Normal cycle of hair growth and loss
The normal cycle of hair growth lasts for 2 to 6 years. Each hair grows approximately one centimeter (less than half an inch) per month during this phase. About 90 percent of the hair on your scalp is growing at any one time. About 10 percent of the hair on your scalp, at any one time, is in a resting phase. After 2 to 3 months, the resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow in its place. It is normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle. However, some people may experience excessive (more than normal) hair loss. Hair loss of this type can affect men, women and children.
Common causes of excessive hair loss
A number of things can cause excessive hair loss. For example, about 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the illness and is temporary.
Hormonal problems may cause hair loss. If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, your hair may fall out. This hair loss usually can be helped by treatment thyroid disease. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop your hair loss.
Hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be treated.
In addition, hair loss can also be caused by:-
Situations of stress – many women lose hair after giving birth while both genders can experience hair loss after surgery or after a particularly stressful situation. This loss is also related to hormones. In medical terms, this cause of hair loss is called telogen effluvium and is temporary. While patients can lose up to 30% of their hair, it would usually also grow back once the body and its systems recover. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. When the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts again.
Condition of the scalp – fungal infections of the scalp or hair root can lead to hair loss. So can psoriasis of the scalp. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children. The infection is easily treated with antifungal medicines.
Autoimmune suppression – known as alopecia areata, hair loss here is due to a reaction of the immune system which suppresses the growth stage of the hair follicle. Alopecia areata causes hair to fall in patches and can sometimes affect the whole body including facial hair like eyebrows and even pubic hair.
Existing medical conditions – people who suffer from thyroid disease or iron deficiency can also experience hair loss as a result of the effect the diseases have on the body. Internal fungal infections such as syphilis can also cause hair loss. Some medicines can cause hair loss. This type of hair loss improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners (also called anticoagulants), medicines used for gout, medicines used in chemotherapy to treat cancer, vitamin A (if too much is taken), birth control pills and antidepressants.
What can your doctor do for you
Medical science has made significant strides in recent years to get to the root of the problem and there are now a number of effective treatment options available to help those suffering from hair loss. A common misconception in hair loss is that there is no cure. This myth is particularly misguided because the fact is that there are approved, medically proven ways to treat the condition, depending on what causes hair to fall out in the first place.
For instance, if you discover that your hair loss is due to a fungal infection of the scalp, then appropriate medication can be prescribed to kill the invading fungi and restore the health and function of the scalp.
If, in a similar vein, your hair loss is caused by thyroid disease or anaemia, then treating the disease will also treat the hair loss. If you find that it is telogen effluvium that is causing your hair loss, then you can only be patient because the hair will grow back once the stress period is over. Where hair loss is caused by MPHL, which is most likely the case (it being the commonest cause for loss of hair), drugs such as the oral treatment finasteride have been an effective treatment for the condition. This drug has been scientifically proven in studies to tackle the very root of MPHL and inhibit the disruptive action of DHT in the hair follicle.
The conclusion is obvious. The key to effectively treating hair loss lies in a proper and accurate diagnosis of the cause of the problem which should only be carried out by a trained medical professional like your family doctor or a dermatologist (physicians who specialize in treating diseases of the skin, nails and hair). A mis diagnosis can, at worse, exacerbate the problem, or, at the very least, take you on a frustrating goose chase.
A doctor will evaluate a patient’s hair problem by asking questions about diet, medications including vitamins and health food taken in the last six months, family history of hair loss, recent illness, and hair care habits. Hormonal effects may be evaluated in women by asking about menstrual cycles, pregnancies, and menopause.
After examining the scalp and hair, your doctor may check a few hairs under the microscope. Sometimes blood tests or a scalp biopsy may be required for an accurate diagnosis. It’s important to find the cause and whether or not the problem will respond to medical treatment.
What is common baldness?
The term “common baldness” usually means male-pattern baldness, or permanent-pattern baldness. Male-pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss in men. Men who have this type of hair loss usually have inherited the trait. Men who start losing their hair at an early age tend to develop more extensive baldness. In male-pattern baldness, hair loss typically results in a receding hair line and baldness on the top of the head. Women may develop female-pattern baldness. In this form of hair loss, the hair can become thin over the entire scalp.
Treatment for hair loss
Depending on your type of hair loss, treatments are available. If a medicine is causing your hair loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medicine. Recognizing and treating an infection may help stop the hair loss. Correcting a hormone imbalance may prevent further hair loss.
Medicines may also help slow or prevent the development of common baldness. One medicine, minoxidil (brand name: Rogaine), is available without a prescription. It is applied to the scalp. Both men and women can use it. Another medicine, finasteride (brand name: Propecia) is available with a prescription. It comes in pills and is only for men. It may take up to 6 months before you can tell if one of these medicines is working.
If adequate treatment is not available for your type of hair loss, you may consider trying different hairstyles or wigs, hairpieces, hair weaves or artificial hair replacement.
