Some shedding of hair every day is part of the natural cycle of hair growth, which lasts for around 2 to 6 years, and should not be a cause for concern. During this period 90 of the hair on your head is growing at the rate of 1 centimeter a month, while the remainder is in a resting phase; after around 2 3 months this hair falls out and new hair takes its place. However, as people age, the rate of hair growth slows, resulting in shorter and thinner hair, and eventual baldness. In men, this condition is called male pattern baldness, which is characterized by a receding hairline and baldness on the top of the scalp; for women, female pattern baldness means thinning hair across the entire scalp. For some people, baldness happens early due to a genetic condition known as androgenic alopecia (hair loss) which can cause men to begin suffering premature baldness as early as their teens or early 20s, and women to experience hair thinning in their 40s or later.
However, for various reasons, some people may suffer from excessive alopecia which could eventually lead to premature baldness; this problem afflicts not only men, but also women and even some children. The major causes behind early alopecia are mainly due to health related problems. For example, if your thyroid gland is over or under active, your hair may fall out; this can also happen if your hormones, whether estrogens (women) or androgens (men), are out of balance. Many women find themselves losing hair 3 months after giving birth; this hair is actually resting hair that didn’t fall out due to high levels of certain hormones during pregnancy, and which falls out once hormone levels return to normal. In children, alopecia can be caused by fungal infections. Unduehair loss may also be an early sign of an underlying disease such as diabetes or lupus.
Certain medicines can cause falling hair, including anti coagulants (blood thinners) used to treat hypertension, antidepressants, birth control pills, excessive levels of Vitamin A and the medicines used during chemotherapy. Stresses to the system can also cause alopecia. For example, the stress of a major surgery or an illness can result in falling hair three to four months afterwards. Nutritional deficiencies resulting from a crash diet can result in loss of hair as well. Hairstyles that require you to pull hair tightly, as in cornrows, pigtails or braids, can result in a condition called traction alopecia in which can result in falling hair; if the scalp is scarred by the hair pulling, then alopecia can be permanent. Some chemicals used in permanents or hair styling can also cause scarring and permanent alopecia.
Effective treatment of hair loss depends on identifying the cause and correcting it. In some cases, the condition is temporary and will eventually correct itself on its own. For others, it may require stopping or changing prescriptions for medication. For the natural onset of baldness due to aging, certain medicines may delay or even prevent it, including minoxidil (brand name Rogaine), which is available over the counter and finasteride (brand name Propecia) which requires a prescription. It may take up to six months, however, before the effectiveness or lack thereof of these medicines is evident.
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