Although early balding usually occurs to men with male-pattern baldness due to genetic factors, it can also occur to women who suffer from female-pattern baldness. Early hair loss may also be caused by several hair-loss disorders, stress, pregnancy, poor nutrition or illness -- although in these cases, hair usually grows back once the underlying causes are addressed, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Normal Hair Growth Cycle
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, hair normally grows in a cycle of three phases. Your hair grows around 1 cm a month during the growing phase, which lasts for two to three years. Your hair rests in the next phase, the resting phase, for three or four months. It is then shed and replaced by new hair. You lose around 50 to 100 hairs due to this growth process every day.
Causes of Early Balding
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, "common balding" usually refers to male-pattern baldness, although it can also occur to females. This form of hair loss is also known as "androgenetic" or "androgenic alopecia." Most cases of androgenetic alopecia are due to hereditary factors. Other forms of hair loss such as alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that also causes hair loss, may be due to stress, inadequate nutrition or psychological factors, such as in trichotillomania, a disorder where you pull your own hair out due to anxiety.
Features
Male- and female-pattern baldness have different features. In men, the condition causes hair loss along the hairline and balding at the top of the head, according to the Mayo Clinic. Women with female-pattern baldness experience thinning hair and hair loss from the front, sides and crown of the head. Alopecia areata usually results in small patches of hair loss around the entire head. In trichotillomania, hair loss occurs wherever the hair is pulled out, usually along the scalp and eyelashes or eyebrows.
Medical Treatments
Although male- and female-pattern baldness cause permanent balding, some treatments may help to promote new hair growth. According to the Mayo Clinic, minoxidil, an over-the-counter liquid or foam medication, may help to encourage new hair growth in individuals suffering from both alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia. Finasteride is a prescription pill that may help to slow hair loss or encourage hair growth in men suffering from male-pattern baldness. Corticosteroids are injections of cortisone that into the scalp of those with alopecia areata and may help to stimulate new hair growth. Some forms of surgery, such as hair transplant surgery and scalp reduction, are also used to treat baldness, although they can be both expensive and painful.
Alternative Treatments and Lifestyle Changes
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, some forms of hair loss disorders may be treated with lifestyle changes, such as stress management, in the case of stress-related hair loss disorders, or nutritional supplementation, in the case of hair loss caused by dietary factors. Some people may also benefit from alternative treatments such as acupuncture, homeopathy or scalp massage with essential oils of rosemary or sage, as this may help to stimulate new hair growth.
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