Hair Loss - Causes, Treatments and Solutions for Men & Women Part 3

Telogen Effluvium

Under normal conditions, scalp hairs live for about three years (the anagen, or growing, phase); they then enter the telogen, or resting, phase. During the three-month telogen period, the hair root shrivels up into a small white "club," then the hair falls out. It is, therefore, normal to lose about 100 hairs every day, more of them on days when shampooing loosens the hairs that are ready to fall out. The hairs are then replaced by natural regrowth.

Sometimes people worried about losing their hair start noticing hairs on their pillow or in the sink, not realizing that they've always been there. A close look at these will usually reveal the white "club" at the end, showing that these hairs were already dead. Normally, about 10% of scalp hairs are in the telogen phase.

Telogen Effluvium (Continued)

There are several circumstances that produce a "shock to the system" that alters the hair growth rhythm. As a result, as much as 30%-40% of the hairs can cycle into telogen. Three months later, hairs come out in a massive shedding (effluvium), especially near the front of the scalp. These include
childbirth,
high fever,
sudden weight loss (crash dieting),
surgery.
None of these has to be life-threatening, nor does hair loss always follow them. Moreover, hair loss can happen after one pregnancy but not the next. But when the hair falls out, it's all over the place -- covering the pillow, clogging the drain, and so forth. Paradoxically, the more dramatic the hair loss, the better the prognosis, because when the body gets back into normal rhythm, most if not all of that hair comes back. No special treatment is needed. Normal shampooing can continue, because this only loosens hairs that were going to come out anyway.

Androgenetic Alopecia ("Male-Pattern Baldness," "Female-Pattern Baldness")

Everyone loses hair, but men do it better -- faster, earlier, and more extensively. Doctors refer to common baldness as "androgenetic alopecia," which implies that a combination of hormones and heredity (genetics) is needed to develop the condition. (The male hormones involved are present in both men and women.)

Male-Pattern Baldness

Even men who never go bald thin out over the years. Unlike those with reversible telogen shedding, those with common male-pattern hair loss don't notice much hair coming out; they just see that it's not there anymore. Adolescent boys notice some receding near the temples as their hairlines change from the straight-across boys' pattern to the more "M-shaped" pattern of adult men. This normal development does not mean they are losing hair.

Hair Loss - Causes, Treatments and Solutions for Men & Women Part 2

Alopecia Areata (Continued)

Alopecia areata is considered an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the hair follicles. Most alopecia patients do not have systemic problems and need no medical tests. Alopecia is also often blamed on "stress," but in fact, it's usually the other way around. Having alopecia causes the stress, at least until people find out what it is.
Treatments for alopecia areata include injecting steroids into affected patches to stimulate hair growth. This is not practical for large areas. Other treatments, such as oral steroids or ultraviolet light therapy, are either toxic or impractical. In most mild situations, patients can comb over the affected areas. In more severe alopecia, patients may wear hairpieces. Some men shave their whole scalp as that this look has become fashionable.

Traction Alopecia

Tight braids and ponytails can pull hard enough on hairs to make them fall out. If this happens, it's best to choose hairstyles that put less pressure on hair roots. The sooner this is done the better in order to avoid permanent damage.

Trichotillomania

This melodramatic name refers to the habit of pulling at hairs or twisting them, sometimes without realizing it. The scalp and eyelashes are often affected. Unlike alopecia areata patches, which are perfectly smooth, hair patches in trichotillomania show broken-off hairs. Treatment is entirely behavioral: You have to recognize that you're doing it and then stop!

Tinea Capitis (Fungal Infection)

Tinea capitis is also known as ringworm of the scalp. This fungal infection generally affects school-age children and may spread in schools. It appears as scalp scaling associated with bald spots usually showing broken-off hairs. Oral antibiotics are needed to penetrate the hair roots and cure the infection after which hair grows back

Hair Loss - Causes, Treatments and Solutions for Men & Women Part 1

Hair Loss Overview

More than half of men and women in the United States experience hair loss. About 30% of people have hair loss by 30 years of age, and about 50% have hair loss by 50 years of age. Hair loss is so common that it is usually considered a normal variation and not a disease. Other animals closely related to humans, such as the chimpanzee, also lose their hair as they age.

What Are Causes of Hair Loss?

In general, most hair loss is not associated with systemic or internal disease, nor is poor diet a frequent factor. While thyroid disease can cause hair loss, thyroid tests on people who have ordinary hair loss are usually normal. Although many medications list "hair loss" among their potential side effects, overall drugs are also not common causes of thinning or lost hair. On the other hand, with cancer treatments and immune-suppression medications, hair loss is more common.

Types of Hair Loss

One useful way to classify hair loss is by whether the loss is localized and patchy or whether it affects large areas or the whole scalp. We'll take a look at some of the most common hair loss conditions on the following slides.

Alopecia Areata

A common hair loss condition, alopecia areata, usually starts as a single quarter-sized circle of perfectly smooth baldness. Alopecia patches often regrow in three to six months without treatment. Sometimes, hair regrows in white coloration. In another variant, alopecia areata can produce two or three bald patches. When these grow back, they may be replaced by others. The most extensive form of hair loss is called alopecia totalis, in which the entire scalp becomes bald. It's important to emphasize that patients who have localized hair loss generally don't lose hair throughout the scalp. Alopecia can affect hair on other parts of the body, too (for example, the beard).

Types of Hair Loss

One useful way to classify hair loss is by whether the loss is localized and patchy or whether it affects large areas or the whole scalp. We'll take a look at some of the most common hair loss conditions on the following slides.

Solutions For Hair Loss

If you are one of the unlucky fellows who is becoming "follicly challenged" over time, you don't have to sit back and helplessly watch your hair fall out. There are treatments available that will stop your follicles from failing you. Losing your hair can take its toll on your self-esteem and sex appeal, but there are ways to remedy or reverse the damage.

what causes hair loss?

A normal person will lose between 50 to 100 hairs daily, because 90% of hair is in growth phase and 10% is in shedding phase at any given time. However, any significant change that alters the normal growth cycle of hair, or permanently damages the roots of the hair (the follicles), can result in excessive hair loss of over 100 hairs a day, which may be temporary or permanent.

Common causes of hair loss include:

Genetics: About 95% of hair loss from the scalp comes from heredity. If your grandma, grandpa, mom, or dad has lost their hair, you may inherit the genetic tendency to lose yours as well. Balding can skip generations, and its incidence is random in terms of siblings. For instance, one brother could go bald in his 30s and another may keep a full head of hair his entire life.

Stress: Surgery, illness and a variety of mental stressors can cause excessive hair loss. Those with the rare anxiety disorder trichotillomania, often pull their hair out in clumps to the point of baldness.

Age: The aging process causes the breakdown in many of the skin's functions, including hair follicles. Many people over 50 have thinning hair because their hair follicles are less effective and therefore hair grows more slowly. Also, mature hair changes in texture and tends to break more easily.

Trauma to the hair: Although this may not apply to the majority of men, botched bleach jobs, abuse of permanents and over-the-counter hair dyes or straightening products, forceful brushing, styling or combing, and tight hairstyles like corn rows, can break and damage hair, and cause hair loss. On rare occasions, due to friction or hair breakage, wearing a ponytail that is too tight can literally pluck or exfoliate the hairs off your head. However, in this instance, the hair loss will not be as widespread as male pattern baldness and will resolve itself after cessation of ponytail wearing.

Certain drugs or diseases: Lupus, certain autoimmune diseases, and radiation therapy or chemotherapy, all contribute to temporary or permanent hair loss.

Men who notice their hair shedding in large quantities should consult a doctor or a dermatologist. Sometimes hair loss indicates an underlying medical condition for which treatment is necessary. If hair loss is sudden and in concert with other worrisome symptoms, see your doctor immediately.

male pattern baldness

The most common hair loss problem that plagues men of all races from their mid-20s onwards is genetically-triggered male pattern hair loss, medically termed as "androgenetic alopecia." Genes affect the age at which a man begins to lose his hair and the extent, rate, shape, and pattern of hair loss. In most men, male pattern hair loss typically begins at the temples and the crown.

Here's why you're losing it, and what you can do to get it back...

why you're losing it

In genetically predisposed individuals, sensitivity to a class of hormones called androgens, in particular the hormone dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, causes hair follicles to shrink. The scalp begins to sprout hairs that are thinner than normal and fail to grow to normal length.

Eventually the follicles wither away and no hair grows at all. In this scenario, thinning hair eventually progresses to chrome dome stage when the follicles cease to function. But it doesn't have to be that way.

stop the hair loss

Men who suffer from male pattern hair loss have several options. They can either choose to chemically treat hair loss, get artificial wigs or weaves if drug treatment is ineffective or impossible, or invest in a permanent solution; hair transplant surgery.

Drugs
The only FDA approved drugs available to medically treat hair loss are Propecia (Finasteride) and Rogaine (Minoxidil). Both products slow further thinning of hair and increase coverage of the scalp. Propecia inhibits the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that shrinks hair follicles, whereas Rogaine stimulates hair follicles.

Neither medication will produce full regrowth of hair and the length or texture may be slightly altered in areas of regrowth. Also, the effectiveness of medications depends on the cause of hair loss, the extent of the loss and individual response rates; both products work best if hair loss is recent (within five years) and occurs on the top of the head rather than near the forehead.

Usually the drugs take at least a couple of months to produce a noticeable effect. However, these medications need to be taken continuously. If the medications are stopped, any hair that has grown in will gradually be lost, and within six to 12 months, the scalp will look the way it did prior to treatment.

Wigs & weaves
If a man has medical conditions or allergies that may interfere with the use of pharmaceutical solutions for hair loss, or chooses not to undergo hair replacement surgery, he may opt for a wig, toupee or weave. Specialty wig shops can offer realistic looking pieces made from human hair or realistic looking synthetic materials. However, as many a man who has shamefully lost his toupee to a strong gust of wind, hairpieces are artificial, may look unnatural, and may simply fall off at the worst of times.

Hair restoration
Hair transplantation is a permanent form of hair replacement. Anyone who has suffered permanent hair loss may be a candidate for hair transplantation. For instance, Bosley is one of the world's most experienced hair restoration practices, with many consultation and treatment centers located across the United States.

The surgical transplanting of hair follicles is a remarkably simple outpatient procedure. According to , the procedure of hair transplantation involves moving some hair from hair-bearing portions (donor sites) of the head (usually the horseshoe-shaped area at the very back of the head), to bald or thinning portions (recipient sites) and/or removing bald skin.

Because the procedure involves time, patience, surgery, and at least two repeat procedures, as well as the considerable investment of money (between $4,000 and $10,000 US), transplantation should only be done by a qualified, board-certified and experienced surgeon.

a full head of hair

With proper techniques and solutions, hair loss can be minimized. If you suffer from hair loss, invest the time and research treatment options and weigh the benefits of replacing lost or thinning hair. After all, a full head of hair not only influences the way others perceive you professionally and personally, but can influence the way you view yourself.

Hair Loss Treatments for Men

Hair loss is something many men secretly fear and hope will never actually occur. After all, a good head of hair is associated with youth, virility and attractiveness, so when hair loss occurs, it can come as something of a shock.
Some very creative but ultimately fruitless concoctions have been devised in an attempt to reverse hair loss. Cleopatra used a mixture of horse teeth, bear grease, burnt mice and deer marrow in her attempt to cure Julius Caesar's baldness (it didn't work). Hedgehog urine was also thought to be beneficial. The smell in the heat of the Egyptian sun must have been something very special!There is currently no cure for baldness. However, there are some treatments that can help slow down the process.

Medications for Male Hair Loss

There are two drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to have a positive effect on male balding -- finasteride and minoxidil.
Finasteride (known by the brand names Proscar and Propecia) is a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, which works by blocking 5-alpha reductase, preventing the enzyme from converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is DHT that causes male pattern baldness. Originally prescribed by doctors for benign prostate hyperplasia (prostate enlargement), finasteride has been shown to stop hair loss and in some cases reverse the balding process.Finasteride takes about three months to show results, and hair loss typically recurs a year after the drug is stopped. Side effects are uncommon but can include impotence, reduced libido, ejaculation disorders, breast tenderness and enlargement, and hypersensitivity reactions, such as rashes and lip swelling. Women of child bearing potential should not touch finasteride, and condoms should be used during sexual intercourse, as the drug is excreted in semen and there is a risk of birth defects.Minoxidil (Rogaine) is found to be effective in about 25% of men with baldness on the crown. Applied twice a day in a cream, foam, or liquid, the hair growth only occurs as long as it is used. Minoxidil was originally approved to treat high blood pressure. Side effects are uncommon, but Rogaine should not be used by people with a history of heart problems, sudden weight gain, chest pains, fainting, or rapid heartbeat.

Surgical Intervention for Male Hair Loss

There are a few surgical options for treating male hair loss.
Hair transplants involve taking very small plugs of hair from the side or back of the scalp and transplanting them onto the bald patches. The procedure has improved over the years, but it still takes a number of months to give a good effect.During tissue expansion, tiny balloons are inserted under the scalp between the areas of dense hair and gradually inflated over a number of months. This makes the area up to one third larger and it is this area that is surgically removed and the sides are pulled up to the top of the head.In scalp reduction for male hair loss, loose skin on the scalp is surgically removed, pulling the hair on the sides of the head up. As the skin on the forehead is also sometimes slightly lifted, it can have the side benefit of lessening wrinkles.