans guzzle more than 2 billion gallons of tea a
year. Part of the appeal may be its tension-taming powers. In a recent
study, scientists at University College London noted that people who
drank black tea four times a day for six weeks had lower levels of
cortisol after a stressful task than those who drank a caffeinated fruit
beverage. Research also shows that a substance in green tea leaves,
L-Theanine, may shift brain wave activity from the beta waves that
accompany anxiety to the alpha waves associated with relaxation. Maxine
Friedman, 43, of New York City, the mother of 7-year-old twin girls,
builds tea breaks into her busiest days. She finds the ritual as calming
as the beverage. "I start relaxing even before I start to drink -- at
the sound of the kettle, the feel of the cup in my hand," she says.


*Strategy 5:* Loosen your electronic leash
Thanks to high-tech gadgets, your kids can reach you 24/7. Knowing where
they are and what they're up to? Priceless. But there's a hidden cost. A
two-year study of 1,367 working men and women in New York State,
two-thirds of them parents, found that all were overburdened by a
blurring of the divide between the workplace and home. But while both
men and women reported bringing job-related worries home with them, only
women felt stress because of home worries spilling over into the
workplace. Researchers speculate that cell phones and pagers are
responsible for this blurring of boundaries. "When your kids have a
crisis or a relative gets sick, it's usually the women, not the men, who
get the call at work," says Noelle Chesley, a professor of sociology at
the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the study's author. She
suggests you take turns with your spouse being "on call" for minor
emergencies, and make sure the sitter and the school have his number as
well as yours. You may have to retrain the kids, too.


*Strategy 6:* Reflect on what you value
When your frazzle level is so high you feel yourself spiraling out of
control, a quick way to re-center is to remind yourself of what's most
important in your life. Researchers at the University of California, Los
Angeles, asked 85 people to complete a questionnaire ranking their
values from what matters most to what matters least. Then the group was
divided. Half the people were asked to talk about their top-ranked
values; the other half discussed what mattered least to them. Afterward,
everyone took part in a stress-inducing task (giving a five-minute
speech in front of a heckling audience, then counting backward from
2,083 by 13s). People who'd reflected on their most cherished values had
a lower stress response than those who'd discussed matters that didn't
mean much. "Affirming your values changes the way you appraise a
situation," says David Creswell, Ph.D., the study's lead author and a
research scientist at UCLA. "In this case, the stressful event became
less of a threat and more of a challenge." He suggests one way to put
the research findings to work: In a stressful situation, think about
people important to you, and how you've been a good mate, mother,
daughter, sister, or friend. "Affirmations of close relationships are
powerful sources to draw on," Creswell says.