Hair loss causes, symptums, diagonesis and treament

Hair is the most important part of human personality. Every day, a normal man loses about 50-100 hairs.  Experiencing bald patches or hair thinning could indicate that a man may suffer from hair loss.

Causes

• Heredity– Both males and females start losing their hair thickness as they grow older. Any disease doesn’t cause this type of hair loss or baldness but is related to aging or changes in the hormone testosterone. Pattern baldness affects more men than women.
• Stress (Physical or emotional) – Due to physical or emotional stress, about one half to three quarters of scalp hair sheds away. Telogen effluvium is the name given to this type of hair loss. In this, hair comes out during shampoo, comb or while running hands through them.  Telogen effluvium occurs for a short period of time, but you never know it could get chronic as well. The causes include: high fever, childbirth, surgeries, several medications and crash diets.

Other hair loss causes

If the hair loss pattern is unusual, then there are certain causes for it, which are as follows:

• Alopecia areata
• Burns
• Infectious diseases, for example syphilis
• Hormonal changes
• Anemia
• Autoimmune conditions like lupus
• Thyroid problem
• Ovary or adrenal gland tumor
• Radiation therapy
• Continuous hair pulling or scalp rubbing

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of hair loss and conditions vary between men, women, and children.

Signs in men

• Hair thinning on the scalp
• Hair thinning at the head crown
• Receding hairline
• Horse shoe shaped pattern leaving crown of the head exposed

Signs in women

• General thinning of hair at the crown of the head

Signs in children and young adults

• Sudden loss of hair patches
• Complete baldness or hair loss on body
• Broken hair patches and incomplete hair loss on the scalp or eyebrows
• No complete baldness but excessive shedding of hair

Diagnosis

Continuous hair loss is an indication of underlying medical conditions or health issues. A visiting dermatologist will determine the exact cause of the hair loss. To prevent hair loss a change in the lifestyle and prescription medications may work. If an autoimmune or skin condition is one of the causes, then the doctor may take a biopsy of skin on the scalp. Hair growth is quite a complex process, so it may take time to know the exact cause of hair loss.

Treatment

Medications are the first course of treatment for hair loss. There are over-the-counter medicines, which include some topical creams and gels to be applied directly onto the hair scalp.

• Minoxidil– Minoxidil is a much effective lotion for hair loss. It could be easily available over the counter from any pharmacies without a prescription. As per the American Academy of Dermatology, the medication gives best results when is combined with other treatments for hair loss. The lotion must be rubbed twice daily to prevent further hair loss.
• Finasteride– Finasteride is a prescription medication taken in pill form. The medication is commonly prescribed for treating male pattern baldness and has to be taken daily to slow down some hair loss. Read the prescription label carefully and follow instructions for using both medications as directed.

Medical options

If medicines do not stand by your expectations, then there are some surgical procedures for treating baldness.

• Hair transplant surgery– The procedure involves moving the hair and hair follicles from the area where the growth of hair is much to the area where there is baldness or thinning of hair. The technique tends to give a natural look on the forehead whereas naturally dense look starts to develop on head top.
• Scalp reduction– In scalp reduction surgery, part of the scalp which lacks hair is removed. Then the healthier parts of the scalp that has hair are strectched and re positioned. This is done so that the overall area of bald skin gets reduced.

Home remedies

Sometimes, surgical procedures may be too expensive for a normal man. In that case, the best solution is to use hair loss products which promote hair growth and are inexpensive too.

• Hot oil– Try to massage some hot natural oils- olive, coconut and canola into the scalp. Olive oil is great for the health of hair. Olive oil can also be used in the form of hair products. You could buy any good quality hair products such as conditioner or shampoo which are readily available in the market.

• Natural juices– Try to rub the scalp with any of the natural juices such as garlic, onion or ginger juice. Leave it on the scalp overnight and then wash it the other morning to see the results.
• Head massage– As per experts, a head massage helps to stimulate circulation, which in turn keeps hair follicles much active. Massage keeps us calm, relaxed and also it promotes hair growth.
• Meditation– It’s been said that the root cause for hair loss could be stress and tension. In that case, one should practice daily meditation which not only improves hair loss but also restores hormonal imbalance.
• Vitamins– Right intake of vitamins is another effective way to control and prevent hair fall. Medicines with vitamins or only vitamins for hair loss can be great for hair health. Which medicine to choose depends on the specific problem and may vary from person to person, it is highly recommended that one should consult doctor first before its intake.