Hair loss during adolescence can mean a person may be sick or just not eating right. Some medications or medical treatments, like chemotherapy treatment for cancer, also cause hair loss. People can even lose their hair if they wear a hairstyle that pulls on the hair for a long time, such as braids.
"Medical treatment and changing hair practices are critical for stabilizing disease and preventing progression of these hair loss disorders. However, existing hair loss has devastating psychosocial consequences on affected patients and is not addressed by those measures. While, historically, blacks have been shunned away from hair transplant procedures because of the challenges of hair harvesting and concern about the risks of hypertrophic and keloidal scarring, with use of proper techniques in appropriately selected patients, hair transplantation allows us to do something positive to improve appearance for these suffering women," said Dr. Callender, clinical assistant professor of dermatology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, and in private practice in Mitchelville, Md.
People with the condition called trichotillomania feel compelled to pull out their hair. The effects are seen on both the scalp and the upper eyelids. In the affected areas there are hairs of different lengths. When looked at under the microscope they show fractures.
When you think of hair loss, what image comes to mind? If you're like most of us, it's probably not a picture of a healthy woman -- but by the age of 50, over 50 percent of women are experiencing some hair loss. And believe it or not, the solution isn't as simple as a bottle of Rogaine. In fact, there actually four types of hair loss common in women, each with its own appearance, causes, and treatments. We spoke to Matt L. Leavitt, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and author of Women and Hair Loss (www.womenandhairloss.com), for some insight:
Spencer David Kobren vividly remembers the day he saw the light. Or to be more precise, the day he saw a little telltale patch of white.
It was Dec. 31, 1986. Kobren was 22. He knew his life had changed irrevocably. "It was devastating, man," he says, his tone mournful and anguished. "I felt like I was losing a limb. Once you cross that line, there's no going back."
His hair, lush and dense as a tropical forest, was starting to disappear. So began an odyssey to restore what time and genetics were slowly robbing. Kobren tried lotions made of keratin and potions infused with amino acids. He tried hanging upside down. He consulted psychics. He tried zapping his noggin with electrical charges, wrapping it with hot towels, rubbing it with cayenne pepper, shooting it up with hormones. He spent years and thousands of dollars on a fruitless, hairless quest.
The hair follicle is a structure that encases the lower part of the hair shaft. Each follicle contains blood vessels that nurture new hair growth. All hair follicles are present at birth; throughout the lifetime each follicle grows and sheds single hairs in a repetitive cycle (show figure 1). The growth phase for a single new hair lasts two to three years. At the end of this time, growth ceases and the follicle enters a resting phase. After three to four months in the resting phase, the hair is shed and the next growth cycle begins. On a normal scalp, approximately 80 to 90 percent of follicles are growing at any time. Each day, about 75 follicles shed their hair while the same number enter a new growth phase.
Folliculitis decalvans, also known as alopecia folliculitis or acne decalvans, is an inflammatory reaction in hair follicles on the scalp that causes redness (erythema) and pus-filled blisters (pustules). It leads to scarring and permanent hair loss.
Traction alopecia occurs as a result of improper hair care and prolonged use of certain hair-styling techniques. Cosmetic treatments (e.g., dyes, tints, bleaches, permanents) are generally safe; however, if treatments are done incorrectly, or if the chemicals are used for too long, the hair becomes brittle and breaks easily.
Hairstyles that pull the hair tightly, and excessive shampooing or brushing can also cause hair loss. Braiding, permanents, excessive heat, and hair straightening cause hair shaft weakness. Hair styling techniques such as hair weaving, corn rowing, and the use of hot combs to straighten hair can cause permanent hair thinning and scarring.
Everyone loses some hair every day. Losing up to 100 hairs a day is normal.
But if hair loss runs in your family, you could lose a lot more hair. Over time, you may end up with bald spots or hair that slowly gets thinner. About half of all people have this type of hair loss by around age 50.1, 2
Other factors, such as diseases and medicines, also can cause you to lose more hair than normal.
Although hair loss is fairly common, it can be a tough thing to live with, especially when it changes how you look. But there are ways you can treat your hair loss.
Hair loss can occur from many causes, including aging, illness, infections, scalp conditions, stress, hormone changes, and medications. Hair loss can also occur with HIV.
There are additional reasons that hair loss may occur with HIV besides the virus itself. Many medications used to treat HIV can cause hair loss.
People with HIV are susceptible to a wide variety of viral, bacterial and fungal infections. Such infections can involve the scalp, causing hair loss. The infections can also involve other organs, stressing the body. Premature aging can occur with HIV, resulting in accelerated graying of hair and hair shedding.
Changes to hair on the scalp. Many women notice that the hair on their head is thicker during pregnancy. Many lose a lot of hair a few weeks or months after delivery. These changes are normal. Hair growth generally returns to its regular growing cycle within six months after delivery.
When you're not pregnant, the hairs on your head grow in a regular cycle.
During pregnancy, hairs tend to stay in the resting phase longer. And much more of your hair is in the resting phase at any one time. Therefore, fewer hairs fall out each day. This causes your hair to seem thicker and fuller.
For many people, hair loss is one of the more trying aspects of cancer treatment. When hair falls out, it affects our self-image and our quality of life. But you don’t have to despair – you can go a long way towards boosting your own self-confidence with an educated attitude and some advance preparation.
Everyone's experience is different, so it’s important to become well informed about how your particular treatment affects hair loss. Talk to your doctor, nurse, or social worker about what to expect.
HairSite: I think that the common conception out there is that Farrell is a large company already. How large are you?
Richard Farrell: Right now we have five locations with more opening soon. That's not very large compared to the big chains. Instead our locations cover both coasts and we really consider them to be world centers. Remember, our clients come from almost every city and every country on the planet. So we're not large in terms of the number of salons operating but in some ways we're huge!
Unlike the receding hair line creeping over a man's scalp, hair loss sneaks up on a woman.
Maybe she sees a few more hairs in her favorite brush. Her ponytail feels skinnier. Her part widens. Eventually she notices she can see her scalp peeking through in a photograph.
Whatever the telling sign, female pattern hair loss can be traumatic. But women today are less likely to suffer in silence than a decade ago; doctors report that women increasingly are coming forward to seek remedies.
Locks we love
In some cases, pinpointing the cause is the first step to a cure, though the source of hair loss in women is not always as clear as it is in men.
The hormone fluctuations of puberty, pregnancy and menopause can cause hair to shed. So can the stress of general anesthesia, illness, anemia, crash diets and thyroid abnormalities. Some women -- and a few men, too -- suffer a compulsion to tug at the hair, damaging the follicles.
Some fashion models with beautifully shaped heads may choose baldness as part of their look. But for most women, loss of hair -- or even thinning of it -- is highly upsetting, often much more so than for men.
The relatively extensive hair loss that often occurs after pregnancy frightens many a new mother. And women commonly describe hair loss as the most devastating aspect of chemotherapy, even though they know their hair will grow back after the treatments are over.
Hormones have a great effect on hair, which is why many women notice changes during and after pregnancy and around menopause. After menopause, the ovaries may produce more androgens (male hormones) than estrogen and this can result in hair loss. (Male baldness is related to increased testosterone). A dermatologist or plastic surgeon can do scalp biopsies and have the hair follicles studied, which may be helpful in determining androgen effects. Some medications, severe stress, malnutrition, iron deficiency and an underactive thyroid may all cause hair loss, so blood tests also are useful.
Hair loss can occur as thinning hair or complete baldness. The hair loss may be on the head or any other part of the body that normally has hair, such as the eyebrows.
What is going on in the body?
There are many causes of hair loss. The most common form of hair loss is due to male pattern baldness, in which hair is lost from the front and top of the scalp. Other types of hair loss can create different patterns. Treatment depends on the type and cause of baldness.
What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?
The primary symptom is hair loss. Other symptoms can vary widely depending on the cause of the hair loss. Those with male pattern baldness have no other symptoms. The location of the hair loss also differs depending on the cause.
|