Gathering Information About Hair Loss

Gathering Information About Hair Loss

Hair loss is a very common problem. Gathering information about hair loss can help you to make informed decisions about treatment. Anyone can experience hair loss from the young to the elderly. Age is one of the causes for hair loss. As you gather information about hair loss you will learn about all the various possible causes and decide what is likely to be the cause for your hair loss. A doctor or dermatologist can also help you to pinpoint the cause for your hair loss. Continue reading to discover what else you can learn as you go about gathering information about hair loss.

Your doctor or dermatologist can get you started on the road to gathering information about hair loss by telling you a lot of facts about causes and in particular what your risk factors may be. Risk factors could include family history, age, poor diet and improper hair care.

As your gather information you will discover that there are several different kids of hair loss. You can suffer from androgenic alopecia, which is also called male pattern baldness, or you can suffer from traumatic alopecia, which is when a person pulls out his or her own hair, or you can also have a side effect from a medication that you are taking of hair loss. You can also suffer from alopecia areata, which is simply the fact that hair is lost in patches.

You may discover that anyone; children, men and women can experience hair loss and that different ethnic groups may have hair loss occur at different rates. Those of Japanese descent on average develop male baldness 10 years earlier than Caucasian males, but they are also less likely to have hair loss because males of darker skin tones are less likely to develop hair loss than those of lighter complexions.

Women tend to develop hair loss as "thinning hair" instead of going bald although a small percentage of women do go bald.

As you gather information about hair loss you will also discover that hair loss can be a symptom of a medical condition or disease. Diseases that can have hair loss as a symptom include diabetes and lupus. Hair loss can occur; especially in children when a scalp infection is present most commonly a fungal infection.

While gathering information about hair loss you will soon discover that normal hair has a cycle to its growth that includes a phase where it grows and another where it rests. After hair rests, it falls out. Approximately 90% of the hair on your head is growing at any one time and 10% is resting. Hair falling out is therefore normal unless it is happening at a rate higher than 10% or faster than normal due to medical conditions.

Excessive hair loss can occur for many medical and non-medical reasons. You will discover that some of these reasons have to do with the medication an individual is on or the disease or medical condition they may have. Procedures like chemotherapy and radiation therapy have hair loss as a side effect or adverse reaction to the procedures. Non-medical reason may include the improper hair habits of the individual or improper use of hair equipment or hair products.

Like most topics the more information you know the better decisions you can make when facing the situation.

Getting a Diagnosis and Treating Your Hair Loss Problem

Getting a Diagnosis and Treating Your Hair Loss Problem

Hair loss can be an embarrassing problem. It can happen for many different reasons. Hair loss can be the result of incorrect hair grooming habits or from harsh chemicals being put on your scalp, to the medications that are taken to treat an illness or condition. Hair loss can also happen when we are really stressed out about something of an emotional, or mentally stressing situation. We can also experience physical stress such as major surgery and hair loss can occur. Hair loss can be a big problem for many people children, men and women alike.

There are many treatments and ways to cope with temporary or permanent hair loss and the way to find out what the best treatments might be is to first get a diagnosis for your problem. A doctor can examine your scalp, access your general health, perhaps run a few tests like blood or urine tests or by taking a small sample of your scalp skin and or hair follicles in order to come up with the diagnosis or cause(s) of your hair loss. With this information in hand, the doctor can help you to make good decisions about how to cope with or treat your hair loss.

If your hair loss is due to another illness or condition, getting that condition or illness under control can result in a solution for your hair loss. Scalp infections can usually be treated with medications and are usually temporary. Hormonal imbalances can usually resolve themselves (if caused by pregnancy or birth control pill usage or hormonal replacement therapy) or if the situation can be addressed by solving the imbalance.

If stress is causing the hair loss, improving the situation that is causing the stress often results in the ability of the hair to regrow.

The key to treating your hair loss problem is to get an accurate diagnosis so that the best treatment can be determined. A medical doctor or dermatologist can make the diagnosis and advise you on what your treatment options are.

Treatments can vary and will depend on what is causing the hair loss but common treatments include:

∑ Medications to prevent further hair loss by improving blood circulation to the scalp or medications that stimulate new hair growth

∑ You can color your hair to try to hide the hairless scalp

∑ Improve your diet if poor nutrition is contributing to your hair loss

∑ Wear hairpieces such as wigs, toupees or hair extensions

∑ Stop taking birth control pills or replacement hormone therapy medications if they are found to be causing hormonal imbalances that can contribute to hair loss

∑ Use hair transplant surgery to put hair plugs into areas of the scalp that have suffered permanent hair loss