Hair loss (baldness)

Skin | Dermatology | Hair loss (baldness) (Disease)


Description

Alopecia means loss of hair from the head or body. Alopecia can mean baldness, a term generally reserved for pattern alopecia or androgenic alopecia.

Hair loss is the appearance of thinning hair or bald patches on the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or on areas of the body that previously had hair, such as the arms or legs. On average, everyone naturally loses 50-100 of their 100,000 scalp hairs per day. Abnormal hair loss is caused when hair falls out at an accelerated rate, or when over time, hairs are not replaced as quickly as they fall out.

Causes and Risk factors

In general, most hair loss is not associated with systemic or internal disease, nor is poor diet a frequent factor. Frequently, hair may simply thin as a result of predetermined genetic factors, family history, and the overall aging process. Many men and women may notice a mild and often normal physiologic thinning of hair starting in their thirties and forties. Other times, normal life variations including temporary severe stress, nutritional changes, and hormonal changes like those in pregnancy, puberty, and menopause may cause a reversible hair loss.

Several health conditions, including thyroid disease and iron deficiency anemia, can cause hair loss. While thyroid blood tests and other lab tests, including a complete blood count (CBC), on people who have ordinary hair loss are usually normal, it is important to exclude underlying causes in sudden or severe hair loss.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Just as there are many causes, there are many treatments for hair loss. Dermatologists recommend treating hair loss early. Early means before you lose a lot of hair. Hair loss is harder to treat when a person has a lot of hair loss. ...