Disease, Illness and Condition Library
Hair Loss
on the head, may affect any part of the body. The next time you visit a public venue take a close look at the number of middle aged men who are experiencing hair loss. If you are one of them the lesson is that you are certainly not alone. While it is difficult to completely reverse hair loss there are a number of treatments currently on the market that not only have been shown to stop hair loss but in some cases can create new growth as well. So what are the types of hair loss in both men and women and are there any steps that can be taken to prevent it? Human hair varies greatly in both texture and color, and people differ considerably in the amount of facial and body hair they have, depending on their age, sex, race, and genetic makeup. But in spite of the many differences that are found in hair, it’s normal for all of us to have it on the top and back or our heads. When it starts to disappear in these areas it is considered to be alopecia, or baldness. Hair grows everywhere on the body except the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet, but many hairs are so fine they are almost invisible. Hair is made up of a protein called keratin, produced in hair follicles in the outer layer of skin; as follicles produce new hair cells, old cells are being pushed out through the surface of the skin at a rate of about six inches per year. Hair that is visible is actually a string of dead keratin cells. The average adult head has somewhere between 100 and 150 thousand hairs of which somewhere around100 are lost daily. So finding a few stray hairs on your hairbrush is not necessarily cause for a panic attack. Gradual thinning of hair with age is a natural condition known as involutional alopecia. More and more hair follicles go into a telogenic, or resting stage, and the remaining hairs become shorter and less in number. Androgenic alopecia is a genetically predisposed condition that can affect both men and women. Men can start suffering hair loss as early as their teens or early twenties, while most women don’t experience noticeable thinning until their forties or later. In men, a receding hair line and gradual disappearance of hair from the crown is called male pattern baldness. In women, female pattern baldness is characterized by general thinning over the entire scalp, with the most extensive hair loss at the crown. Patchy hair loss in children and young adults, which can be sudden initially, is known as alopecia areata. This disorder may result in complete baldness, but in about 90 percent of cases the hair returns within a few years. With alopecia universalis, all body hair falls out and the chances of regrowth is poor, especially when it occurs in children. Tearing out one’s own hair, a disorder known as trichotillomania, is seen most frequently in children.
Female Pattern Baldness Signs and symptoms: * General thinning of hair all over the head * Loss of hair on the crown of your head or at the hairline Hair loss in women is usually less prominent than hair loss in men. Instead of baldness, women commonly experience thinning of their hair, a condition called female pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia). This type of hair loss accounts for 99% of hair loss in women. It’s normal for a woman’s hair to thin out gradually as she grows older. Some women have as much hair at age 80 as they did at 18, but this is the exception rather than the rule. The distribution of your hair is largely controlled by your endocrine system through a group of hormones known as androgens. Major changes in androgen production can have a significant effect on your hair. For example, you may find that during or after menopause, the hair on your head is thinner and your facial hair become increasingly coarse. Genetic factors also play a key role. Poor nutrition, pregnancy, internal or scalp disorders, hair damage and medications can cause hair loss in women. When some substance or condition causes a temporary condition, you may experience temporary hair loss. Diagnosis Doctors generally diagnose female pattern baldness by ruling out other causes for the hair loss. Treatment A dermatologist can counsel you on various methods that might stop the hair loss or stimulate new hair growth, including medication. You may also want to seek out the advice of a hair care expert in choosing anew hairstyle or perhaps a hairpiece. Male Pattern Baldness Signs and symptoms: * A receding hairline * Moderate to extensive loss of hair; especially on the rear crown of you head. Male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) usually begins with thinning at your hairline, followed by the appearance of a thinned or bald spot on the crown of your head. You also may find your hair is finer and doesn’t grow as long as it once did. This type of hair loss accounts for 99% of hair loss in men. Unlike hair loss resulting from disease or other nonhereditary factors, hair loss due to male pattern baldness can be difficult to reverse. Your hair grows in a continuous cycle. In male pattern baldness, the rate of growth shortens and more roots fail to produce new hair at the end of each growth cycle. Treatment Although there’s no proven cure for male pattern baldness, treatment is possible with hair transplants, scalp reduction surgery, flap surgery or medication. These approaches can be costly. In addition, medications aren’t always successful and their lifelong benefits have yet to be established. If you choose not to undertake medical treatment for your baldness or if you don’t respond to treatment, you may want to consult a hair care expert about wearing a hairpiece or changing your hairstyle. Some people feel that on some men shorter hair minimizes the contrast produced by male pattern baldness and creates a distinguished image. However, a hairpiece can be used to cover either permanent or temporary hair loss. Quality, natural looking hairpieces are available. Temporary Sudden Hair Loss Signs and symptoms: * Small bald patches on the scalp * Overall thinning of hair on the scalp * Loss of scalp, eyebrow and eyelash hair * Complete loss of hair over the body Temporary sudden hair loss most commonly is due to alopecia areata, a condition that occurs in 2 percent of the population. Alopecia areata starts abruptly with one or more circular bald patches, up to 3 inches across, that may overlap. Causes Alopecia areata is classified as an autoimmune disease, but its exact cause is unknown. In fact, people who develop this type of baldness are normally in good health. A family history of alopecia areata makes you more likely to develop it. Unlike female pattern baldness or male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia), the hair will generally grow back, but it may take several years. Other causes of temporary hair loss include: Disease: Diabetes, lupus and thyroid disorders, as well as some eating disorders, can cause hair loss. Lichen planus of the scalp is associated with hair loss. Poor Nutrition: If you don’t receive adequate protein or iron in your diet or are poorly nourished in other ways, you can experience hair loss. Fad diets and crash diets also can result in poor nutrition. Medications: Certain drugs used to treat gout, arthritis, depression, heart problems and high blood pressure may cause hair loss in some people. For some women, taking birth control pills or going off of birth control pills may result in hair loss. Medical treatments: if you’re undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy, you may experience temporary hair loss. After your treatment is complete, your hair should begin to regrow. Recent high fever, severe infection or surgery: You may notice that you have less hair 4 weeks to 3 months following an illness or surgery. Sometimes illness or surgery causes hair to shift rapidly into a resting phase, resulting in less new hair growth. A normal amount of hair typically will appear after the growth phase resumes. The medical term for this condition is telogen effluvium. Childbirth: Many women experience and increase in hair loss several months after delivering a baby. This usually corrects itself. Infancy: Newborn babies often lose hair during the first few months of life. This baby hair is eventually replaced by more permanent hair. It’s also common for babies from 3 to 6 months of age to lose a patch of hair on the back of their heads form rubbing against mattresses, playpens and car seats. Hair will grow back once a baby begins to spend more time sitting up. Hair treatments: Overuse or incorrect use of chemicals used for dying, tinting, bleaching, straightening or perming can cause hair to become damaged and break off. Excessive hair styling or hairstyles that pull your hair too tightly also can cause some hair loss. Scalp infections: Infections such as ringworm can invade the scalp and cause changes on the skin’s surface, which can lead to hair loss. Once the infection is treated, hair generally returns. Diagnosis A complete medical history and examination can help in diagnosis. Tests may be necessary if the cause of your hair loss isn’t readily apparent. Treatment Treatment depends on the cause. If an underlying condition is found, efforts will be made to cure or control the condition. In some cases, you may have to let time take its course.
Doctors do not know why certain hair follicles are programmed to have a shorter growth period than others. Although a person’s level of androgens – male hormones normally produced by both men and women – is believed to be a factor, hair loss has nothing to do with virility. Additionally the presence of dandruff has no effect on balding either. An individual’s genes, however – from both male and female parents – unquestionably influence the person’s predisposition to male or female pattern baldness. Temporary hair loss can occur in concurrence with high fever, a severe illness, thyroid disorder, drug treatments, hormonal imbalance, iron deficiency, extreme stress, and in women following childbirth. In these conditions, collectively known telogen effluvium, a large number of hair follicles suddenly go into a resting phase, causing hair to thin noticeably. Drugs that can cause temporary hair loss include chemotherapy agents used in cancer treatment, anticoagulants, retinoids used to treat acne and skin problems, beta-adrenergic blockers used to control blood pressure, and oral contraceptives. Hair loss can also be caused by scalp injuries, burns, x-rays, and exposure to certain chemicals-including those used to purify swimming pools, and to bleach, dye, and perm hair. In such cases, normal hair growth usually returns once the cause is eliminated. The cause of alopecia areata, a disorder that often affects children or teenagers, remains unexplained. In many cases the hair grows back, although it may be very fine and possibly white before normal coloration and thickness returns. Although frequent washing, permanent waves, bleaching, and dyeing hair do not cause baldness, they can contribute to overall thinning by making hair follicles weak and brittle. Tight braiding and using rollers or hot curlers can damage and break hair, and running hair picks through tight curls can scar hair follicles. In most cases hair grows back normally if the source of the stress is removed, but severe damage to the hair and scalp sometimes causes permanent bald patches. Symptoms of Hair Loss * In men, thinning hair on the scalp, a receding hairline, or a horseshoe shaped pattern that leaves the crown of the head exposed. * In women, thinning hair in general, but mainly at the crown; complete balding is rare. * In children and young adults a sudden loss of patches of hair is known as alopecia areata. * Complete loss of all hair on the body is a rare disorder called alopecia universalis. * Predominately in children, patches of broken hairs and incomplete hair loss, usually on the scalp but sometimes involving the eyebrows; the child is most likely rubbing or pulling out hair, a disorder called trichotillomania. * Excessive shedding of hair, but not complete baldness, associated with various illnesses and drug treatments, rapid weight loss, anemia, stress, or pregnancy; a condition known as telogen effluvium.
A doctor diagnoses male pattern or female pattern baldness based on its typical appearance. Determining the cause of other types of hair loss simply by observation is sometimes difficult. A doctor usually examines the hair shafts under a microscope and may perform a biopsy of the skin. A biopsy helps determine if the hair follicles are normal; if they are not, the biopsy may indicate possible causes. If the doctor’s examination finds signs of hormonal irregularities or other serious illness, blood tests to identify those disorders may be needed. Male-pattern and female-pattern baldness can sometimes be treated effectively with drugs. Minoxidil may stimulate and support hair growth when applied directly to the scalp daily. Finasteride works by blocking the effects of male hormones on the hair follicles and is taken by mouth daily. Improvement may occur with either of these drugs when taken for several months. The most important effect of these drugs may be to prevent further hair loss. The effects last only as long as the drugs are taken. A more permanent solution is hair transplantation, in which hair follicles are removed from one part of the scalp and transplanted to the bald area. In a newer hair transplantation technique, only one or two hairs are transplanted at a time. Although the technique is more time consuming, it does not require removal of large plugs of skin and allows the implants to be oriented in the same direction as the natural hair. Toxic alopecia generally resolves after the toxic substance is discontinued. Because the hair loss is usually temporary, wigs often offer the best treatment. A person undergoing chemotherapy should consult a wig maker long before therapy begins so that an appropriate wig can be ready when needed. Alopecia areata can be treated with corticosteroids. For small bald patches, corticosteroids are typically injected under the skin of the bald patch, and minoxidil may be applied topically as well. For larger patches, corticosteroids are sometimes taken by mouth, but hair often falls out again when treatment is discontinued. Another treatment for alopecia areata involves applying irritating chemicals, such as anthralin, to the scalp to induce a mild allergic reaction or irritation. The irritation sometimes promotes hair growth. Scarring alopecia is particularly difficult to treat. When possible, the cause of the scarring is treated, but after an area is fully scarred, hair growth is unlikely.
(Smart Medicine for Healthier Living)
* Eat a nourishing and well balanced diet that includes an abundance of good quality lean protein, such as that found in fish, grains, and legumes. If your cholesterol level is not too high, consider adding moderate amounts of cheese and eggs to your diet. Also eat plenty of mineral rich foods like vegetables, grains and legumes, plus some nuts and seeds and sea vegetables. This type of diet will supply ample protein and minerals and best support hair growth. Deficiencies of protein and minerals may be a factor in hair loss. * Chinese medicine teaches that the kidneys influence the scalp and hair. Avoid eating disproportionate amounts of meat, which stresses the kidneys. A diet based on meat seems to speed up hair loss. * Avoid consuming excessive amounts of animal fats, animal proteins, and salt. This may help delay hair loss in men prone to male pattern baldness. Nutritional Supplements * To deal with possible deficiencies, take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement daily. * If your skin is dry and flaky, take 500 milligrams of flaxseed oil two or three times daily. * To assure proper absorption of nutrients, take a full spectrum digestive enzyme supplement providing 5,000 international units of lipase, 2,500 international units of amylase, and 300 international units of protease, plus 500 to 1,000 milligrams of pancreatin, with each meal. Note: Long term supplementation with pancreatin is not advised, as it can cause your pancreas to reduce its own production of this important enzyme. Overuse also has the potential to cause nausea or diarrhea. After tow months on pancreatin, discontinue use and monitor your reaction. If you find that your problems recur, discuss pancreatin supplementation with your heath care provider. * High doses of inositol can stimulate hair growth in some individuals with nonscarring types of hair loss, even after long term loss. Take 200 milligrams twice a day. * Choline acts together with inositol. If you take inositol, take an equal amount of choline. * Vitamin E is necessary for skin and scalp health, including the health of the hair follicles. Choose a product containing mixed tocopherols or d-alpha- tocopherol (avoid the dl-alpha-tocopherol form) and start by taking 200 international units daily. After two weeks, increase the dosage to 400 international units daily. Note: If you are taking an anticoagulant (blood thinner), consult your physician before taking supplemental vitamin E. * Selenium assists in the utilization of vitamin E. Take 100 to 200 micrograms daily. Try the following supplement program: * Take 1,000 to 3,000 milligrams (1 to 3 grams) of a freeform amino acid formula, in capsule or powder form, two or three times daily, either before or after meals. * Take 1,000 to 3,000 milligrams (1 to 3 grams) of a mixed chelated mineral formula at lunchtime and 2,000 milligrams at night. * Silica and zinc are important for hair growth and strength. Take 100 to 250 milligrams of silica once or twice daily, plus 15 milligrams of zinc twice daily. Take zinc with food to prevent stomach upset. If you take over 30 milligrams of zinc on a daily basis for more than one or two months, you should also take 1 to 2 milligrams of copper each day to maintain a proper mineral balance. * Take a vitamin B complex supplement that supplies 25 to 50 milligrams of the major B vitamins two or three times daily. * Take an additional 500 micrograms to 2 milligrams of biotin daily. * Take 500 to 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C twice daily. Vitamin C supports hair formation and helps with the structural support of the hair follicles. Herbal Treatment Saw palmetto has been reported to cause some reversal of male pattern baldness in some cases. Choose a standardized extract containing 90% essential fatty acids and sterols, and take 160 milligrams twice daily. There a number of herbal formulas worth trying that are specially formulated to reduce hair loss and support hair growth. Prevention While it is difficult to reverse natural balding, you can protect your hair from damage that may eventually lead to thinning. Some people, women in particular, put their hair under tremendous stress in the quest for beauty. Hot curlers, hair dryers, dyes, bleaches, hair straightening, permanent waves, and chemical laden cosmetics may eventually result in dry, broken, and thinning hair. People who leave their hair its natural color and texture with ultimately end up with a healthier head of hair. Use a basic shampoo designed for your hair type. If you must curl your hair, use sponge rollers and let it air dry whenever possible. You might be surprised to learn that proper brushing can do as much for the condition of your hair as most over the counter products. Choose a moderately stiff, natural bristle brush, which will not tear your hair. Use full brush stokes from the scalp to the tips of your hair, to distribute the hairs natural oil. Begin with 10 to 20 strokes a day and try to work up to 100. Be gentle, and avoid brushing your hair when wet, when it is especially fragile. It is important to take into consideration that hair is not living tissue, so it cannot repair itself.
Mayo Clinic Book of Family Health Smart Medicine for Healthier Living
Combining the power of herbal ingredients to block harmful hair loss hormones and Minoxidil to stimulate new and existing hair growth. Continue Regrow Hair Oil - Natural Essential Oil Blend for Hair Regrowth - Continue Regrow Hair Drops - Herbal Tincture Formula for Hair Growth - Continue |
| Common Sense Ideas for Hair Health Shampoos and conditioners cannot prevent baldness, but overuse of these products can dry out the hair you have. The vast majority of shampoos - even those sold as herbal, hypoallergenic, or vitamin enhanced are basically scented detergents with a lathering agent. Most brands are so concentrated that they actually work better when you dilute them. If your hair is very oily, you may feel the need to wash it every day, but shampooing too often can strip your hair of its natural oil, which may lead to brittle, broken strands. Claims that certain conditioners nourish or revitalize your hair have little merit. Hair - even the healthiest looking hair - is dead keratin. Hair conditioners contain waxes that give your hair a smooth feel, but they cannot alter its actual health. The bottom line: Count on shampoo to keep your hair and scalp clean, and little more. |
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