How Much do You Know About Hair Loss?

Hair loss is most commonly known as baldness. It is the condition of losing hair, most conspicuously on the head. Angrogenetic alopecia, otherwise known as male-pattern baldness is the most famous hair loss problem among men.

Normally, hair at the telogen phase falls off. Normal amount of hair fall is 25-100. When hair fall exceeds the normal, the condition is already hair loss leading to baldness.

Male Baldness

Male pattern baldness or angrogenetic alopecia is the most popular type of baldness, especially among males. This is characterized by a receding hairline. The usual onset is at 25 years, although receding hairline in teen is commonplace. This condition is an inherited trait.

Males with male pattern baldness have lower levels of testosterone as compared to normal males. And they also have higher levels of androgen, specifically dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Female Baldness

Female pattern baldness usually has more than one cause. The most likely cause of baldness in women is same as in men: androgenetic alopecia. The usual course of hair loss in women begins at the age 50 but can occur as early as 20 especially when puberty started early. In contrast to the receding hairline in men, female pattern baldness is characterized by a diffuse hair thinning of the entire scalp.

Unlike men, other types of baldness occur in women. Trichotillomania results from compulsive pulling of hair strands. This condition results in a patchy appearance since hair pulling tends to concentrate in a particular area.

Triangular alopecia can also occur in women. In this case, hairs in the temporal regions are lost. It usually begins in childhood. The cause for this is unknown but can be corrected medically.

Scarring alopecia is typical of African-American women who often have tight braids or corn-rows in the scalp. This usually inflames the hair follicles and subsequently producing scars that result to hair loss.
Telogen effluvium happens when a large portion of the hair growth shifts to the telogen or the resting phase of the hair cycle. Usually, this condition happens after childbirth or after a chemotherapy session.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is a disorder that can occur in both men and women. This is an autoimmune disease, wherein body cells attack the hair follicles resulting to hair loss. Alopecia areata starts as spot-baldness, where certain areas of the hair are lost.

The condition can evolve to alopecia areata totalis, wherein all the head hair is lost. And it can also become alopecia areata universalis, wherein all hair in the body including the pubic hair, is lost.

Causes

Hair loss can be a result of a variety of causes. Common hair loss is stress-related. Stress can be brought about by personal, social, and even medical problems like diseases.

Problems in the body's circulating hormones can be a cause of hair loss too. Hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism has the same effect of hair loss in humans. Hormones like androgen and estrogen also cause hair loss in both men and women. Hormonal problems need to be corrected to prevent hair loss.
Certain medications also cause hair loss. Anticoagulants or blood thinners, chemotherapeutic drugs, gout medication, downers, birth control pills and excess Vitamin A are among those which can cause hair loss.
Fungal and parasitic infection of the scalp can also cause hair loss. Hair loss in this case is indirect. Infections can cause itching, and some scratches can cause scarring on the scalp which will contribute to hair loss.