|
With
aging, the average man and woman experience a normal amount of hair
loss, which is characterized as about 100 hairs per day. Advanced hair
loss is different than someone’s typical shedding.
With advanced
hair loss, hair follicles become deactivated and fall out at an increased
rate. At the same time, the body is not allowing those hairs to be
replaced. This causes baldness in spots that expose the scalp. Researchers
have categorized the four main causes of hair loss: genetics, stress,
autoimmune response and chemical damage.
Genetics
 The
causes of baldness that are the most common include something called
Androgenetic Alopecia. Contrary to how the name might sound,
Androgenetic Alopecia is not a disease.
Although the
exact cause of male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness is
unknown, researchers do see this natural, age-related change in the body
tied directly to the body’s androgen hormones. The more androgen
hormones a person has, the more hair loss occurs. The opposite is also
true.
The androgen
hormones appear to be genetically related. In fact, it is estimated that
95% of hair loss is related to genetics. Older male relatives,
especially maternal relatives, give individuals a general idea of how
their own hair loss will progress. The condition generally begins at
puberty and gradually increases with age.
Stress
Stress can
trigger the hair follicles to convert from their typical growth phase to
a resting phase where the follicle lets go of current hair and doesn’t
replace it. The condition, known as Telogen Effluvium, is second only to
Androgenti Capopecia in causing hair loss. When the stress is
eliminated, the hair follicle allows a replacement hair to grow.
A subset of
stress on the body is stress on the hair itself. Traction Alopecia is
hair loss due to pulling on it, such as excessive brushing, washing or
styling. Trichotillomania, on the other hand, is the direct pulling out
of healthy hair.
Autoimmune
 Patches
of baldness in circular patterns—especially on the top, rear of the
scalp—is known as Alopecia Areata. Affecting about one in every 100
people in the U.S., Alopecia Areata is seen as an autoimmune disease in
which the body’s own antibodies attack itself. When the antibodies
attack the hair follicle, the hair falls out.
More than one
quarter of those experiencing this type of autoimmune hair loss will
re-grow hair. About 33%, though, can experience a relapse of this
condition.
Chemical Damage
Because of
certain medications, disease treatments and other chemicals, Anagen
Effluvium is a form of hair loss in which the hair follicle is
destroyed. Most commonly, this is seen in cancer patients undergoing
chemotherapy treatment.
The drugs and
chemicals are injected into the body to kill bad cells that cause
diseases, but what scientists think is happening is that, in doing so,
some good cells are destroyed, such as those feeding the hair follicles.
When the disease treatment stops, hair commonly comes back.
Treatment Options
While
many surgical and medicinal treatments are available, most are invasive
procedures or require chemicals to get your hair back.
At
Hair Restoration Institute of Minnesota, we offer FREE private,
confidential hair replacement consultations
to help you determine which hair restoration treatment is best for your
individual situation. Take the first step to a new you. Book your free,
confidential hair loss evaluation today.
Just click here.
To learn
about the solutions available to you, please call us
toll-free at
888-241-3258 to set up a free, confidential hair loss
consultation.
|
