Hair Loss

Hair loss usually develops gradually and may be patchy or diffuse. The average number of hairs a person loses per day is around 125. The average scalp contains about 100,000 hairs.

Each individual hair grows for an average of 4.5 years. It usually grows about half an inch a month. During the 5th year, the hair falls out. Under normal circumstances, the hair is replaced within 6 months by a new one. Both men and women lose hair thickness as they get older.

Hair loss is also called alopecia and baldness.

Male Hair Loss

Typical male pattern baldness involves a receding hairline and thinning around the crown followed by bald spots. Men who do not produce testosterone (because of genetic abnormalities or castration) do not develop male pattern baldness.

Female Hair Loss

Female pattern baldness involves a thinning throughout the scalp while the frontal hairline generally remains intact.

Genetic Baldness

Genetic baldness is caused by the body's failure to produce new hairs and not by excessive hair loss.

What causes Hair Loss?

Hair loss is not usually caused by a disease. Hair loss is usually related to aging, heredity, and testosterone. Some common causes of hair loss include:

• Hormonal changes (for example, thyroid disease, childbirth, or use of the birth control pill)
• A serious illness (like a tumor of the ovary or adrenal glands) or fever
• Medication such as cancer chemotherapy
• Excessive shampooing and blow-drying
• Emotional or physical stress
• Nervous habits such as continual hair pulling or scalp rubbing
• Burns or radiation therapy
• Alopecia areata
• Ringworm of the scalp

Whatever the cause of your hair loss, you should seek treatment. It is very important to rule out any serious underlying causes. Once the cause of hair loss is determined, it can be treated.

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