Description

Hair loss (alopecia) can affect just your scalp or your entire body, and can be temporary or permanent. It may be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging. Anyone can lose hair on your head, but it is more common in men.

Baldness typically refers to excessive hair loss from your scalp. Hereditary hair loss with age is the most common cause of baldness. Some people prefer to let their hair loss run its course untreated and unhidden. Others may cover it up with hairstyles, makeup, hats or scarves. And still others choose one of the treatments to prevent further hair loss or to restore growth.

Before pursuing hair loss treatment, talk with your doctor about the cause of your hair loss and treatment options.

Symptoms

Hair loss can appear in many different forms, depending on what is causing it. It can appear suddenly or gradually and affect just your scalp or your entire body.

The signs and symptoms of hair loss may include:

  • Gradual thinning on the top of the head. This is the most common type of hair loss, affecting people as they age. In men, hair often begins to recede at the hairline in the front. Women tend to have a large part in his hair. Increasingly common pattern hair loss in older women is a receding hairline (frontal fibrosing alopecia).
  • Circular or patchy baldness. Some people lose their hair in the circular or patches of baldness on the scalp, beard, or eyebrows. Your skin may become itchy or painful before the hair falls out.
  • Sudden loosening of hair. A physical or emotional shock can cause hair to loosen. Handfuls of hair may come out when combing or washing your hair or even after gentle tugging. This type of hair loss causes in a general thinning of the hair, but it is temporary.
  • Full-body hair loss. Some medical conditions and treatments, such as chemotherapy for cancer, can result in the loss of hair all over the body. The hair usually grows back.
  • Patches of scaling that spread over the scalp. This is a sign of ringworm. It may be accompanied by broken hair, redness, swelling and, at times, oozing.

When to see a doctor

Consult your doctor if you are troubled by persistent loss of hair on you or your child and want to continue the treatment. For women who are experiencing a receding hairline (frontal fibrosing alopecia), talk with your doctor about a treatment early to avoid significant permanent baldness.

Also talk with your doctor if you notice sudden or patchy hair loss or more than usual hair loss when combing or washing your or your child's hair. Sudden hair loss can be a sign of an underlying medical condition that requires treatment.

Causes

People often lose 50 to 100 hairs per day. This is usually not noticed because new hair is growing at the same time. Hair loss occurs when the hair again does not replace the hair that has fallen.

Hair loss is usually related to one or more of the following factors:

  • Family history (heredity). The most common cause of hair loss is a hereditary condition that occurs with aging. This condition is called androgenic alopecia, male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness. It usually occurs gradually and in predictable patterns — a receding hairline and bald spots in men and thinning hair along the crown of the scalp in women.
  • Hormonal changes and medical conditions. A variety of conditions can cause permanent or temporary hair loss, including hormonal changes due to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and thyroid problems. Medical conditions include alopecia areata (al-o-PEE-she-uh-are-A-tuh), which is immune to those related to the system and causes patchy hair loss, scalp infections, such as ringworm, and hair-pulling disorder called trichotillomania (trik-o-til-o-MAY-nee-uh).
  • Medications and supplements. Hair loss can be a side effect of certain medications, such as those used for cancer, arthritis, depression, heart problems, gout and high blood pressure.
  • Radiation therapy to the head. The hair does not grow back the same as it was before.
  • A very stressful event. Many people experience a general thinning of hair several months after a physical or emotional shock. This type of hair loss is temporary.
  • Hairstyles and treatments. Excessive hairstyling or hairstyles that pull your hair tight, such as pigtails or cornrows, can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia. Hot oil treatments for the hair and standing can also cause the hair to fall out. If scarring occurs, hair loss could be permanent.

Risk factors

A number of factors that may increase your risk of hair loss, including:

  • A family history of baldness from your mother or father's side
  • Age
  • Significant weight loss
  • Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes and lupus
  • Stress
  • Poor nutrition

Prevention

Most of the baldness is caused by genetics (male pattern baldness and female-pattern baldness). This type of hair loss is not preventable.

These tips can help you avoid preventable types of hair loss:

  • Be gentle with your hair. The use of a fabric softener and avoid hitches when brushing and combing, especially when the hair is wet. A wide-tooth comb can help prevent pulling out hair. Avoid the harsh treatments such as hot rollers, curling irons, hot oil treatments and permanent. To limit the voltage at the hair styles that use rubber bands, brooches, hair and braids.
  • Ask your doctor about the medications and supplements you take, which may cause hair loss.
  • Protect your hair from sun rays and other sources of ultraviolet light.
  • Stop smoking. Some studies show an association between smoking and baldness in men.
  • If you are being treated with chemotherapy, ask your doctor about a cooling of the lid. This cover can reduce the risk of hair loss during chemotherapy.

Diagnosis

Before making a diagnosis, your doctor will likely give you a physical exam and ask about your diet, your routine of hair care, and your medical and family history. You may also have tests, such as the following:

  • Blood test. This may help uncover medical conditions that can cause hair loss.
  • Pull the test. Your doctor gently pulls several dozen hairs to see how many come out. This helps determine the stage of the shedding process.
  • Biopsy of the scalp. Your doctor scrape samples of the skin or a couple of hairs plucked from the scalp to examine the roots of the hair under a microscope. This can help determine if an infection is the cause of the hair loss.
  • Light microscopy. Your doctor uses a special instrument to examine the hairs clipped at their base. Microscopy helps us to discover the possible disorders of the hair shaft.

Treatment

Effective treatments for some types of hair loss are available. You may be able to reverse hair loss, or at least reduce. With some conditions, such as patches of hair loss (alopecia areata), hair may regrow without treatment within a year. Treatments for hair loss include medications and surgery.

Medicine

If your hair loss is caused by an underlying disease, treatment for that disease will be necessary. If a particular medication is causing the hair loss, your doctor may advise you to stop using it for a couple of months.

The drugs are available to treat pattern (hereditary) hair loss. The most common options include:

  • Minoxidil (Rogaine).Over-the-counter (non-prescription) minoxidil comes in liquid, foam shampoo and shapes. To be most effective, apply the product on the skin of the scalp once a day for women and two times per day for men. Many people prefer the foam is applied when the hair is wet. Products with minoxidil help many people to re-grow your hair or decrease the rate of hair loss or both. It will take at least six months of treatment to prevent hair loss and to start hair regrowth. It may take a couple of more months to know if the treatment is working for you. If it's help, you'll need to continue using the medication indefinitely to maintain the benefits. Possible side effects include scalp irritation and unwanted hair growth on the adjacent skin of the face and hands.
  • Finasteride (Propecia).This is a prescription drug for men. Take a daily pill. Many men taking finasteride experience a slowing of hair loss, and some may show the growth of new hair. It may take a couple of months to know if it works for you. You will need to keep taking it to retain benefits. Finasteride may not work as well for men over the age of 60 years. Rare side effects of finasteride include decreased libido and sexual function and an increased risk of prostate cancer. Women who are or may become pregnant need to avoid touching crushed or broken tablets.
  • Other medications. Other oral options include spironolactone (Carospir, Aldactone), and oral dutasteride (Avodart).

Minoxidil (Rogaine). Over-the-counter (non-prescription) minoxidil comes in liquid, foam shampoo and shapes. To be most effective, apply the product on the skin of the scalp once a day for women and two times per day for men. Many people prefer the foam is applied when the hair is wet.

Products with minoxidil help many people to re-grow your hair or decrease the rate of hair loss or both. It will take at least six months of treatment to prevent hair loss and to start hair regrowth. It may take a couple of more months to know if the treatment is working for you. If it's help, you'll need to continue using the medication indefinitely to maintain the benefits.

Possible side effects include scalp irritation and unwanted hair growth on the adjacent skin of the face and hands.

Finasteride (Propecia). This is a prescription drug for men. Take a daily pill. Many men taking finasteride experience a slowing of hair loss, and some may show the growth of new hair. It may take a couple of months to know if it works for you. You will need to keep taking it to retain benefits. Finasteride may not work as well for men over the age of 60 years.

Rare side effects of finasteride include decreased libido and sexual function and an increased risk of prostate cancer. Women who are or may become pregnant need to avoid touching crushed or broken tablets.

Hair transplant surgery

In the most common type of permanent hair loss, only the upper part of the head is affected. Hair transplant or restoration surgery, you can make the most of the hair you have left.

During a hair transplant procedure, a dermatologist or a cosmetic surgeon to remove the hair from part of the head that has the hair and the transplants to a bald head. Each patch of hair you have one to several hairs (micrografts and minigrafts). Sometimes a larger strip of skin containing multiple hair groupings is taken. This procedure does not require hospitalization, but it is painful by giving you a sedative medication to relieve any discomfort. The possible risks include bleeding, bruising, swelling, and infection. You may need more than one surgery to get the effect you want. Hereditary hair loss will eventually progress despite surgery.

Surgical procedures to treat baldness are not covered by insurance.

Laser therapy

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a low-level laser device as a treatment for hair loss in men and women. Some small studies have shown that it improves the density of the hair. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the long-term effects.

Lifestyle and home remedies

You may want to try several hair-care methods to find one that makes you feel better about how you look. For example, the use of styling products that add volume, color your hair, choose a hairstyle that makes a widening of the part less visible. The use of wigs or extensions, or shaving the head. Talk to a stylist ideas. These approaches can be used for permanent or temporary hair loss.

If your hair loss is due to a medical condition, the cost of a wig may be covered by insurance.

Preparing for your appointment

It is likely that his first concern to the attention of your family doctor. He or she may refer you to a doctor who specializes in the treatment of skin disorders (dermatologist).

What you can do

  • The list of personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
  • Make a list of all the medicines, vitamins, and supplements you are taking.
  • List of questions to ask your doctor.

Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you to make the most of your time together. A list of questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For the hair loss, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

  • What is the cause of my hair loss?
  • There are other possible causes?
  • What kinds of tests do I need?
  • It is my permanent hair loss or is going to grow back? How long will it take? You will have a different texture after re-grow?
  • What is the best course of action?
  • Should I change my diet or routine, hair care?
  • Are there any restrictions that I need to follow?
  • You should see a specialist? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover seeing a specialist?
  • Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
  • Do you have any brochures or other printed material that I can take my house?
  • What sites do you recommend?

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor may ask you a series of questions. Be ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:

  • When did you first start experiencing hair loss?
  • Has your hair loss been continuous or occasional?
  • Have you noticed that low hair growth, hair breakage or hair loss?
  • Has your hair loss was spot or in general?
  • Has had a similar problem in the past?
  • Has anyone in your immediate family experienced the loss of hair?
  • What medications or supplements that you take regularly?
  • What, if anything, seems to improve your hair loss?
  • What, if anything, appears to worsen your hair loss?
Symptoms and treatment of Hair loss