Hair Loss
Our hair consists of the protein keratin. Each strand of hair sprouts from a root below the skin. The root grows from a follicle, at the lower end of which is the bulb which is responsible for the color pigment or melanin.
On an average we lose 50/100 strands of hair everyday. The medical term for this loss is alopecia. In the normal cycle hair loss is replaced by hair growth. But it becomes a problem when there is more loss and less growth. Usually men are the victims. It becomes worse with age.
Signs of baldness during youth can affect the personality of the young man. His libido may begin to suffer. Fortunately often this hair loss is only temporary if timely action is taken. This means consulting a specialist without delay. He will be able to go to the root of the problem, specific to each individual.
Hair Loss Common Myths
- Firstly, it is generally believed that it is a genetic strain inherited from the mother.
The fact is that both the sides can be held responsible as can be easily verified by listing the afflicted relatives. - Secondly, there is a general belief that hereditary hair loss among women is rare.
Facts speak otherwise. In USA about 30 million women, which is one in four, suffer from genetic hair loss. There are other reasons - stress, illness, drugs, diet and child birth. But about 70% females suffer from hereditary hair loss. - Thirdly many strongly feel that ethnic and racial factors determine hair loss tendencies. The type of hair might vary according to race but the amount of hair loss has nothing to do with it. Hair loss affects all cutting across race, colour and creed.
Hair Loss Causes
Illness: Imbalances in the hormonal structure due to uncontrolled diabetes, thyroid, kidney, liver, lupus diseases and cancers like leukemia and lymphoma as well as polycystic ovary syndrome can affect the health of the hair.
Medication: Some medicines prescribed for the treatment of acne (isotretinoin and lithium), bipolar disorders as well as chemotherapy drugs for cancer and diet pills have severe after effects in the form of hair loss.
Skin disease: Alopecia areata (pronounced air-ee-ah-tuh) infects the scalp and sometimes other parts of the body. 1.7% is its victims, including 4 million in USA alone. It is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s own immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, tissues and organs. It starts usually in one or more small round patches. These later develop into baldness. Total baldness however is rare. Both men and women maybe victims. It starts off at childhood, when the hair may come back in 6 months or two years. But always this is not the case.
Trichotillomania: It is a mental disorder. The person keeps on tugging at their hair, which often leads to bald patches and damaged hair of varied lengths. The sufferer needs help from a mental doctor.
Salon styling: Colouring, bleaching, straightening or perming of hair, usually performed in salons, cause great damage. Hair breaks and falls off temporarily. Permanent damage can be cause by traction alopecia. This is caused by styling the hair in such a way that the hair is pulled too tightly. If continued it cause long term damage to the follicles.
Nutrition: Incorrect diet leads to hair loss. Those who suffer from anorexia and bulimia lose hair. Without sufficient proteins, vitamins and minerals the body cannot sustain growth. Vegetarians lose hair because of lack of animal protein. Athletes too may lose hair because of iron deficiency anemia.
Hair growth cycle: Major events often have a traumatic effect on the growth cycle temporarily - child birth, surgery involving anesthesia etc. It may take some time to be noticed because the growth of hair is a slow process. Fortunately, with time, the cycle becomes normal again.
Adult males may suffer androgenetic alopecia. Hormones called androgens and genes combine to cause this condition. It may start off from mid-teen years. The taking of steroids (testosterone) for building up the body, often leads to baldness.
The doctor will first check scalp, take samples and test general medical condition, the medicines being administered etc. If medication is the culprit then the doctor might change it. Proper treatment of endocrine condition like diabetes, thyroid must take into consideration the angle of hair loss - taking steps to prevent it while continuing with the necessary treatment. Minoxidil retards hair loss and encourages growth. Alopecia areata responds to corticosteroids. Primarily the doctor will focus on the diet and nutrition of the sufferer.
Catastrophic hair loss
Sudden spurt of hair loss may be a symptom of a person’s illness. Chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer invariably leads to massive hair loss affecting the personality of patients - specially the young ones.
To come to grips with a situation that is unavoidable it is advised to go for wigs, switches, hair wraps, hats and caps. In the case of teenagers, usually the hair begins to grow again - even after chemotherapy. During chemotherapy the falling hair is a sign that the treatment is working on the cells.
Hair Care
The first and foremost prerequisite is a proper balanced diet.
Then comes the physical handling of hair. The shampoo should be of the best quality and gentle lathering should be done not more than once a day. The hair should not be roughly scrubbed with a towel. Preferably the hair-dryer should not be used. If absolutely unavoidable then set the heat at the lowest point. The hair should not be set when it is wet to avoid stretching and breaking. Hair should not be teased or straightened. Use of chemicals is taboo.
