Last updated: Jan 22, 2025

Hair Loss - A Comprehensive Overview.

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Beowulf Urban

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Published on: May 10, 2024

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Hair loss is a tough pill to swallow. And understanding how to treat hair loss can feel like an impossible task. With all the information out there, deciding where to start can be overwhelming. Let's break it down.

Hair loss is a pretty common thing that can happen to just about anyone, regardless of age. Even kids can experience it, though it's more prevalent in older adults. Normally, we lose around 50 to 100 hairs every day. That may sound like a lot, but considering you've got about 100,000 hairs on your head, it's not something you'd notice right away. Usually, new hair grows to replace the ones that fall out, but sometimes that doesn't happen as it should.

Hair loss can be a slow process over several years or happen suddenly. And depending on the cause, it might be temporary or stick around for good.

Symptoms: So, how do you know if you're dealing with hair loss or just a normal shedding phase? Well, look out for signs like your part getting wider, your hairline receding, finding more hair in your brush or comb, noticing bald patches, or even having your drains clogged with hair. Sometimes, you might feel pain or itchiness on your scalp if there's an underlying skin condition causing the hair loss.

Causes: Hair loss can happen for various reasons, some we're still trying to understand fully. There's the common hereditary type, known as androgenic alopecia, which can affect both men and women. Then there's alopecia areata, where your immune system mistakenly attacks your hair follicles, causing bald patches. Other types can be due to factors like intense stress, hormonal changes, fungal infections like ringworm, or even wearing hairstyles that put too much pressure on your hair.

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Understanding Hair Loss Types

Lets take a closer look at all of the known hair loss types.

Androgenic Alopecia: This refers to hereditary hair loss, also known as male or female pattern baldness. It's the most common cause of hair loss, affecting up to 50% of people. Hair loss related to androgenic alopecia tends to happen gradually, with thinning hair around the scalp for both men and women.

Telogen effluvium: A temporary form of hair loss that happens when a large number of hair follicles on the scalp shift prematurely into the resting (telogen) phase of the hair growth cycle.

Alopecia Areata: An autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks hair follicles, resulting in bald patches that can vary in size. It can also lead to total hair loss and may affect other body hair like eyebrows or eyelashes.

Anagen Effluvium: This involves rapid hair loss, usually due to treatments like radiation or chemotherapy. Hair typically regrows after treatment stops.

Tinea Capitis: A fungal infection of the scalp that causes small bald patches that can increase in size if not treated promptly.

Traction Alopecia: Hair loss due to repeated pulling or tension on the hair, often from tight hairstyles like braids or ponytails.

How To Determine Which Hair Loss Type You Are Experiencing

Each type of hair loss has its own unique characteristics and underlying causes, although its possible to perform self diagnosis, we always recommend seeking out a local dermatologist or trichologist to perform a scalp diagnosis.

This will not only allow for a much more informed decision on treatment, but it could also rule out the possibility that you have more than one type of hair loss, which may change your treatment plan.

Treatment options vary depending on the cause of your hair loss. Many people start with topical or oral medications, like minoxidil or finasteride, which can help slow down the process or even promote new hair growth. In some cases, procedures like hair transplant surgery could be an option. In this article, we take a look at all the different treatments available, in order to determine which is best for you.

Key Takeaways

50% of men and 40% of women will experience some type of hair loss in their lifetime. While its unrealistic to get on a hair loss prevention plan before hair loss ever occurs, catching it early is crucial. 

Before designing a treatment plan for hair loss, make sure you know exactly which type of types of hair loss you are suffering from, this will alter the types of products you choose.

Apart from hair loss treatments, diet and lifestyle habits can play a role in hair loss. Make sure you eat a high protein diet consisting of whole foods, that are nutrient dense. Incorporate as much Omega 3-6-9 fatty acids as you can, and try to limit foods that cause inflammation.

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