Getting Thin On Top?
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August 23, 2007 |
 Hair loss is a big worry to many people, both male and female. Hair loss usually develops gradually and may be patchy or diffuse (all over).
The average scalp contains about 100,000 hairs, and roughly 100 hairs are lost from your head every day. This is normal loss, but some people lose much more and there are many causes.
* Hormonal problems may cause hair loss. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance.
* Hair loss has few medical complications, but several serious conditions can cause it.
* There are some psychological effects associated with going bald.
* Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners , medicines used for gout, medicines used in chemotherapy to treat cancer, vitamin A (if too much is taken), birth control pills and antidepressants.
* Certain infections can cause hair loss.
* Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children.
* Finally, hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes.
For Men hair loss is male pattern baldness, and in the UK two-thirds of all men will eventually be affected by male pattern baldness. Other types of hair loss, including rare conditions such as alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis, where the entire scalp and entire body, respectively, become completely bald due to a viral condition can be irreversible.
For Women hair loss is different. There is no set pattern for women's androgenic hair loss, which like MPB, occurs in the overwhelming majority of cases. Women can suffer from alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis just like men. Sometimes there is a condition where the hair follicles make thinner and thinner hair, until eventually they pack up completely.
Treatments (Always consult your medical professional)
Surgical techniques for restoring hair have improved greatly in the past couple of decades, but this is still an option that requires careful consideration.
Medicines may also help slow or prevent the development of common baldness. One medicine, minoxidil (brand name: Rogaine), is available without a prescription.
Hair transplantation - tiny punch-holes of skin containing a few follicles of hair are taken from elsewhere in the body (such as the back of the head, if this is still well covered) and implanted into the thinning areas.
Scalp reduction - devices are inserted under the skin to stretch areas of scalp that still have hair, then the redundant bald areas are removed. Alternatively, flaps of hairy scalp can be moved around the head.
Regular aerobic exercise can help keep androgen levels (particularly free testosterone levels) naturally lower while maintaining overall health and lowering stress.
Eating a balanced, healthy diet is important for a lot of reasons, and it really benefits your hair.
Modern mini-grafting and micro-grafting techniques have resulted in convincing, natural looking hair transplantsLabels: hair loss, thinning hair |
posted by Maggie @ 9:31 am   |
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