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.

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.