Regular grooming is a vital aspect of every woman’s schedule regardless of age, lifestyle or social background. She gives special care to her hair and tries to appear trendy by setting it in various styles. Thus women in general, are very particular that they have a well-maintained and styled crown of glory on their head. So why should it surprise anyone if a woman panics when she discovers she is suffering from hair loss?
The American Academy of Dermatology has declared that approximately 30 million women suffer from hair loss and it is expected to increase. So, the fear of hair loss among women is not baseless. With the increase of premature hair loss, this is certainly becoming an issue which has to be dealt with seriously.
Experts confirm that a hair grows one to one and a half inches every month and lasts for two to six years. Then, after a short period of abstinence from growth, it will fall. A new hair strand would soon form in that follicle. This cycle continues until the person becomes old.
Understanding this process enables one to identify and know the causes of hair loss better.
Hormonal factors contribute greatly to hair loss in women and some of them suffer from the consequences of genetic disposition. A particular hormone, androgen, for instance, is largely responsible for causing disturbances in the natural process of hair growth and loss. Dihydrotestosterone, testosterone and androsteinedione, which are found in androgen, exist mainly in men and in smaller quantities in women. Young women who suffer from hair loss, which is also called alopecia, face great difficulty in finding a cure for this problem.
A description of the three types of alopecia is provided below:
Problems with the immune system trigger the first type of alopecia. It is a condition where the immune systems would infect the hair follicles and only let go of the follicles after ensuring that they are damaged.
Traumatic alopecia is a condition derived from harsh handling of hair by violent brushing or trying hairstyles that pull at the hair forcibly. Flat irons and hot rollers that are placed too close to the follicles tend to damage the follicles resulting in baldness. Braiding, tying and harsh combing are also other causes of traumatic alopecia.
Some women whose biological system fails to accept the presence of excessive androgen hormones are prone to get affected by androgenetic alopecia which is the third type of baldness in women.