There is an indirect link between the Media (television, magazines, and newspapers) and the way that hair loss is perceived by the public. If you suffer from hair loss, you may or may not know that the amount of sufferers is growing. If you are female and suffering hair thinning, balding, partial or even total hair loss, then you make up almost twenty-five percent of the total sufferers of hair loss.
This article is intended to highlight some of the issues concerning the media and how they have contributed to how we are perceived. It is also a chance for you to realise that you are not the only one in your position, and how to seek help if you are concerned about losing the hair on your head - or anywhere else on your body.
I intend this to help you if you have been experiencing those 'looks' by passers-by. When you feel a little less confident than usual, they can be very daunting and can make you feel worse, even when those looks are probably very innocent.
Views of Male and Female Hair Loss
Female hair loss can usually be connected with a hereditary gene that has been passed down from parents and grandparents, in most cases from the dominant male. The likelihood of a male suffering hair loss or balding when either their Father or Grandfather is thinning or balding is fairly high. The expectations, and views, of a male losing their hair are common and it is not looked upon as anything other than common. However, the cause of female hair loss is a little less common and is surprisingly still viewed rather differently by the public if you are a woman rather than a man. The views portrayed in the media, do not necessarily cover those views by the public, but the images seen in the media today sadly have a huge part to play.
Explaining Premature Hair Loss - the Magazine's Views
When researching this article, I came across descriptions that contained the words 'tragic', 'beautiful' and 'perfect' repeated time and time again. And hair information in general is always found under the beauty section. Also, look at the back of the magazines and newspapers - adverts for 'hair loss solutions' and 'new hair loss treatments' can often be found, but many of the adverts found in glossy mag's are there for the company to reap a little profit and are not regulated, so do be aware of this before ordering hair loss products blindly.
Despite all this however, I also found that many cases of female hair loss are temporary and there are so many womens hair loss treatments to try that your symptoms can, more than likely, be solved easily.
With this in mind, I did find articles that covered the subject in many reassuring ways. It seems once a celebrity begins to suffer from symptoms of illness, it is more widely covered. It prompts the reporters to find out more, in order to let their public in on the why's and what for's. These articles are generally a good source of information, especially when published in high-profile and popular magazines for the 15 to 50 year olds. Those like Marie Claire, Elle, Cosmopolitan and Company may all have had features at one time - and their websites will always have links in order to seek help and advice from the best sites.
Help is At Hand
The battle with the media attention, and in most cases lack of the right kind of attention, will always be a battle. You must remember that the media aims its attention at the 'majority', and with those suffering female hair loss still being in the minority, then you may be hard pushed to find supportive information through this source.
My first piece of advice is simple; you will know that if you are concerned about hair loss then you must seek attention from your Doctor, Dermatologist, Trichologist, or Pharmacist. Be assured though that most cases of hair loss are only temporary - diet and hormones can be factors of hair loss, whilst sometimes drugs you have been prescribed may be causing your hair to fall out.
If you intend on doing your own research into herbal remedies for hair loss, drug-free products or medicated drugs then please carry it out properly by visiting regulated sites like the National Health Service (www.nhsdirect.gov.uk - UK) where you can get trusted help and support if you need it.
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