hair loss

About Baldness

When there’s no hair to cover the head, you have a condition called baldness. For most baldness, it’s hereditary. Called Androgenetic Alopecia, patterned baldness strikes both sexes and usually result in thinning or hair loss in the crown or vertex area of the scalp or a receding top hairline, or both. Women often suffer a more even or homogenous hair loss affecting not just the crown but a general thinning of hair.

Hair loss in men

Androgenetic alopecia or more commonly known as male pattern baldness (MPB) afflicts almost half of the men on this planet. It’s part of the aging process but it strikes young people as early as the early 20s or even late teens because of their genetic predisposition to it.

What Cause Hair Loss In Men?

• Androgenetic Alopecia - The most common cause accounting for 95% of all known hair loss cases, its name comes from the male androgen hormone, testosterone that gets converted into DHT by the action of the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme. Once they get to the scalp and binds with the hair follicles, you can kiss your beautiful hair styles goodbye.The predisposition to it is hereditary and progressive alopecia can only be managed, not cured.

• Chemotherapy and Medication - Some chemicals are so potent that within 24 hours of taking them, hair starts to fall off.  Cancer patients are counseled on this when undertaking chemotherapy and often use wigs or have their head shaved even before chemotherapy starts.  But once chemotherapy is stopped, hair growth resumes in a few months though not always in the same density levels.

• Ailments and Infections - Blood disorders like anemia can deprive hair follicles of the nutrients to grow hair. Skin infections like lichen planus can cause patchy hair loss. Thyroid disorders that result in Thyroxin deficiency or overproduction that leads hair loss. But once the ailment or infection is treated, hair growth resumes usually in 3-4 months after being cured.

• Nutritional Deficiency - Hair is 100% keratin, a protein byproduct. Insufficient protein can lead to hair loss as there’d be no keratin to produce hair with. Vitamin and mineral deficiency leads to all sorts of health problems including hair loss. An entire book can be written to discuss the role of vitamins to the body and in maintaining hair growth. Just read about it online.

Hair loss in women

Androgenetic alopecia is not exclusive to men and can strike the fairer sex as well; though in lesser numbers.  Female pattern baldness is likewise hereditary but more commonly carries a lesser incidence of receding hairline or balding crown common in men.  

Instead, women suffer a more diffuse hair thinning or evenly spread over the scalp while retaining their frontal hairlines. It is also more gradual and is often seasonal caused by hormonal changes, medication and stress and can reverse themselves once these conditions are gone.

What Causes Hair Loss in Women?

• Androgenetic Alopecia – Patterned hair loss common in men can also be found in women but with a more diffused hair thinning.   Women with the same hereditary patterned hair loss will often lose hair at the sides and crown but maintain their front hairline and rarely suffer complete baldness.

• Hormonal changes – Women suffer more cyclical changes in hormonal concentration that is often attributed to birth control, pregnancy and menopause. Most common of these is pregnancy as this causes hormonal imbalance that can upset follicular activity.  Contraceptives also upset hormonal balance to cause the same hair loss problems.

• Aging – Diffuse hair loss is most prevalent after menopause.

• Chemotherapy and Medication – Hair loss due to chemotherapy is almost instant and can be complete with a week of treatment. Some form of potent prescribed medication against certain illness like thyroid medication, cholesterol lowering, high blood medication such as beta-blockers and “mood” medication such as Prozac and anti-depressants can also cause diffuse hair loss.

• Hair Styling -  Braiding, dreadnaughts and other hair styles that cause severe stress to hair roots can cause hair loss.  This also include frequent use of strong hair styling products like hair sprays, strong cleansing shampoos that dry the hair and scalp as well as dying and bleaching.

• Crash Diets – Sudden nutritional deprivation caused by crash diets over prolonged periods can stave hair follicles to stunt normal hair production.

• Scalp Infestation – Localized hair loss in patches caused by scalp inflammation in lichen planus infestation can permanently damage follicles in different scalp area.