Skin Problems & Treatments Community

Dear Readers,

Hair loss is experienced for a variety of reasons. Most people don't even notice it when it first begins to happen. We all experience a few hairs in our brush, or in the sink as we comb or brush our hair. However, when we begin to notice a lot of hair coming out, or when our hair is noticeably thinner, we sit up and take notice.

The medical term for hair loss is alopecia. There are several forms of permanent hair loss:

? Male-pattern baldness. This is a genetic predisposition, and can begin in men in their early teens. It generally presents as a receding hairline at your temples and visible thinning of the hair at the top of your head.
? Female-pattern baldness. Most women who experience this form of hair loss will experience thinning at the top of their hear, near the front, and on the sides. Complete baldness in women is rare, but not unheard of.
? Cicatricial alopecia is due to scarring resulting from inflammation that damages and scars hair follicles of the scalp. This can result in patchy bald spots. One disease that causes this is lupus.

There are also other forms of alopecia that are temporary:
? Alopecia areata — a disease that presents as small round areas of hair loss about the size of a quarter. This can occur on the scalp, in the beard area, even eyebrows and eyelashes. This is considered to be an auto-immune disease, but the cause is unknown. Usually your hair will grow back, but you may experience this several times throughout your lifetime.
? Stress-induced hair loss that occurs after a significant illness or major life stressor. This will usually result in overall thinning of the hair and no real bald patches.
? Traction alopecia occurs when certain hairstyles are regularly worn that put excessive strain on their hair strands causing breakage.
? Chemotherapy hair loss is due to the drugs given to fight certain cancers or lymphoma. Many people will experience regrowth of their hair after treatment is over, but most will never have hair as thick as prior to their treatment.

What Causes Hair Loss?
Hair is susceptible to hormonal changes, irritation, chemicals, and other damage. The hair follicles will experience shorter growth phases and the hair they produce will become thinner and shorter.
Aging is the most common cause of hair loss. In both male and female-pattern baldness (also called androgenetic alopecia) the growth period each hair follicle is shorter, and the resulting hair is not as thick nor as strong. Heredity will determine whether you will experience any degree of alopecia, and it will also determine the age at which you experience it.

Certain disease states like ringworm can cause hair loss, as can medications, medical treatments, as well as poor nutrition. People who routinely follow severe fad diets often experience a significant degree of hair loss.

Hormonal changes are also responsible for hair loss. During pregnancy women will have thicker, stronger hair, but after delivery will see a very significant loss of hair for about three months as their hormones restabilize.

What Can I Do?
If you are looking for medical assistance, you can prepare by writing down all the symptoms you notice around your hair loss. Make notes about any major stresses in your life, including work and health issues. Make a complete list of the medications you're taking and have a list of questions you intend to ask during your appointment. There are treatments for some types of baldness, be sure to ask your doctor or your dermatologist what is the best course of treatment for your situation.