Hair Loss Info
The average person will shed 50 to 100 hairs per day. This is considered normal hair loss, as a result of the natural "resting periods" that our hairs experience every few years. However, this kind of normal hair loss should be spread out over the entire head, and should not result in excessive thinning or balding in any one part of the scalp.
When hair loss becomes excessive, or is more severe in certain areas of the scalp, this is considered abnormal hair loss, which has many possible causes and many possible treatments.
Causes of Abnormal Hair Loss
Abnormal hair loss, known as "alopecia" by medical professionals, can be caused by a number of factors, including diet, drugs and ailments such as scalp disease. It can also be caused simply by poor hair care. Although, rare, these types of hair loss are fortunately often temporary and can often be easily treated.
More than 95% of all cases of hair loss in men, however, are caused by genetics, and the result is a type of balding known as male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia, so called because its onset has been found to be associated with the male hormone androgen.
Male Pattern Baldness
About half of all men will experience some hair loss as a result of their genes. Most men with genetic hair loss will experience the loss as a receding of the hairline and loss of hair at the top of the scalp. According to the AlviArmani Hair Loss Scale, there are five patterns of genetic hair loss, one of which applies to women. With every pattern, there are seven classes, or stages, to the hair loss, each resulting in the complete balding of the upper scalp.
Genetic hair loss has been found to be associated with the male hormone androgen, specially testosterone, which is the major type of androgen. It is a chemical process that happens in the body as a result of aging. An enzyme called "5-alpha reductase" is excessively produced by hair follicles in those with genetic hair loss, and the enzyme combines with testosterone to form "dihydrotestosterone" or "DHT", which is what causes hair to fall out.
Treatments
For the millions of men who suffer from genetic hair loss, the available treatments vary widely - from topical creams to medications to wigs. Although there is no cure, many researchers have focused on reversing the chemical process associated with genetic hair loss. So far, the results have been promising, but what has proven to be the most effective way of combating genetic hair loss, has been the recent advancements in hair restoration surgery.
The reason a hair transplant is an effective solution to genetic hair loss is because it replaces the affected hair follicles on the top of the scalp with hair follicles from the back and sides of the head. These hairs are not affected by genetic hair loss, and even when they are moved to another part of the scalp, their chemical make-up remains intact and they will continue to grow in the areas where they are implanted. Without the hair follicles that were prone to the chemical process that causes genetic hair loss, your hair can grow naturally as if it had never happened.
Many people are surprised to find out that women also suffer from genetic hair loss. In fact, about 20% of women aged 50 and over will experience some balding. The cause for women is also the male hormone testosterone, as all women have a small amount of this hormone.
The term used for genetic hair loss in women, however, is "female diffuse alopecia." The word "diffuse" refers to the gradual thinning of the hair that occurs at the top of the head. Whereas men experience a receding of the hairline in various patterns, women's hairlines will generally remain intact. Out of the five patterns of hair loss in the AlviArmani Hair Loss Scale, the one that applies to women addresses this kind of hair loss, and the seventh - and final - stage results in complete hair loss if it is allowed to advance that far.
Despite the differences between male and female genetic hair loss, the best chance for a permanent, natural solution for both men and women has been found with hair restoration surgery.
