Since the introduction of electrical appliances the world of technology has advanced at a tremendous rate and today there is no home, office, work place without an appliance using electrics. There has been talk about the radiation that emits from these appliances but the levels of emission are low and cause no danger to health. However, there are some that believe exposure to many appliances, at once, over a period of time can cause problems.
Causes of hair loss have been of interest for decades and with research many causes and treatments have been discovered. There are some who feel the radiation emitted from electrical appliances can have an effect on hair growth and bring about hair thinning. On a day to day basis people are exposed to radiation from different sources including the sun, radio waves, electric light, heat and the earth and minerals. Radiation from everyday electrical appliances which are used in most homes is known as electromagnetic radiation and is less harmful than ionizing radiation found in radioactive building materials.
Computers are used by many people in their everyday lives whether at work or at home. It is recommended to take time away from a computer if there is prolonged use as long term exposure to electromagnetic radiation can cause health issues. Whether this includes hair loss is debatable, not everyone using a computer loses hair, why is the hair loss on the crown and not the sides and back, why do people still have hair loss that do not use computers?
There can be arguments on both sides and there has certainly been some suggestion that prolonged exposure to radiation has instigated some illnesses. Unfortunately, this form of radiation is not going to go away with new inventions being introduced into society on a regular basis especially computers and hand held computer games. Only time will tell the long term effect as the new generation of ‘computer kids’ age.
What has been proven in regard to hair loss is that diet, illness, medication, stress and genetics can all play a part in baldness and thinning of hair. Those who have a history of baldness in the family will have a much higher chance of following the same way even if it was not their parents. This form of hair loss, androgenetic alopecia, normally starts with a receding hair line and thinning of hair on the crown. Eventually it will lead to a horseshoe shape baldness on the top of the head with hair round the sides and back. This is normal for men, for women it rarely leads to complete baldness but does show signs of thinning hair and bald patches.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy both are used in the treatment of cancer and in many cases will see hair loss in the patient. This can be from hair thinning to bald patches to full baldness. In the majority of patients hair will grow back once the treatment is finished. This is radiation in a lot higher concentration than is received from everyday appliances.
Some experts will recommend unplugging electrical appliances when not in use to cut down on electromagnetic radiation but again there is no absolute proof that it can cause any harm to health or hair loss. Although there are so many appliances in our daily lives that can cut down the time we spend on daily chores and technology to make life easier, it has also made the pace of life faster. Keeping up with a changing world has brought stress into the lives of many and stress is known to be an important factor in hair loss.
Many medications used to cure illness contain chemicals that are harmful to the body and when the body’s immune system is using all its nutrients to fight then there is not always enough left to supply the scalp with the nutrients it needs. This in turn causes the hair growth cycle to be interrupted and more hair than usual is lost. This will rectify itself once the medication is stopped and the body gets back to normal. Propecia and minoxidil are two medications available to help with hair regrowth when this does not happen and are approved.
