What Is Common Baldness
Common baldness usually means male-pattern baldness, or permanent-pattern baldness. The medical term for this is androgenetic alopecia. Male-pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss in men. Men who have this type of hair loss usually have inherited the trait. Men who start losing their hair at an early age tend to develop more extensive baldness. In male-pattern baldness, hair loss typically results in a receding hairline and baldness on the top of the head.
Women may develop female-pattern baldness. In this form of hair loss, the hair can become thin over the entire scalp.
Serious Underlying Medical Conditions
In some cases, certain underlying health conditionsincluding thyroid disease and autoimmune disorders like alopecia and lupuscan manifest as hair loss and shedding. If you are experiencing hair loss in places other than the scalp or are concerned about the sheer volume of hair you’re shedding, see a doctor who can help rule out any underlying medical problems. If this is the case, don’t waitthese medical conditions are serious and can have much further-reaching repercussions than hair loss.
Checking & Improving Iron Intake
Iron is an important mineral for the human body. It helps to form hemoglobin and myoglobin, which carry oxygen throughout the body. Iron is also necessary for energy production and a healthy immune system. A lack of iron can lead to anemia, which can cause symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, irritability, poor concentration, and hair loss. The best way to get enough iron is through diet. Foods that are high in iron include red meat, poultry, fish, legumes , green leafy vegetables, and fortified foods like cereal and bread. If you find that you are not getting enough iron from your diet, you may need to take an iron supplement.
There are a few things you can do to improve your intake of iron:
- Eat foods that are high in iron.
- Take an iron supplement if you need one.
- Avoid drinking coffee and tea with meals, as they can decrease the absorption of iron from food.
- Make sure you are taking in enough vitamin C, as it helps the body to absorb iron.
- Avoid eating high-calorie foods and snacks that can crowd out healthier options.
- If you are a vegetarian or vegan, make sure you are getting enough bioavailable iron.
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What Questions Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider
- What is the cause of my hair loss?
- How many strands of hair am I losing per day?
- What type of hair loss do I have?
- Will my hair loss be permanent?
- Whats the best treatment for me?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Hair loss may cause you distress whether it happens because of genetics, a disease, or even stress. Know that there are some treatments you can try, and expert dermatologists are there to help you. Your hair loss may be able to be reversed. See your healthcare provider as soon as you notice something wrong because the sooner you start treatment, the better.
You Regularly Wear Very Tight Hairstyles
Wearing your hair in very tight, pulled-back styles for lengthy periods of time can put lots of pressure on the hair follicles themselves and even pull them right out. The technical name for this is traction alopecia, and if the practice of wearing tightfitting hairstyles goes on for too long, it can cause permanent scarring, according to research.
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What Is Hair Restoration
A hair restoration procedure can increase the amount of hair in bald or thinning areas and, in some cases, restore your natural hairline. The type of procedure that your dermatologist recommends will depend on how much hair you have lost and how healthy your remaining hair is.
- Hair transplants: Areas of healthy hair growth are surgically removed and placed in bald or thinning areas of your scalp. The transplanted hair starts to grow three to six months after the last procedure and grows in fully about one year after the
- Scalp reduction: Primarily used if you have a large bald area, this procedure involves removing a few inches of the bald skin, pulling the sides that have hair together and suturing them shut. This procedure can decrease or even eliminate bald spots. For the best results, your dermatologist may recommend this procedure along with a hair transplant.
- Scalp expansion: Prior to a scalp reduction, you may undergo this procedure, which stretches the skin under the scalp for several weeks to make it easier to bring together for a scalp
These procedures may be performed in a board-certified dermatologistâs office, an ambulatory surgery center or another outpatient center using local anesthesia . You can expect natural-looking results.
Talk to your doctor to learn about the potential risks associated with each approach to hair restoration.
Hormone Healing Tip : Boost Hair Growth Hormones
In addition to reducing our DHT levels, you also want to boost your hair growth hormones. So for females, we want more estrogen and progesterone in order to grow hair. We also want to have healthy levels of T3, our active thyroid hormone. So getting your hormones in balance is incredibly important to growing healthy hair. One of the little known benefits of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is the confidence that women gain as their hair and skin becomes much healthier and youthful, which is a result of their hormones being in balance. By increasing the growth hormones that are related to growing hair, and by getting more of those hormones to the hair follicle, this allows for a longer growth cycle and less dormant follicles, which means a healthier, fuller head of hair.
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Everything You Need To Know About Hair Loss In Menopause And Perimenopause And How To Turn It Around
If the sight of hair in your shower drain or on your hair brush is causing you anxiety . you are not alone.
For most women, hair is an expression of our style, our personality, and our image. When our hair looks good, we feel good. Midlife hair loss is more than just a never ending bad hair day and can be very distressing. If we lose a lot of hair, we may feel less attractive, less feminine, less in control, and that can affect our self-esteem.
I get asked all the time if hormonal hair loss can be reversed. The answer is yes! Fortunately, unlike genetic hair loss, most hair loss caused by hormonal imbalances is reversible.
In fact, back in my 20s when I was diagnosed with primary ovarian failure I had all the classic symptoms of menopause, including hair loss I would often clog shower drains at my apartment since so much hair was going down it. My dad had to buy me a special drain cover because he was getting tired of coming over all of the time to deal with my plugged up drain! I went through a phase where I would dread washing my hair, because I didnt want any more to fall out. It was hard for me, especially at such a young age. The good news is that once I restored my hormones to healthy levels, my hair grew back and thicker and fuller than ever. So, there is hope!
A Dermatologists Diagnosis Is Best Before Treating Hair Loss
If you think you have FPHL, its important to see a dermatologist for a diagnosis. Women develop hair loss for many reasons. Other common causes of hair loss in women can look a lot like FPHL. Each of these causes requires different treatment. Without the right treatment, hair loss often continues.
You can find a dermatologist in your area by going to Find a Dermatologist.
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Coping With Hair Loss
While losing hair at a young age may be concerning, hair loss is a reality for many people as they age. One study posted to the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology noted that up to 75% of females would experience hair loss from androgenetic alopecia by the time they are 65 years old.
While many females look for ways to treat hair loss while they are young, at some point, most people accept hair loss as a natural part of the aging process.
Some people may choose to wear head garments or wigs as a workaround to hair loss. Others work with their aging hair by wearing a shorter haircut that may make thin hair less apparent.
Yes Women Experience Thinning Hair Too Heres Why And Possible Treatments
At first, I blamed the hairstylists. For several years, my hair had been flat, the cowlick too pronounced, the texture different. I kept switching salons in search of the perfect cut, the miracle product or, ideally, both. Then, as I ticked off my complaints to a new stylist, he ran his fingers through my hair and shrugged. It happens, he said. We get older. The hair thins.
What?
Just a few months later, Ricki Lake, 51, revealed her own struggle with hair loss an irony for the actress who found fame as the star of Hairspray. My fixation kicked into high gear, and I started searching online for answers. I learned that its normal to shed 50 to 100 hairs a day, and that new ones should grow in their place. But a variety of factors, including genetics, illness and poor nutrition, can disrupt that growth cycle, not just in men, but also in women of all ages. The American Hair Loss Association reports that 40 percent of all hair loss sufferers are women.
Genetics is the leading cause of hair loss for both sexes, said Marc Avram, a New York dermatologist who specializes in the condition. The American Academy of Dermatology reports that 30 million women in the United States suffer from hereditary hair loss, compared with 50 million men, though Avram suspects the numbers are much higher.
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Lifestyle And Home Remedies For Thinning Hair
If you feel self-conscious about thinning hair, there are options beyond treatments and procedures that may make hair loss less noticeable, says Bruce.
- Wear a wig, extension, or hairpiece. Some women find this to be a suitable option.
- Style your hair differently. This can make a widening part less noticeable.
- Try hair powders. These contain tiny fibers you sprinkle the powder in your hair and the fibers cling to the hair shaft, giving the appearance of fuller hair and hiding where the scalp is visible.
- Consult a hair stylist. Some stylists specialize in thinning hair.
Clinical Evaluation Talk To Your Doctor
A laboratory workup for hair loss is commonly performed. Additional questions that you may be asked to help narrow down differential diagnosis are :
- When did the hair loss start? A sudden onset of hair loss may be suggestive of a disruption of the hair cycle.
- Where is the hair loss most prominent? Hair loss can be patchy, diffuse or patterned. Diffuse shedding may indicate disruption of the hair cycle, while patterned thinning could be attributed to hormonal dysregulation.
- What is the normal hair care routine? Certain hair care practices can have a tremendous impact on the loss of hair health.
With proper evaluation and appropriate testing for hormonal imbalances or nutritional deficiencies, help is on the way!
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The Role Of Hormones On Hair Loss
Androgen hormones, sometimes referred to as male hormones, like DHEA and testosterone, play the largest role in your overall hair growth. When your levels of these hormones are too high, you may experience excess hair growth, especially on the body or face. However, when your hormone levels drop, the reverse occurs and can lead to thinning hair and even hair loss.
The hormones produced by your thyroid also play an important role in hair growth and hair loss. When your thyroid isnt active enough , your metabolism slows. To compensate, your body begins to shut down less important functions, such as hair growth.
Menopausal women and women with polycystic ovarian syndrome or who are pregnant may also notice changes in their hair growth. This is typically because of changes or imbalances in estrogen and progesterone levels. The largest drop in estrogen occurs in perimenopause and menopause. Stress can exacerbate the effects of the loss of estrogen, causing further hair loss and thinning
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What Are Some Effective Types Of Treatment For Thinning Hair
If you find yourself hyperventilating in the aisles of Whole Foods and buying $70 worth of biotin, take a step back. Though its use as a hair- and nail-growth supplement is prevalent, research demonstrating the efficacy of biotin is limited and most has focused on nails. “We don’t really have great data supporting its use,” says Henry. “The original studies on biotin and hair were actually quite small because of this, I don’t recommend very high doses of biotin. Further, high doses of biotin can interfere with some blood tests, especially in older patients and patients with a history of heart disease.”
Many women may have had these supplements recommended to them at some point, but unless there is a severe natural deficiency , it’s typically preferable to incorporate proven lifestyle changes, like a nutrient-filled diet and decreased stress.
There are a few treatments, like platelet-rich plasma injections, that do work. “PRP contains a number of compounds that are unique to platelets that stimulate growth and reduce inflammation,” explains Firshein. “Platelets work similarly to how they do in other parts of the body by repairing damaged areas and helping them to regrow.”
Hair loss is incredibly common, and women should not have to suffer in silence or try to hide their hair loss for fear of being seen as unattractive or old. Aging is a natural and beautiful process, and whether it’s going gray or thinning out, it is time we normalize beauty at every age.
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What Causes Dht To Increase
If youre genetically predisposed to DHT sensitivity, any kind of increase in your DHT levels may potentially heighten your risk of hair loss. Its a bummer, but its a part of life.
So, what causes DHT levels to increase? Well, since DHT is a byproduct of testosterone production as we mentioned above, a certain percentage of your bodys testosterone is converted into DHT via the 5-Reductase enzyme it stands to reason that anything that increases your testosterone levels will also increase your DHT levels.
Whether it be from certain vitamins and supplements, to dietary and lifestyle changes, exercising and everything in between, if your testosterone levels are elevated, your DHT levels will likely follow.
However, its important to note that this only matters if you have a genetic predisposition to the kind of DHT sensitivity that triggers male pattern baldness.