Hair Loss Is On Rise

Every day, women worldwide look in the mirror, and where they used to see healthy hair, they now see an increasing proportion of scalp. Agonizing over their hair loss, they try to hide it with make-up, creative hairstyles, or sometimes even hair extensions, which can actually further damage already stressed-out hair.

Ironically, stress itself is the main reason why many women are facing hair loss and what appears to be early balding, according to Erkkie Harris-Wells, a trichologist and founder of the Costa-Mesa, Calif.-based Miyohara International Trichology Clinic. As someone who diagnoses and treats hair and scalp disorders, Harris-Wells has a bird's-eye view of this medical trend -- and is no longer surprised to see the physical indicators of stress when viewing hair samples through a microscope.

"The number of women suffering from hair loss is definitely on the rise," Harris-Wells says. "Even more disturbing is that nearly 80 percent of the time, women's hair samples show symptoms of thyroid diseases or hormone imbalances, which are serious manifestations of stress-related disorders."

Unlike a blood test, which only provides results based on what the body is experiencing at the moment of the blood draw, trichology's cutting-edge, microscopic diagnosis reveals up to six months' worth of a person's physical history. The testing also shows that stress doesn't discriminate -- it's present in the hair of women young and old, but particularly those leading demanding careers or lifestyles, Harris-Wells says.

"Here in California, I'm diagnosing teenage girls, working mothers and menopausal women," Harris-Wells says. "There are even celebrities and models battling hair loss, too. Women everywhere are stressed. Their bodies are under attack, and so their hair is falling out or bald spots are appearing. Sadly, they're struggling secretly with this hair loss, trying to solve the problem on their own."

Miyohara International Trichology Clinic offers hope for most hair loss sufferers. This solution starts in educating women on the cause behind their hair loss. Miyohara also provides the best preventative products, and offers referrals to the appropriate doctors who can treat the underlying causes, be they physical, emotional or both.