Bronwyn Stringer asked:


There are many problems which are faced by many people and hair loss is one of them. People believe that hair loss is for people who are old. But the truth is hair loss can affect anyone young old, men women all are targets of hair loss.

Hair growth normally goes through a fairly steady progress of growing, resting, and shedding. It is said that at any moment, up to 90% of a person\’s hair is growing and the other 10% is resting. As hair falls out, a new strand grows in the empty follicle, continuing the cycle. For some, the process is not quite as regular.

There are many factors that cause hair loss or thinning hair. One of the main causes is heredity. If hair loss runs in the family, the chances of a person experiencing hair loss increase dramatically.

Another reason for hair loss is stress and lifestyle. In today\’s increasingly fast-paced society, the regular stress of day-to-day activities increases, as do the chances for experiencing hair loss.

Hormone imbalances are also a known cause of hair loss. In men, an abundance of the hormone known as DHT is known to cause problems with hair loss. As a man\’s hair naturally sheds itself, what are known as DHT receptor sites build up in the follicles. The excess DHT builds up in the follicle and over time causes the follicles to shrink. With each hair cycle, the follicles get smaller. Eventually, the follicle is too small to let hair through, resulting in thinning hair and ultimately hair loss.
Women have lesser level of DHT effect as the have a hormone called estrogen present which will lesser the affect of excess DHT.

But there are many other causes that may lead to hair loss problems in women, such as pregnancy or taking pills for birth control may cause hormonal changes in women. These changes will affect some women and causes hair loss. When a woman is pregnant, there are certain hormones which are produced in high levels. Such hormones generated will halt the hair growth process in the resting stage. After the hormones regain after pregnancy the process continues and these extra hair will fall off. Which might seem like hair loss, but it is the natural part of pregnancy.

If you are experiencing sudden hair loss or thinning of hair then you must take an appointment with a dermatologist. Hair can be due to infections, diabetes or lupus may cause hair fall. It\’s better to know the disease early and cure it before it\’s late.

Hair loss can be an embarrassing situation for anyone, young or old. But there are things that can be done to stop hair loss and even re-grow lost hair. If you find yourself experiencing hair loss, see your dermatologist.

 

Anthony Delar asked:


Hair loss is a difficult matter to face for both men and women. It is the thinning of hair on the scalp. The medical term for hair loss is alopecia. Alopecia can be either temporary or permanent. Heredity and hormonal imbalance can cause gradual hair loss that is referred to as ‘androgenetic alopecia’.

Define Hair Loss

Hair is made up of a keratin, a protein that is produced in the hair follicles. When new cells are produced the old cells are pushed out through the surface of the skin. This cycle of new hair growth and losing old hair is termed as ‘natural hair loss’. When hormonal changes and heredity are the cause for hair loss then it is termed as ‘androgenetic alopecia’. Patches of baldness that normally grow back are termed as ‘alopecia areata’. Rapid shedding of hair after childbirth, fever, or sudden weight loss is termed as ‘telogen effluvium’ and thinning of hair from tight braids or ponytails is normally referred to as ‘traction alopecia’. Hair loss is generally age-related and occurs gradually in both males and females, but is more pronounced in males.

The average adult head has about 100,000 hairs at any given time and loses up to 100 of them a day. So a few stray hair here and there cannot necessarily be termed as a problem.

Each hair usually grows in repeated cycles — that is growth, rest, falling out and re-growth. Usually this cycle repeats itself yearly and as a result 90% of the scalp hair is growing at any given time; this phase lasts between two and six years. 10% of scalp hair is in the resting phase, lasting between two and three months. At the tail end of the resting phase, the hair goes through the shedding phase. When a hair is shed, it is replaced by a new hair.

Symptoms of Hair Loss

Male-pattern baldness is hereditary and therefore runs in families. It usually sets in around the late twenties or thirties. Following a set pattern, the first stage is usually a receding hairline, followed by thinning of the hair on the crown and temples. It can even progress to complete baldness, although it is rare. The symptoms of hair loss in men include:

Thinning hair on the scalp A receding hairline A horseshoe-shaped hair loss pattern leaving the crown exposed

With age, women generally notice thinning of hair, but they tend to lose hair mostly from the top of the head. This becomes more noticeable after menopause. It is also called androgenetic alopecia, or female-pattern hair loss. Baldness in females also runs in families. In women it includes:

Thinning of hair in general Thinning of hair at the crown

In addition other symptoms may be:

Sudden loss of patches of hair in which the immune system attacks the hair follicles and can affect all body hair – alopecia areata Complete loss of all hair on the body – alopecia universalis Patches of broken hair or bald patches because of the hair being pulled out – trichotillomania. Excessive shedding of hair after various illnesses or drug treatments, rapid weight loss, anemia, stress or pregnancy – telogen effluvium Inherited hair loss – androgenetic alopecia Hair loss because of fungal infection – tinea capitis

Hair being an important part of our appearance, its loss can result in loss of self-esteem and a feeling of unattractiveness, especially in women and teens.

Causes of Hair Loss

Although hair loss causes vary from person to person, there are various causes that result in scalp hair loss. However, most hair loss is not associated with systemic or internal disease or poor diet. Apart from genetics, hormonal changes as well as aging in men, women mostly lose hair due to poor circulation, hormonal changes after menopause, childbirth and poor diet.

Other causes of hair loss include stress, diabetes, certain drugs, chemicals and hair dyes and vitamin deficiencies.

In addition, disease like thyroid can also result in hair loss. Many medications also list ‘hair loss’ as one of their side effects. Moreover, cancer treatments like chemotherapy and immune suppression medications can result is loss of hair. Similarly, fungal infections may also result in hair loss.

Normally, each scalp hair has a life of around three years when in the growing (anagen) phase. Then the hair enters the resting (telogen) phase. Normally, about 10% of scalp hairs are in the telogen phase. In this three-month period, the hair root shrivels up into a small white ‘club’ a then falls out. Therefore, it is considered to be normal to lose about 100 hairs every day and more on days when the hair is shampooed. Shampooing loosens the hair root of the hairs that are ready to fall out. These hairs are then replaced.

Our circumstances or certain life altering evens may also ‘shock our system’ into altering our hair growth rhythm. This may put 30-40% of our hairs in the telogen phase. This normally happens after:

Childbirth High fever Sudden weight loss (crash dieting) Surgery Emotional trauma

Hair loss may or may not follow these events, depending on individual threshold. Strangely enough, the more dramatic the hair loss, the better is the prognosis. This is so because once the body gets back into shape almost all the hair will come back.

Other probable causes of hair loss are follicular deterioration, zinc or iron deficiency and use of steroids.

Dr John Anne asked:


Hair loss is a common phenomenon. It is not limited to any particular race or culture; rather it is more of a universal problem. Mild hair loss is not that obnoxious, but excessive hair loss may require proper medical attention. There are various causes of hair loss and several factors may actually contribute to excessive hair loss. Let us explore some of them here in this article.

Heredity

Heredity factors can be a real cause of hair loss problem. The most common of all types of hair loss problems is Androgenetic alopecia, which refers to the predisposition of baldness. However, the role of heredity in hair loss is not simple. The genetic propensity along with the prevalence of androgen hormone and ageing plays the significant role in developing baldness.

Major Illness

Major illnesses such as typhoid, malaria can result in excessive hair loss. If someone undergoes through chemotherapy, it results in tremendous hair loss, and in most of the cases, it is incurable also. Apart from that, surgical intervention can be considered as one of the major causes of hair loss. A temporary condition for hair loss may be induced due to stressors experienced at the time of illness.

Hormonal Dysfunction

Dysfunctions associated with hormones may play major role in premature hair loss. Many of the important hormones are secreted from thyroid gland. Individuals having hyperactive or less active thyroid gland may experience hair loss problems. This type of hair loss problem can be solved with thyroid treatment. The imbalance occurred in *** hormones, androgens and estrogens, is believed to be one of the main causes of hair loss. Many women experience hair loss problems during pregnancy as well as prior and post delivery stages. It all occurs due to hormonal imbalance within the body system.

Medication

There are certain medicines that may promote hair loss. However, in most of the cases, this is temporary. When you stop taking particular medications promoting hair loss, the problem alleviates. Blood thinners or anticoagulants, gout medicines, chemotherapy, steroids, interferon, excessive amount of vitamin A, birth control pills and antidepressants are the medications which are considered as the causes of hair loss.

Psychological Factors

Stress is a significant factor that promotes hair loss. Studies reveal if someone is not experiencing any apparent factors that may contribute to hair loss, but is undergoing through stress, he or she may experience hair loss problems. Essentially, stress is related to two types of hair loss problems – Telogen effluvium and Alopecia areata. Apart from that, psychological dysfunction may contribute to hair loss such as trichotillomania.

Infection

Different types of fungal infections can be the causes of hair loss. Especially in children, it is quite common to see hair loss problems due to fungal infection on the scalp area. However, this type of fungal infection can be treated using antifungal medications.

Internal Health Hazards

The diseases like lupus or diabetes may cause hair loss problems. In these cases, hair loss is considered as one of the early warning signs of the diseases. So if you are loosing your hair without any apparent reason, it is always advisable that you must not neglect the situation and immediately ask for guidance from expert health practitioners.

Improper Hair Care

Last but not the least, improper hair care can contribute to major hair loss, hence it can be considered as one of the main causes of hair loss. If you tie your wet hair or pull your hair with tight hair rollers, you may experience traction alopecia, a type of hair loss. If you stop pulling your hair before it is too late and prior developing any scar on the scalp area, it has the possibility that your hair may grow back naturally. However, if you develop scar, it has a high chance that you loss your hair on the scarred area forever. Chemical treatment associated with permanents, also known as ‘perms’, may cause to severe hair loss for some people, leading to experience scarring and inflammation on the affected areas.