Causes of hair loss
There are many potential causes of hair loss. It is important to determine the cause of your hair loss because the cause will usually determine the type of treatment you should have. The following are some of the most common forms of hair loss:
Male pattern baldness
Male pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia, is a hereditary form of hair loss. Male pattern baldness is by far the most common cause of hair loss, affecting over 20 million men in the United States. To fully understand what goes on in male pattern baldness, let's briefly revisit the hair cycle. Over time, some hair follicles begin to shrink, producing finer, shorter hairs ("peach fuzz"). This is what accounts for thinning of the scalp. These changes usually start at the temples, appearing as the classic "receding hairline." It also occurs on the crown of the scalp. Eventually, hair follicles may begin to die, leading to hair loss. Bald spots may increase in size until the entire top of the head is bald with hair remaining only on the sides.
If you are like a lot of my patients, you may believe the myth that your hair loss is inherited from your mother's side of the family. But for many men who are losing their hair, their mother's father has a full head of hair. So then why are they going bald? The truth is, baldness is a very complicated genetic trait that may be inherited from either the mother's or the father's side of the family (or both). And it can even skip generations. So, please, don't blame your mother!
Chemotherapy
Many agents used to treat cancer will cause hair cells to stop dividing, stopping hair growth. Up to 90% of the hairs may fall out 1 to 3 weeks after cancer treatment. Fortunately, the hair does regrow in most cases when the treatment is completed. Cancer patients should be warned of this side effect so that they have the opportunity to prepare for any possible hair loss, such as getting a wig or hairpiece, if desired, prior to treatment.
Alopecia areata
Alopecia areata appears as discrete, smooth, round patches of hair loss about the size of a coin or larger. There may be one or several of these coin-sized patches of hair loss. This condition is most often limited to one area of the body but can affect the scalp, beard, eyebrows, eyelashes, or any hair on the body.
The cause of alopecia areata remains a mystery. It is not uncommon, affecting approximately 2% of the population, and may occur at any age. It is equally common among women and men, and aside from hair loss, those affected are usually healthy otherwise. In some cases, the bald area(s) will spontaneously regrow hair over several months without treatment. In other cases, the bald spots may progressively enlarge.
© 2002 Healthology, Inc.