For a
woman, hair is an extension of beauty and sexuality. Taking extra care of the
hair is almost a ritual to feel good about herself. Without it, there is a thin
chance of getting a beautiful grip on life. So when the worst bad hair day
comes in the guise of hair loss, there is nothing else except horror.
The
clincher: it is not only men who suffer from hair loss. Women are susceptible
all the same – and so are the triggers such as genetics, age, diet, and stress.
These factors can cause temporary or permanent types of baldness in women.
Androgenetic Alopecia/Female Pattern Baldness
A
lot of women with this condition believe it is the ill-fated mix of genes that
took their hair away. Nothing can be further from the truth. Androgenetic
alopecia or pattern baldness is a hereditary type of hair loss that terrorizes
susceptible women permanently. It is the most common type of hair loss that attacks
1 out of 5 women in their mid-30s.
It
all starts with the presence of androgens in the female body. When
the enzyme 5-alpha reductase breaks down testosterone, it creates a
derivative called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that wants the hair follicles dead.
DHT build-up blocks the nutrients that go into the hair follicles, causing them
to miniaturize and eventually die.
Female
androgenetic alopecia is characterized by a diffuse (spread throughout the
scalp) pattern at the top of the head. Female pattern hair loss is classified
into three stages by the Ludwig’s scale. In the first stage, visible thinning
of the hair in the crown becomes visible but there is no loss of the frontal
hairline. In the second stage, hair thinning has become more elaborate and the
part width has increased since the first stage. In the last stage, hair
thinning nears baldness on the crown and still retaining the hairline.
Unlike
men, women diagnosed with this condition only experience less damage, albeit
similar with that in men. Sadly, while treatments are available, it will be a
chronic problem.
Alopecia Areata
A
woman suffers from alopecia areata when she experiences hair loss by patches
anywhere in the body. Alopecia areata is assumed to be triggered by any
abnormality in the immune system. The immune system (white blood cells) attacks
the hair follicles and creates damage. The hair follicles are not entirely
destroyed however; which is why when the abnormality settles, the hair may
regrow.
Alopecia
areata is the second common type of female hair loss. This condition is only
temporary yet the accurate reason remains vague.
Telogen Effluvium
Telogen
effluvium is the third most common hair loss in women. It can be acute or
chronic. Acute telogen effluvium happens when excessive stress, traumatic child
birth or such other stimuli convert anagen hair into telogen hair prematurely
(hence the name). It usually occurs 6 weeks to 12 weeks after the stressful
event.
Telogen
effluvium may also be a chronic illness with a recurring sequence of hair loss
for several years. However, the causes are difficult to identify.
Traction Alopecia
Traction
alopecia happens when hair twisting or excessive pulling inflicted too much
stress on the hair resulting it to break. Although this is a less serious type
of hair loss, traction alopecia tends to be permanent when left
untreated.
Although
hair loss is not life-threatening to anyone, it is psychologically devastating
especially to a woman. Men may experience more severe effects of hair loss
than women but it can give women more inconceivable frights.
Types of Hair Loss in Men
Even if
baldness is now an option, it is still what most men fear the most. It can
become the grounds of psychological distress to a man no matter how strong he
appears.
There seems
to be no amount of money that can solve this problem. As others only found the
true meaning of their hair when it’s gone, they merely embrace the reality.
Indeed, there is no cure for hair loss.
Some of
causes of hair loss in men remain unexplained but many are known such as
hormonal imbalance, medications, and genetics.
Androgenetic
Alopecia (AGA)/Male Pattern Baldness
Androgenetic
alopecia or male pattern baldness is the most common type of hair loss. In
fact, it occurs in 2 out of 5 men in their mid-20s.
According
the Norwood scale, male pattern hair loss progresses up to 7 stages. In the
first stage, there are no perceivable signs yet. They only start showing up in
the second stage where the frontal hairline recedes. In the third stage, temple
recession becomes severe as finer and thinner (vellum) hairs replace the
healthier (terminal) hairs. The fourth and fifth stages are marked by any signs
of balding at the back of the head together with a striking recession in the temple.
The hair also starts thinning during this stage. In the sixth stage,
frontotemporal and vertex recession becomes more pronounced as the bridge that
separates both narrows. In the last stage, hair recedes all throughout the back
to the occiput while a bunch of hair remains at the sides which are
bald-resistant.
Androgenetic
alopecia is triggered by testosterone, an androgenic hormone. When it interacts
with an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, it turns into dihydrotestosterone
(DHT), the root of hair loss. DHT shrinks the hair follicles, thereby curbing
their capacity to reproduce hair.
This
condition tends to be permanent but there is a variety of conventional
approaches to it. Most of the topical and systemic treatments usually prevent
and reverse the progress.
Alopecia
Areata
Alopecia
areata is also a common occurrence in middle-aged men, second to AGA. It is
associated with hair loss by patches anywhere in the body.
The exact
reason behind alopecia areata is yet to be known. Nonetheless, it is speculated
that a temporary dysfunction in the immune system damages the hair follicles in
the body. People who acquire alopecia areata don’t have poor health. It is
assumed to be borne by external agents such as a virus.
Alopecia
areata may not require treatment at all as it tends to be temporary. When the
body restores equilibrium the natural way, the hair may start growing again.
But when it runs in the family, it can be chronic.
Hair loss
can rob men of years of looking young and reduce the self-esteem. But the game
is not over. Fortunately, most of the hair loss treatments are targeted toward
men. When treated in its early stage, it can be reversed and prevented.
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