Hair fall? Seven reasons you need to consider before self-treatment! (Slideshow)

Your hair are probably the most precious part of your body and something that you consciously take care of every step of the way.

But, the moment one begins to notice even the slightest increase in hair fall, their first instinct is to rush out and buy the latest anti-hair fall products, without first trying to find out the reason.

It is said that losing 100 strands of hair per day is normal. But if you feel you're losing more hair than the normal amount, it doesn't necessarily have to be because of a disease. It could easily be due to hormonal changes, chemical imbalance, a lifestyle problem, et al.

Each hair on our body has its own cycle, independent of the others. When this cycle is disrupted, be it because of medical conditions or poor nutrition, hair fall occurs.

So, before jumping to conclusions, check out the following reasons which can be responsible for your hair fall problems!

As strange as it may sound, there IS a way to comb right which prevents excess hair fall. Your hair should be combed starting from the tips, going on to the middle and finally the scalp. If you start combing the roots first, any knots below will be pulled at and uproot the entire strand. Another habit that one needs to adopt is combing and detangling the hair before stepping into the shower for a head wash. 

Hot water is the worse for washing hair. Not only does it open the pores which aids hair fall, but also strips hair of its nutrients and makes them thinner. If you really want to use hot water to wash your hair, try to keep the rinsing and rubbing minimal.

Genes play an important role in our lives and many of our problems can be blamed on them. Hair fall is not an exception. If your grandparents or parents or anyone in your family, for that matter, suffers from thinning hair or baldness, chances of your hair fall problem being hereditary are high. 

We're sure that most of you will be using all sorts of chemical-rich products and tools to tame your locks. Our advise is to let go and let them be in their form for a while if you want to prevent hair fall. 

If you're losing hair and are on a diet, that's probably the reason. Your nutritional intake becomes restricted when you subject yourself to diets and the change obviously affects the body. 

Hair fall becomes a common occurrence once you hit your 50s and 60s, due to menopause and other hormonal reasons. Age also causes the body's cycle of repairing and regenerating skin, hair, and nails to slow down. 

If you're experiencing loss of hair and are on medication to treat some other problem, you might want to consult your doctor for any side-effects that the prescription may trigger. For instance, birth control medication, antidepressants, drugs used to treat blood pressure, or anti-inflammatory drugs cause hair fall because they contain a lot of chemicals.

-- By Udita Madan