For both men and women, the hair is your crowning glory. When you go through sudden and unwanted hair loss, this becomes difficult to accept. Especially for women, although very uncommon, they tend to get shy, and their self-esteem also suffers. Everyone always wants to have that perfect-looking hair that one can style and play with. Unfortunately, for others, hair loss starts to get more severe than what constitutes “normal hair fall.”
If you’re one of those that suffer from hair loss, it pays to learn more about your condition. In so doing, you’ll know how to better treat your hair loss. This isn’t the place for you now to experiment with different forms, as you can only worsen your hair loss.
That said, learn more about hair loss by reading through below.
A Brief Background On Hair Loss
Hair loss occurs due to heredity, medical conditions, hormonal changes, or medications. It can happen to anyone, but it is usually more common among men. Baldness is usually the term for excessive hair loss from the scalp, and hereditary hair loss with age is generally the most natural cause. Before pursuing treatment for hair loss, it is recommended to liaise with your primary physician to determine the cause of hair loss and the treatment options.
There are many different underlying causes of hair loss. Talking with a medical professional or a dermatologist can help you discover the cause for your hair loss, so that you can also better do the best option to manage your condition.
Treatment Options For Hair Loss
Thankfully, people now live at a better time today. Technology has paved the way for better treatment options for patients suffering from hair loss. So, if you’re one of these patients, you’ve got a light at the end of the tunnel now. You might not have to suffer from hair loss for the rest of your life.
But, before pursuing treatment for hair loss, it is recommended to liaise with your primary physician to determine the cause of hair loss and the treatment options. In so doing, the best treatment for your kind of hair loss can be given.
The Symptoms Of Hair Loss
- Female-pattern baldness
- Male-pattern baldness
- Alopecia areata (patchy hair loss)
- Traction alopecia
Hair loss can happen in various different ways, contingent on the cause of the problem. It can happen gradually or suddenly and can influence just the scalp or the entire body. Some kinds of hair loss are short-lived, while others are enduring.
Symptoms And Signs Of Hair Loss May Include:
- Slow Thinning On Top Of The Head
This is the most regular type of hair loss, influencing both women and men when they age. In men, the hair frequently starts receding from the forehead. Women usually retain the hairline on their forehead but have an expansion of the part in their hair.
- Patchy Or Circular Bald Spots
Some individuals may experience coin-sized bald spots. This kind of hair loss generally affects only the scalp, but it can sometimes occur in eyebrows or beards. In some instances, the skin may become painful or itchy before the hair starts falling out. Some people opt for hair transplants to hide the bald spots.
- Unexpected Loosening Of The Hair
An emotional or physical shock can result in hair to loosen. Handfuls of hair can fall out when washing or combing the hair or sometimes even with a gentle tug. This kind of hair loss leads to overall hair thinning and no bare spots.
- Full-Body Hair Loss
Some medical treatments and conditions like chemotherapy for cancer can cause the loss of hair over the entire body, but the hair usually grows back.
- Scaling Or Patches That Start Spreading Over The Scalp
This is generally a sign of ringworm. It may be experienced in conjunction with redness, broken hair, swelling, and in some cases, oozing.
When Must You See A Doctor?
If you or your child are distressed due to hair loss and want to pursue treatment, it’s time to consult with a doctor. Sudden hair loss can be due to an underlying medical condition that must be treated. Learn more about some of these medical conditions that can also be characterized by sudden hair loss by reading through this resource.
Therefore, if you suddenly notice patchy hair loss when washing or combing your child’s hair, you must see a doctor. People usually lose about a hundred hairs per day. This doesn’t cause visible thinning of the hair since new hair is growing simultaneously. Hair loss starts happening when the cycle of hair growth and shedding is interrupted or when a hair follicle is destroyed and substituted with scar tissue.
Hair Loss Typically Occurs Due To Any Of The Following Factors:
- Family history (heredity)
- Medications and supplements
- Medical conditions and hormonal fluctuations
- Chemotherapy or radiation therapy on the head
- Stressful events
- Particular treatments and hairstyles (cornrows, pigtails, hot oil hair treatments or permanent treatments)
The Risk Factors Of Hair Loss
No two individuals are the same, and naturally, there are those that are more prone to hair loss than others. Those individuals with any of the risk factors become more qualified candidates for having early hair loss. In fact, many of these individuals even start to experience it at a younger age.
Some of these risk factors are as follows:
- Age
- Severe weight loss
- Family history of balding
- Certain medical conditions like lupus or diabetes
- Stress
Final Word
After reading through this content, you should now know more about how hair loss is more than just a physical problem or vanity. Naturally, when an individual goes through sudden and unwanted hair loss, it deals a heavy blow on their self-esteem and confidence. But, going deeper than that, hair loss can also be a sign of more serious health issues. When you start to experience sudden changes in your hair, it’s best for you, therefore, to speak with a dermatologist and a doctor. The earlier you have your problem diagnosed, the higher your chances also of better treating it.