The Link Between Fungal Infection and Hair Loss

Fungal infections are diseases which are caused by growth of fungi outside or inside the body. Most fungal infections occur on the skin, hair and nails. The most common fungal infections are the ringworms and athletes foot. In some cases fungal infections are as a result of a compromised immune system. There are many factors that can cause the immune system to weaken amongst which include disease and nutritional deficiencies. Other fungal infections may occur in patients being treated with steroid hormones and cancer patients being treated with cancer drugs.

When fungi infect parts of the body such as the scalp they cause hair loss. The reason why fungi cause hair loss is that they enter into the skin and establish themselves onto the walls of hair follicles. They then start to produce some toxins which will kill the hair follicle and stop it from producing any hair whilst hair that is already present falls out. Fungi are competitive cellular organisms which when they find a niche they secrete substances which kill other cells in their surroundings, sothat they do not compete with them for nutrients and energy. In the case of hair the victims will be the hair follicle cells. This is the link between fungal infection and hair loss.

Hair loss caused by fungal infections can easily be reversed by the use of antibiotic drugs to kill the fungal growths. Antibiotic drugs for fungal infection treatment are available in the form of topical creams and some broad spectrum antibiotic capsules that can be taken orally. The course for the treatment of fungal infections usually lasts up to 7 days. The reason why treatment is over a short period of time is because antibiotic treatments are not encouraged to be used over a long period of time as they can cause complications in the liver and kidneys.

Once the fungal infection has been gotten rid of, the next thing is to boost hair regrowth. A good way to boost hair regrowth will be to use some hair shampoos that have some hair revitalising extracts that promote increased hair regrowth. In the case of hair loss that had caused huge bald patches, it will be wise to speed up the recovery of the hair by using drugs such as finasteride and minoxidil which stimulate the hair follicles to wake up and start producing hair.

A change of diet will be very important. This is so, for a good diet will make sure that you get all the necessary and essential nutrients which will boost the function of your immune system. Having your immune system in tune will ensure that you will not get any further infections from the same fungi species. A good diet will also promote healthy growth of hair. Exercise is another way to improve your immune system so your body can be more effective at fighting off infections. When your immune system is strong, your hair will be strong also, and you can forget about fungal infections shedding your hair.