Causes of Hair Loss

While this can sound terribly depressing, the good news is that in most cases while the hair follicle may be damaged it is still functioning, just on a limited scale. As long as there are still some hair follicles that are alive and connected to a healthy supply of blood flow, they can be replaced with healthy hair follicles.

While this hormone is believed to be a contributing factor to baldness, in both women and men, it is not the only factor. Medical practitioners state that it is polygenic. This means that it is one, of a number, of factors leading to the end result of baldness.

The first two depictions shown on the Norwood hair loss chart represent the way most mens hair begins to appear as they enter adulthood. The third image shows the early signs of hair loss; appearing very commonly as hair recession at the temple area. In some cases, men may discover that the first area they begin to notice significant loss of hair is on the top of their head, or crown area. This is shown in the III Vertex representation on the Norwood chart.

Women, on the other hand, tend to show signs of hair loss in a much different manner than men. While some women may begin to notice the loss of hair at their temples, the hair thinning usually more resembles a uniform loss all over the scalp. Most women first notice hair thinning along the crown of the head. In the first stage of this type of hair loss, while there is some thinning; a good bit of hair still remains. As the thinning progresses to levels two and three hair, the hair becomes less dense and the thinning spots become much more apparent.

Telogen Efluvium This is temporary hair loss due to changes within the structure of the hair. It is most commonly represented by Alopecia areata. Although this condition can be quite frightening when it first appears, it is completely temporary. In this condition, hair is lost in small patches, usually forming a circular or coin shaped bald spot. It is believed to be due some type of autoimmune disorder and while it is temporary and the hair will grow back, many individuals with this disorder report recurring episodes throughout their lives.

In very rare instances, rather than losing hair in patches, individuals suffering from this disease will lose all of their hair. At that point, the disorder is referred to as Alopecia Totalis.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy-The result of hair loss due to this medical condition is no big surprise. This side effect has been documented for decades. It is caused by destruction of the cells within the chemotherapy process. Within a years time hair has usually begun to grow again.

Pregnancy and childbirth-Although it is quite common for many women to notice their hair become stronger, healthier, thicker and more luxuriant during pregnancy, just the opposite is also true for a small number of women. In these rare cases, instead of hair growing faster and thicker, it begin to fall out all together. This type of situation is rare and almost always temporary. The hair commonly reverts back to its normal growth rate after childbirth.

There are a number of other medical conditions which can cause the loss or thinning of hair, really quite too many to mention. However, the point is that hair loss may or may not be the effect of aging and genetic factors. Before any attempt is made at replacing hair loss through surgical means, the reason of the hair loss must first be established.

This can be critical in determining whether surgical methods, such as hair transplant, will be successful. More about this subject can be read in Chapter Five.

Hair loss due to any type of medical condition is generally accompanied by other symptoms such as confusion, loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and weight loss. If any of these symptoms appear to be accompanying hair loss it is critical that medical attention from a qualified health professional be sought immediately.

Summary

It is critical to understanding the many different reasons for hair loss in order to understand whether the situation is reversible due to natural methods or whether one might be a suitable candidate for hair transplant surgery. Permanent hair loss is referred to as anagen effluvium. Medications and certain medical conditions can lead to permanent hair loss. One type of permanent hair loss, known as androgenetic alopecia, is permanent hair loss characterized by genetic factors. Androgentic alopecia is also commonly known as male and female pattern baldness. It is thought to be caused by the androgen hormones; specifically testosterone being converted into DHT by the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. As the levels of DHT rise within the body, the hair follicles shrink, the active hair growth phase becomes reduced and new hair growth is not able to catch up with hair loss in the catagen phase.

Telogen effluvium is temporary hair loss resulting from factors such as medical treatments and hormone changes. Alopecia areata is a form of temporary hair loss characterized by small balding patches that present in coin shaped patches.