The Different Types Of Hair Loss
Posted by Keith | Posted in Hair Loss Articles
It is quite normal to lose some hair everyday. It is a part of the normal cycle of hair growth and is not a cause of concern unless there is excessive hair loss. Some people experience a very large amount of hair loss and that can happen irrespective of whether they are men, women or children and such excessive hair loss can be a real problem. Hair loss can be caused due to a variety of reasons, which include diseases, illness and not taking proper care of your hair.
Most people start worrying when they notice hair loss. Hair loss while shampooing or combing and brushing may lead you to think that you are going bald, but it may just be a part of your hair growth cycle. Some amount of shedding is considered normal.
We lose about 50 -100 hair strands in a day. Mostly the hair you notice in the sink while shampooing is hair which is shed or tangled with each other. Shampooing just loosens these hairs and washes them out.
Let’s take a look at the different types of hair loss that there is.
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata is a condition in which small, round or oval coin sized bald patches appear on the scalp. In certain rare cases, all body hair may be lost due to this condition. Hair lost due to alopecia areata usually grows back in a few months, except if the hair loss is excessive and widespread in which case re-growth is unlikely. The exact scientific reason for alopecia areata is not yet known. Genetic predisposition to allergies, predisposition to this condition, stress and the individual immune and autoimmune system response could be probable causes for this condition.
Telogen Effluvium
Hair has a natural cycle of re-growth and Telogen Effluvium affects this cycle of re-growth. It causes disruption in this cycle, resulting in hair loss. There are two phases of hair growth – anagen, which is the active growth phase and the phase of rest. Under normal circumstances, 95% of our hair follicles are in the active growth phase, which lasts approximately 2.5 years, while the other 5% are in the phase of rest. Telogen Effluvium is different from other forms of hair loss because it disrupts this cycle, causing hair loss.
Androgenetic Alopecia
Nearly 95% of all hair loss can be contributed to this condition. Although men are more commonly affected by this condition, it has been known to affect women too. In women, androgenetic alopecia causes hair loss all over the scalp, not concentrated on any particular scalp, resulting in overall thinning hair – in men however, there is a pattern. It usually starts with a receding hairline, leading up to a bald spot at the top of the head.
