There are number of reasons why men and women may experience hair loss.
2 most common reasons are
- Hair loss due to genetics
- Hair loss due to illnesses and / or consequent medications
Hair loss categories
- Androgenic Alopecia. Hair loss follows the typical “male” pattern – receding at the front and thinning on the top. This is the most common type of hair loss, and can occur at any time in a man’s (or woman’s) life – even from teenage years, and can be inherited from either the mother’s or father’s side of the family.
Androgenic alopecia accounts for 95% of men’s hair loss. It is caused by heredity, hormones and age. It leads to miniaturisation of hair follicles and shortening of the hair’s growing cycle, and thus the hair follicles gradually produce finer and thinner hairs. Eventually, there is no growth at all, which results in less scalp coverage
- Alopecia Areata. This often generates an abrupt hair loss. It is an auto-immune disorder, which causes hair follicles to stop producing hair. Typically, it can be recognised by patchy hair loss with can lead to total loss of hair on the scalp and body. This disease can affect children and adults of any age. The cause is unknown, and sufferers are usually of excellent health.
- Telogen effluvium. This is a generalised, diffuse hair loss that happens 2 to 3 months after a major body stress, such as a prolonged high fever, major surgery, or serious infection. It may also happen after a sudden change in hormone levels, especially in women after childbirth. These events may cause the hair to enter the “resting phase” where they stop growing and eventually shed. This type of hair loss usually corrects itself.
- Drug side effects. Certain medications have hair loss as annoying side effect, especially medications such as: lithium; beta blockers; the “blood-thinners”, warfarin and heparin; amphetamines; levodopa, and other drugs. Daunorubicin, and other medicines used in cancer chemotherapy, can also cause sudden generalised hair loss. The hair will usually re-grow after drug treatment has ended.
- Symptom of a medical illness. Hair loss can be one of the symptoms of a medical illness, such as: lupus erythematosus; syphilis; a thyroid disorder; sex hormone imbalance; sarcoidosis; metastases to the skin; or a serious nutritional problem, especially a deficiency of protein, iron, zinc, or biotin. These deficiencies are not uncommon in women on weight loss diets or those who have very heavy menstrual flow.
- Tinea capitis. Fungal infection of the scalp. This causes the hair to break off right at the scalp surface and causes the scalp to flake or become scaly in patches. This infection is contagious, and is most common in children. Oral medication will cure it.
- Traumatic alopecia. This man-made form of hair loss is caused by hairdressing techniques that do one of the following : pull the hair – alternate hairstyles with looser types; expose hair to extreme heat and twisting – avoid blow-drying and using heated rollers/ brushes every day; or damage the hair with strong chemicals – if hair becomes brittle from using dyes and tints, it is best to stop treatment until the hair has grown out.
People who notice their hair shedding in large amounts after brushing, or whose hair is thinning or falling out should see a specialist. Correct diagnosis can help your hair loss.
Treatments include using lotions on the scalp daily, pills, light treatment, and hair transplantation for those who have suffered permanent hair loss.
