Causes of Hair Loss

Hair loss is one of the body changes that most people fear of. Just like menopause, hair loss can easily divulge a person's age. But unlike menopause, which can be kept from everyone but yourself, hair loss can be detected or seen by almost everybody. At about the age of 35, the effect of hair loss can already be seen in men -- either their hair line recedes or a "dome" begins to appear at the back of their hair; some even experience both. In Profollica.com, it is stated that 65% of all men are suffering from the effects of hair loss and a majority of them have Male Pattern Baldness. Women, on the other hand, are affected by hair loss in a different way. Starting at the age of 30, their hair gradually thins out. By the age of 50 or shortly after their menopausal stage, the scalp becomes more noticeable because of lessened hair strands all over the head.

Different factors may cause hair loss. Aging and genetics are only a few. But in men, basically, it is caused by dehydrotestosterone hormone, or DHT. This hormone's chief purpose is to develop the traits of men such as deep voice, larger muscles, and mustache. However, it also develops Male Pattern Baldness. What this hormone does is it accumulates and develops in the DHT receptors found around the follicles of hair. As the hormone has established itself, it will eventually kill the hair as well as the follicle, making it hopeless for hair to grow back. According to Profollica.com, DHT production in women is as not as high as in men, hence, women do not suffer from the same radical hair loss as men do.

DHT increases as men age, killing more and more of the hair follicles. Excess production of DHT can lead to baldness. Although every person has this hormone, there are some who only produce enough amount of DHT. Fortunately, they are the ones not suffering from extreme hair loss.

Other factors for hair loss in both men and women are:

1. Disease or illness - Losing hair could be a sign of being unhealthy. Illnesses such as systemic lupus erythematosis and syphilis, or thyroid disorder show hair loss as a symptom. Chronic kidney dysfunction may also cause lots of hair to fall as it makes them unhealthy, dry, and breakable.

2. Side effects of medications - Drugs that contain lithium, beta-blockers, warfarin, heparin, amphetamines, and levodopa (Atamet, Larodopa, Sinemet) can cause numerous hair to fall off. In addition, some medications being used in treating cancer like doxorubicin can cause rapid but temporary hair loss.

3. Hormones - Different kinds of hormones compromise the human system and an imbalanced production of those could affect the normal growth of hair. An example of this is women's menstrual cycle. Hormonal changes take place in the ovulation period that could cause some hair to lose, so as thyroid and pituitary disorders.

4. Zinc deficiency - Along with diarrhea and eczema, hair loss appears to be a symptom if one has inadequate intake or if the body poorly absorbs zinc.

5. Hair abuses - Too much treatments to hair such as coloring, perming, bleaching, corn rows, and usage of curling irons can wear out and eventually kill the hair. Even excessive use of comb and strong shampoo products can add up to hair loss. Combing the hair for about a hundred times will not really make it healthy; rather, it will lessen the strength of the hair and make it brittle. Shampoos' strong chemicals, on the other hand, can dry the hair up.

6. Giving birth - About a month after a woman gives birth, some of her hair strands have the tendency to fall off easily. Hair strands that fall off are usually from one portion of the head, leaving moon crater-like hair. The falling off of hair in this instance actually does not lead to baldness and it is not permanent, though the recovery period will take up to a year.

These and some other factors cause hair loss. There may be a lot, but the good thing is, there are also quite a lot with regard to medical options of treating this condition. Medicating hair loss can be done by undergoing surgical treatments like scalp grafting, taking oral medications like finasteride pills, or using topical applications such as ProFollica™.

Each treatment is different in approaches, processes, requirements, and applications. For example, hair loss surgery is a proven effective method and so are pills. But both can only be applied to and taken by men. The surgery is usually recommendable to severe cases of hair loss, while pills like finasteride can cause harmful effects to women. Perhaps, the most convenient way to address hair loss treatment, for both men and women, is through applying topical products. This kind of remedy, like ProFollica™, usually comes in a system. This system has natural ingredients, which make it safe for anyone's usage with hair loss condition. It is up to the person and to the doctor, if he is to consult one, what treatment he'll rather or willingly try.

Old beliefs, such as cap wearing bringing about hair loss or combing the hair more than one hundred times will make it healthier, have long been proven untrue. With some tips and causes given above, indeed, knowing the right causes will make one smart on choosing the right solutions.

Hair Loss Causes

By: Richard Mitchell
Posted 09/07/04
One of the most worrying aspects of hair loss treatment is the tendency of so many people to seek solutions without first determining what has caused their loss in the first place.
At best, sufferers may waste money on inappropriate 'wonder cures' or even legitimate treatments that unfortunately are not suitable for their particular needs. At worst, some people may be risking their health by self-prescribing powerful pharmaceutical drugs. I don't have a problem with hair loss sufferers saving money by purchasing cheap generic drugs on the internet, but I feel strongly that they should at least seek confirmation from their physician that a given drug matches their individual needs.
Before examining the most common causes of premature hair loss we need to understand that some shedding of hair is perfectly normal. Hairs grow from follicles that are tiny organs in the skin designed to grow a single hair that follows this repetitive cycle:
1. Lengthy growth period (Anagen Stage) - this phase usually lasts between two and seven years with an average growth rate of six inches (15cm) each year.
2. Short transition period (Catagen Stage) - this period of transition lasts for roughly two to four weeks. During this phase the hair shaft becomes detached and moves upwards within the follicle.
3. Resting period (Telogen Stage) - this phase lasts about three months allowing the hair to detach itself prior to falling out.
At this point a new hair begins to grow thus repeating the normal cycle of hair growth. Unfortunately a number of factors can interfere with the natural hair growth process leading to forms of hair thinning or premature baldness.
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss, probably accounting for as much as 95% of pattern hair loss for both men and women. It is usually associated with aging and develops in predictable stages over varying periods of time. Each follicle follows a genetically programmed growth cycle with some follicles coded to remain active for a shorter time than others. This results in the development of the hereditary baldness patterns that are so familiar to us all.
For this type of baldness to occur, the following factors must be present:
1. A genetic predisposition for hair loss to occur (as explained above).
2. The presence of male hormones.
3. Aging - in other words, enough time for the first two factors to exert an influence.
All men and women produce male hormones such as testosterone and DHT. These have a useful role to play in both sexes but obviously occur in widely differing concentrations. It is the higher levels of androgens found in males that explains why this form of hair loss affects men more than women.
In brief, these hormones affect the hair growth cycle as follows:
1. High levels of the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme occur in some cells of the hair follicle and sebaceous glands.
2. 5-alpha-reductase converts testosterone into DHT.
3. DHT causes the terminal hairs to miniaturize.
4. This leaves short, soft, fluffy vellus hairs that provide inadequate scalp coverage.
5. The growth phases gradually become shorter until these hairs are lost for good.
Alopecia areata is thought to be an immune system disorder that causes follicles to stop producing hairs in patches on the head. In severe cases it can advance to the stage where all hair on the head is lost (alopecia totalis) or even a complete absence of body hair results (alopecia universalis).
In most cases the hair will reappear on its own but until then, the condition can be very distressing to sufferers particularly as its cause can be difficult to determine. If you feel you may be suffering from this form of hair loss, seek the advice of your physician who will carry out a physical examination and conduct blood tests to help determine the cause.
Telogen effluvium is characterized by a general thinning or shedding of hair over a period of months and is most commonly found in people who have recently experienced trauma. Common causes include childbirth, major surgery, severe illness, psychological stress and chemotherapy. The good news is that the abnormal growth behavior associated with telogen effluvium is temporary and reversible.
There are numerous other less common hair loss causes that need to be discounted before a course of treatment is chosen. Traction alopecia is the loss of hair from constant pulling, usually as the result of hair styling. Broken hairs can result in thinning, often caused by excessive styling or exposure to chemicals and sun. Finally, severe illnesses or nutritional deficiencies can cause side effects that may include degrees of hair loss.
I hope this brief article has gotten across the message that diagnosing the real causes of hair loss is not always a straightforward process. Once you and your physician have identified a cause, then you can work towards restoring your hair to its former glory. And the good news is, most forms of hair loss can be treated successfully. The next article in this series will look at some of the best hair loss treatments currently available.

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the http://www.myhairlossadvisor.com website that provides information and guidance to those suffering from premature hair loss.

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