What Is Hair Loss
Hair loss is a common problem that affects up to 50% of men and women throughout their lives .
Hair loss can be broadly categorised into scarring alopecia and non-scarring alopecia, with hair loss on the scalp further classified as focal or diffuse alopecia.
Hair loss can occur anywhere on the body, but most commonly affects the scalp. Abundant scalp hair has societal and cultural importance. Loss of scalp hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes frequently leads to psychological distress.
Hair loss
Going Bald: Its All In Your Head
Bald men often feel ashamed and inferior. Hereâs how to get over it.
Sitting in high school biology, listening to the teacher drone on about genetics, I snapped to attention when she used male pattern baldness as an example of a dominant trait. My heart started pounding with fear – with bald men on both sides of my mother’s family as far as the eye could see, I was doomed to have a chrome dome. Learn about possible reasons for hair loss in men under 25.
I remained anguished about the prospect of being bald for the next 20 years as my hairline retreated and my hair steadily thinned. Bald men seemed disfigured to me. I felt pity for them, so I tried to disguise my own condition by keeping my own hair clean and fluffed with a blow dryer. That hardly qualified as a treatment for baldness, but no other options seemed viable. I recoiled from the cost and the upkeep of a hairpiece. Minoxidil didn’t seem to work very well. Hair plugs looked awful – one man I met looked as if he had been burned several times on the top of his head with a cigarette and each spot had sprouted a tuft of hair.
Like a man told he has a terminal illness, I worked my way through denial, anger, negotiation, and depression. Finally, I reached resignation – I would join the ranks of bald men – but I was far from resigned to the prospect. Learn more about how hair loss affects men’s self esteem.
Going Bald: Understanding the symbolism of hair
Why bald men feel ashamed
How Do I Make My Hair Grow Faster And Thicker
How To Grow Hair FasterThicker and Longer Hair
You May Like: How To Stop Thinning Hair From Stress
What Further Research Is Required On The Psychological Effects Of Hair Loss
A strong theoretical understanding of the psychological impact of alopecia is required, including knowledge of the immune system, the stress response, and psychological responses to hair loss. Appropriate treatment strategies and regimes need to be established, implemented, and studied in a clinical setting.
Self-consciousness about body image is consistently portrayed and commented upon in the media. The role of the media in emphasising an expectation of a full head of hair should be explored, as well as how it can be used to educate society about hair loss and tolerance of peoples physical differences.
Does Thinning Your Hair Damage It
Thinning It Out Too Much While removing some weight from your hair may seem like the best way to make it more manageable, over-thinning thick hair can cause unwanted volume from the shorter layers left behind during the thinning process. It can also fray the ends of your hair, leaving it stringy and unhealthy.
Recommended Reading: Can Rogaine Prevent Hair Loss
How Long Does It Take For Hair To Thicken After Being Thinned
It depends on the individuals hair growth rate. If your hair grows very slowly, almost six months before it grows ten centimeters then it may take six months or more for your hair to Restore thickness and for those with fast-growing hair, it may take three to five months to fully return to its previous thickness .
Thinning Hair Am I Losing It
Often people will lose up to 50% of their hair density before they truly realise theyre losing their hair and decide to seek help. It doesnt always mean the hair loss is permanent. Both men and women will lose some hair density as they age, but for some thinning can result in possibly baldness for men and extensive hair loss in women.
Since it is a gradual process, however, you might not notice that you hair is thinning. Or you might think it is but assume, particularly if youre relatively young, that youre just being paranoid. A good indication is if there is a history of hair loss in the family, but sometimes others might assume that theyre in the clear because hair loss has not been a problem in their family. This is not always the case though, so often people leave it to the last minute to seek help, by which time theyve lost most of their hair thickness.
Male and female pattern hair loss is the most common conditions that The Belgravia Centre deals with. A genetic predisposition which causes the hair follicles to shrink, leads to thinning hair with each hair growth cycle and only two hair loss treatments are clinically proven and licensed by the MHRA to help stabilise and control this natural process.
Don’t Miss: What Is The Best Hair Loss Concealer
Your Hair Feels Lighter
This can be rather subtle, but you may start to feel that your hair doesnât have the same weight anymore. you may also notice this especially if you wear a ponytail. The ponytail may not only feel lighter but may also be smaller in appearance and take more looping of the elastic band to keep it in place.
How To Stop Your Balding
Now that you know a little bit about what to look for, its time to cover some of the ways to stop male pattern baldness from becoming more severe.
For starters, its important not to let yourself become stressed and upset about hair loss. Hair loss is something that happens to the best of us, and with modern medicine, you can protect yourself from further hair loss and keep your head of hair without breaking the bank.
The biggest problem surrounding male pattern baldness and hair loss isnt coming up with an effective treatment plan — its the ignorance and misinformation floating around.
Youd be surprised to learn how many guys feel powerless when they notice the early warning signs of hair loss.
Theyve often been told that homeopathic “remedies” like rubbing cayenne pepper and apple cider vinegar on their head will cure them of their baldness. Not surprisingly, it wont!
But this doesnt mean that you need to accept that youre losing your hair. There are several science-based hair loss treatments that have been thoroughly tested in clinical trials and are viable solutions to baldness.
Currently, the two most effective medications for treating male pattern baldness are minoxidil and finasteride .
Minoxidil is a topical treatment that works by stimulating growth and increasing blood flow to your scalp, while finasteride is an oral medication that works by reducing your DHT levels.
Read Also: Does Lack Of Estrogen Cause Hair Loss
Causes Of Temporary Hair Loss
You can avoid hair loss and promote regrowth when hair loss is temporarily caused by:
Tight hairstyles. Tight ponytails, braids and cornrows can all cause hair loss and damage the follicles, which regulate hair growth. Changing hairstyles can help prevent thinning. But beware: When the follicles sustain too much damage, hair loss can be permanent.
Extreme physical shock/stress. Dramatic changes in the body can cause temporary hair loss. Giving birth, rapid weight loss, surgery and certain illnesses may cause more hair loss than usual, typically in the resting phase. But hair should grow back over time.
Medical therapies and toxic substances. Chemotherapy, certain other drugs and radiation treatments can prompt hair loss, mainly in the growth phase. Hair loss can strike suddenly, anywhere in the body. It is typically temporary .
Nutritional deficiencies. Not getting enough iron, protein or vitamin B12 in your diet can also cause your hair to thin. If this happens to you, talk to your doctor about supplements.
Does Stress Cause Hair Loss
In short, it can. stress affects everyone differently, but the presence of stress does not guarantee you are going to lose your hair. According to the mayo clinic, âmany people experience a general thinning of hair several months after a physical or emotional shock.â It also states that sudden hair loss from stress is temporary. We should also note that prolonged stress can increase your chances of hair loss.
You May Like: How To Fix Thin Damaged Hair
You Wake Up With More Hair On Your Pillow
Hair shedding is a completely normal phenomenon that happens to everyone. when it becomes a sign of hair loss is when you notice an increase in shedding. one place to look for an increase is your pillow. If you wake up in the morning and notice that there is a lot more hair on your pillow, this could indicate you are experiencing hair thinning.
Why Am I Going Bald On The Top Of My Head Female
Female Pattern Hair Loss Also called androgenetic alopecia, its the top cause of hair loss for both sexes. In men, the hair tends to thin out at the temples and can make them go bald. In women, it usually starts at the top of the head or at the part. It can look like a Christmas tree with thinned-out branches.
Don’t Miss: Can Kidney Disease Cause Hair Loss
Stop Heat Styling As Often
Because heat styling puts extra stress on thinning hair, Syfu says to give the hot tools a break so you won’t accidentally exacerbate breakage and hair loss. When you do reach for your curling iron, make sure that you always use a heat protectant to prevent frying your hair and making the situation worse.
Why Am I Going Bald
Hair loss can occur for a range of reasons. However, for men, the most common reason for hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness.
Male pattern baldness is caused by a combination of your genes and the effects of an androgen hormone called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT.
In men genetically prone to hair loss, DHT can bind to receptors in the scalp and miniaturize, or shrink, the hair follicles.
This prevents your hair follicles from producing new hairs and results in the gradual loss of hair that many men experience during their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond.
Our complete guide to DHT and male hair loss explains this process and its hormonal origins in more detail.
In some cases, other factors, such as medication, stress or skin infections, could cause you to shed hair. Weve discussed these in more detail in our guide to the causes of hair loss.
Also Check: What Foods Are Good For Hair Loss
What Else Should I Know About Hair Loss
Whatever the cause, the more hair is lost, the lower the likelihood of regrowth.
- If the hair does grow back, there may be repeated episodes of hair loss.
- The hair that grows back may be different in colour and texture .
- Medical treatment for hair loss is limited, especially for the most severe forms of alopecia.
- Surgical options, such as hair transplants, can be used for specific types of hair loss but these have their own limitations.
Your Hair Is Coming Out In Clumps
Another clear sign of thinning hair is the way it starts to fall out, specifically if it is starting to fall out in clumps. you may notice that as you run your fingers through your hair, clumps, instead of strands, are coming out. additionally, you may notice this in the shower or when you brush your hair.
Read Also: How Does Minoxidil Work For Hair Loss
What Is The Best Vitamin For Hair Loss
The 5 Best Vitamins for Hair Loss Prevention, Based on Research
Your Hair Is Falling Out
This might sound self-explanatory, but excessive hair shedding is an obvious, common sign of hair loss.
Unfortunately, this sign is surprisingly easy to overlook. This is because most people lose about 100 strands of hair on any given day due to natural hair shedding that occurs as your hairs exit the final phases of the hair growth cycle.
Because some degree of hair shedding is natural, finding a couple of hairs on your hairbrush or pillowcase doesnt necessarily mean that youre going bald.
However, when you start noticing a lot of hair around the house or stuck inside the drain of your shower, its often a good signal that its time to start looking into hair loss treatments.
Recommended Reading: How Much Zinc For Hair Loss
What Are The Psychological Effects Of Hair Loss
Research into the psychological problems associated with hair loss is limited.
The evidence confirms that the experience of hair loss is psychologically damaging, causing intense emotional suffering, and often leading to personal, social, and work-related problems. People with severe hair loss are more likely to experience psychological distress than those with mild hair loss . The loss of hair changes a persons looks, particularly when the eyelashes and eyebrows are affected as they define a person’s face. Hair loss may be seen as a failure to conform to the norms of physical appearance within society .
The relationship between hair loss and psychosocial consequences may be complicated by hair loss that eventuates from a stressful experience or life event, which then leads to further distress, anxiety, and depression . Women who experience high levels of stress are 11 times more likely to experience hair loss than those who do not report high stress levels .
Compared with the general population, people with hair loss have an increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders, including a major depressive episode, an anxiety disorder, social phobia, or a paranoid disorder .
Whats Normal Hair Loss
Everyones hair will fall out, its all part of the natural hair growth cycle. But what is considered as normal hair loss is shedding around 100 hairs per day, which sounds like a lot, but this is based on a head with 100,000 hair follicles that are continually growing. Obviously you cant sit there and count every hair that falls from your head, but naturally, you know your hair better than anyone. If you spot larger amounts of hair coming out than usual when you wash or brush your hair or if there is noticeable thinning or bald spots, this is not likely to be paranoia, but the first signs of hair loss.
You May Like: How Finasteride Works For Hair Loss