Hair loss is prevalent in every human being. Scientists support that losing up to 100 hairs every day is common, and part of your hair’s growth cycle. However, some individuals tend to lose more than the usual number of hairs per day.
With time, you may notice patches of bald spots on your head, a condition loosely described as hair loss. This condition can affect both men and women, regardless of age.
What causes hair loss?
The most common cause is heredity hair loss. In essence, if you come from a family with a history of baldness, premature baldness or alopecia, your chances of suffering from hair loss are heightened. This hair loss is also inclusive of female-pattern baldness and male-pattern baldness.
In female-pattern-baldness, it first manifests as thinning hair, which becomes more prevalent as the scalp becomes more apparent. On the other hand, male-pattern baldness shows as a retreating hairline. Conversely, a bald stop at the top of the head may be visible.
Hormonal imbalances and changes are also a cause of hair loss. For example, it is common for women to lose their hair during pregnancy, menopause, or after giving birth. However, in the case of hormonal changes, hair loss significantly reduces after your body learns to balance its hormones normally.
Some medicines are also known to be the cause of hair loss in some individuals. These types of drugs are those that treat conditions like high blood pressure, heart-related morbidities, arthritis, and gout. For this reason, if you are under any medication, reading about its side effects is crucial to determining your hair loss. In other cases, autoimmune conditions and other lifestyle effects like a sudden loss in weight may cause hair loss.
Combating Hair Loss
There are various types of medication to treat hair loss. Topical minoxidil is a treatment plan suitable for both men and women. This medication is either liquid or foam in nature and is most appropriate for treating hair loss implicated with heredity or medical treatment.
Finasteride is also another treatment option for hair loss, particularly for men. This medication is taken orally, and it works by inhibiting the hormone, which causes damage to hair follicles. Corticosteroid hair loss treatments are either in the form of topical applications or injections. This plan is most suitable for autoimmune causes of hair loss.
A hair transplant is also viable for treating hair loss. In this process, hair follicles are transferred from a part of the head resistant to hair loss and then transplanted to regions of the scalp that are experiencing hair loss. Traditionally, hair transplants involved extracting a strip of hair follicles from the resistant area.
Recently, advances in sciences allowed for unit extraction of the follicles. The latter procedure means that only smaller groupings of hair follicles are removed from the donor region of the head. It also means that the process is less invasive compared to excising a strip of hair follicles. Additionally, hair grows more naturally.
Follicular unit extraction (FUE) is more prevalent in contemporary society; hence, finding a qualified doctor for this procedure is straightforward. Also, platelet-rich plasma treatment(PRP) can produce superior results and this PRP treatment is available at Hair and Skin Clinic Melbourne.
Laser hair caps are also unbeaten in restoring lost hair. Some men and women also add that using the laser cap for hair growth contributes to a thicker and fuller hair after using this cap. To stimulate and encourage hair growth for only 30 minutes a day, the laser hair cap uses the low-level light therapy (LLLT) technology. A primary advantage of these caps is that they are portable, hand free, and powerful. This design is specific for ease of use for different patients with varying needs.
Preventing Hair Loss
Hair loss caused by hereditary factors, the male-pattern, and female-pattern baldness, cannot be prevented. However, there are general tips for preventing hair loss:
1. Consult with your doctor before using any medication to treat hair loss.
2. Adjust your lifestyle choices. For example, eat more healthy and quit smoking. Studies show a correlation between poor lifestyle habits with hair loss.
3. If you are undergoing cancer treatment options like chemotherapy, a cooling cap will reduce the chances of losing hair during the session.
4. Treat your hair gently with care. This entails avoiding hairstyles, which will pull out your hair and proper combs for when combing your hair. Moreover, reduce the frequency of harsh hair treatments like the use of hot rollers and curling irons.
If you are experiencing hair loss, it is natural that the psychological effects may involve embarrassment, anxiety, and even depression. However, from the above discussion, hair loss is common and reversible in some instances.