Tag: different kinds of alopecia

Alopecia or baldness is when there is hair loss on the head and other parts of the body which often results in baldness. Losing between 75 ‘ 150 strands of hair daily is normal but anything beyond this number is bad for hair loss. Hair loss is mainly caused due to two major reasons: Heredity and Illnesses.   Heredity: Most of the time, hair loss is caused by genetic factors. In other words, it is part of a person’s heredity. This is usually called the male pattern baldness or heredity balding. This is one of the most common causes of thinning hair or hair loss.   Illnesses and other physical conditions: Illnesses like high fever, thyroid conditions, childbirth, malnutrition, iron deficiency, cancer treatments and the side effects of many medications can cause hair fall or hair loss. There are two ways of losing hair, it is either patchy hair loss or generalized hair loss. In patchy hair loss patches of skin become exposed due to baldness while there is a good amount of hair in the other parts of the head. In generalized hair loss, hair falls or baldness appears in a uniform manner, all over the head. The medical term for hair loss and baldness is called alopecia and there are different kinds of classifications in alopecia.   Alopecia Areata: This condition is when bald patches appear on the head well defined and clear. This is self healing and hair grows back within twelve months without any treatment.   Alopecia Totalis: This condition is unusual where all the hair on the head is lost. The cause for this baldness is unknown and uncommon and the hair usually never grows back making this baldness permanent.   Alopecia Universalis: This condition is a complete loss of hair from all parts of the body.   Androgenic Alopecia: This is the genetic factor and affects both men and women alike. Genetic baldness can begin as early as in a person’s adolescent, twenties, thirties and even later.Baldness or hair loss can be cured or prevented if the exact symptoms of the hair loss are known.  

Hair loss symptoms in men

When a man starts losing hair, he starts with a receding hairline. The scalp begins to show and hair begins to thin out. Over time some men may either have a bald patch on the top behind the head and sometimes it is not unusual for men to lose hair completely and go fully bald.

Hair loss symptoms in women

Women lose the maximum hair on the crown. It is not usual for women to go absolutely bald but baldness may appear in patches. Complete baldness in women can only result from cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. Otherwise women lose hair in patches or hair thins down dramatically.

Hair loss symptoms in both men and women

Hair thinning overall on the head is a common symptom for both men and women. Both may also lose hair all over the body like the armpits, legs and even the eyebrows. Hair shedding or hair fall is noticed in both especially on clothing, bed linen and brushes. Hair breakage is also a common trait in both, men and women. Using hair styling irons may cause breakage more in women than in men. Hair loss is a gradual process, it does not happen all together. It is easy to notice and you can tell when you have started to lose hair since it is visible and the hair loss is evident. A change in hormones, such as pregnancy or a surgery that could cause stress will encourage hair loss. It is seen that diet plays a very important role in hair loss or re-growth of hair. Protein malnutrition is an important cause for hair to thin or fall. It is notice that an adequate intake of protein and iron supplements may stop you from losing hair. Appropriate treatments for baldness depend on the type of alopecia one is suffering from.   There are home remedies as well as medications available for hair loss in men and women but above all one must ensure he or she is having a nutritious balanced meal along with daily exercises for at least thirty minutes a day. If hair fall or hair loss is still not controlled, see a doctor to assess what is causing the problem and take treatment accordingly. Hair loss can be dampening for our appearance and self confidence. A head full of hair is always more appealing and gives us more confidence about ourselves. With medical options as advanced as today, one does not need to worry much about the re-growth but one must try to seek treatment at the earliest.