Many may have recognized that baldness is becoming a typical situation among men and women in various age groups. Baldness or alopecia described as the condition characterized by extreme hair loss affects more or less thirty-five percent of the world's population. Unknown by many, alopecia does not refer to excessive hair loss on the scalp alone. Instead, it refers to the intense hair loss in any or all the parts of the body where hair growth is expected.
Just like any medical condition, it is best to treat hair loss situations during the recognition of the earliest signs and symptoms. Early detection offers more options for hair loss treatments such as non-surgical hair re-growth choices that are affordable and not painful. It also grants higher chances of bringing back your natural hair.
To aid you in determining if you are one of the victims of alopecia, here are some of the preliminary signs and symptoms of the said condition:
Receding hairline
Men with male-pattern baldness a.k.a. androgenetic alopecia will observe a receding hairline at their temples in as early as their teenage years. Thinning hair and balding sections at the top of the head follows.
Thinning hair
In the case of women with female-pattern baldness, they experience thinning hair on the front and side portions of their head. However, unlike men with androgenetic alopecia, women do not experience receding hairlines.
Patchy hair loss
Hair loss in patchy patterns signifies "scarring" alopecia caused by inflamed hair follicles. The portions of the scalp in these patches are often itchy and painful as well. In some cases, patchy hair loss may also be caused by traction alopecia. Traction alopecia occurs between the sections of the hair that are pulled tightly when being styled.
Round and smooth patches of hair loss
If the hair loss patches are round and smooth, then you probably have alopecia areata. These hair loss patches do not only occur on the scalp. They can be observed on your beard, eyelashes, and eyebrows. Prior to hair loss, people with alopecia areata may experience itchiness on the infected areas.
A handful of falling hair
When a handful of your hair falls when you brush or wash it, then you should be wary of having Telogen effluvium. This is a sudden hair loss condition which may cause the hair to fall out when pulled even in a gentle manner. However, telogen effluvium rarely causes bald patches.
When you consult a dermatologist and he fails to provide immediate diagnosis after seeing the physiological symptoms of baldness, some hair loss tests may be performed. This includes the pull test (where a handful of your hair stands are pulled gently so as to assess your hair's susceptibility to hair fall induced by force), skin scraping (scalp and hair samples are taken and examined), punch biopsy (the extraction of a small section from your scalp or skin so as to examine its layers), and/or various screening tests for other diseases which may promote alopecia (diabetes, lupus, autoimmune diseases, etc.). Prior to the tests however, your dermatologist will examine your vital signs and your physical and medical history.
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