Hair loss occurs when the cycle of hair growth is slowed or halted by age, heredity, illness, injury or nutritional deficit. During a normal hair-growth cycle, individual hairs shed and regrow at the same rate. Once the number of hairs shed exceeds the number of new hairs grown, the cycle becomes imbalanced, resulting in thinning and hair loss. Most of the time the number of hairs shed matters little. It is the amount of new hairs grown to replace the shed hairs, or the lack of, that really matters.
Considerations
Approximately 21 million American women experience some form of hair loss in their lifetime, according to the Hair Loss Learning Center, a website of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. The pattern of loss in women is much different than in men. Women usually do not go completely bald, rather their hair becomes thinner all over.
Types
Several types of hair loss can occur in women. The most common is androgenetic alopecia, or female-pattern baldness, a permanent, genetic form of hair loss. Alopecia areata, a temporary form of hair loss, presents as small bald spots located randomly throughout the scalp. Cicatricial alopecia occurs when the scalp and hair follicles become damaged and scarred. Illness can bring on telogen effluvium, a type of loss resulting in immediate thinning of the hair. Too-tight hairstyles such as braids and ponytails cause traction alopecia. Anagen effluvium occurs in chemotherapy patients. All forms of female hair loss, with the exception of androgenetic and cicatricial alopecia, are considered temporary, according to MayoClinic.com.
Causes
Genetics, eating disorders, certain medications, disease, stress, medical treatments, hormone imbalances, infection, salon chemical treatments, certain hairstyles and diseases and disorders of the scalp can cause hair loss in women. A rare hair-pulling disorder called trichotillomania causes people to pull their hair out.
Treatment
Treatment options address the underlying cause of hair loss. If a treatable, medical condition is to blame, hair regrowth occurs as a side effect of successful treatment. Most temporary forms of hair loss can be treated by avoiding the medicines, chemicals or practices that caused the hair loss. Hormonal replacement may be an option for women with hormonal imbalances. Corticosteriod scalp injections speed up recovery in patients with alopecia areata, according to MayoClinic.com.
Treatment options for genetic hair loss are limited. Topical scalp treatments have helped some women to slow the progression of hair loss and an even fewer number of to grow new hair. Hair restoration surgeries implant hairs in the thinning areas of scalp, where it is hoped that they will continue to grow and flourish.
Prevention
Staying healthy and eating a balanced diet is crucial for hair-loss prevention. You should also avoid pulling, tugging and styling your hair in tight styles, all of which cause breakage and hair loss. Unfortunately, genetic hair loss cannot be prevented.
Member Comments