Hair Loss

Category : Dermatology

Hair is considered as one of the most defining aspects of appearance of human beings. Besides skin, hair is considered to contribute equally in the perception of oneself and projection of an individual’s self confidence and personality. Hair has a significant cosmetic and social effect on an individual.

What are the cycles of hair growth?

Hair goes through three cycles:

• The anagen phase (growing phase) can last from 2 – 8 years. This phase generally refers to about 85% – 90% of the hair on your head.
• The catagen phase (transition phase) is the time that hair follicles shrink and takes about 2-3 weeks.
• The telogen phase (resting phase) takes about 2-4 months. At the end of this phase, the hair falls out.

Your shorter hairs like eyelashes, arm and leg hair and eyebrows have a short anagen phase — about 1 month. Your scalp hair can last up to 6 years or even longer. On average, the scalp has 100,000 hairs that cycle through periods of growing, resting, falling out, and regenerating. As a natural consequence of hair cycle, we shed between 50 -100 hairs per day.

ABOUT HAIR LOSS

Losing hair is part of a normal cycle of growth and replacement . Hair follicles go through the growth and resting cycle. Hair loss or alopecia is a matter of concern in all individuals, irrespective of age and sex. It can affect just your scalp or your entire body, and it can be temporary or permanent. It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions, nutritional disturbances, emotional stress, pregnancy or drug induced, or a normal part of aging. With the current life style trends consisting of less nutritious food intake, stressful events and various types of medical problems, hair loss is on a continuous rise.

Hair loss can be associated with significant psychological morbidity, leading to reduced quality of life of the patient, emotional suffering, social, personal and work related problems. In persons with hair loss, correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment is very important.

If the part in your hair is widening, you find bald spots, or you’re shedding more than 100 hairs per day, you’re likely experiencing hair loss and need to see a dermatologist. There are a couple types of hair loss and several possible causes. Although there’s very little you can do to prevent hair loss, you might respond to treatment if you get to a dermatologist early!

What causes hair loss?

• Hair styles that pull on your roots, like tight ponytails or braids
• Physical stress: Dieting (rapid weight loss), Restrictive diets, recent surgery, recent illness (eg: Post COVID hairfall), anemia, recent childbirth.
• Emotional stress: mental illness, the death of a loved one, etc.
• Vitamin deficiency.
• Over processed scalp hair (breakage)/Use of harsh chemicals on their hair.
• Certain medications, toxic substances, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy .These can cause sudden hair loss
• Hormone changes caused by pregnancy, menopause or birth control pills; thyroid disease
• Autoimmune disease called alopecia areata can cause patchy hair loss on scalp or other areas

What causes Pattern Hair Loss/ baldness?(male /female pattern)

• Genes: Hereditary hair loss with age is the most common cause of baldness. Hereditary hair loss in men is due to the action of hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on scalp hair follicles. The hair follicles react to DHT making them shrink and balding gradually takes place.
• Hormonal changes- menopause, polycystic ovaries
• Aging: Hormone changes as you age can cause balding.

It usually occurs gradually and in predictable patterns — a receding hairline and bald spots in men on top of head or on sides, and thinning hair in women.

Consult a dermatologist if you are facing these hair issues!

• Seeing more hair fall out daily either on your brush, on the floor, in showers, on your pillows, or in the sink.
• Seeing noticeable patches of thinner or missing hair, including a part on the top of your head that gets wider.
• Seeing scalp skin through hair
• Having smaller ponytails.
• Seeing hair break off.

What are the myths about hair loss?

Nothing in the following list is true:

• You’re losing hair because you shampoo it too much
• Dandruff causes permanent hair loss
• Stress causes permanent hair loss
• If you shave your head, your hair will grow back twice as thick
• If you brush your hair 100 strokes a day that will make your hair healthier
• Hats and wigs cause hair loss

ASSESSMENT BY DERMATOLOGIST

Your dermatologist will do a thorough examination and take a detailed history to help you deal with changes in hair growth. Your medications might be changed if what you take is found to affect hair loss or growth. You might have to undergo these evaluation before starting treatment

• Blood tests: vitamin and mineral levels (like vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc and iron) and hormone levels (including thyroid and sex hormones)
• Scalp examination under a dermoscope
• Scalp biopsy to remove and examine a very small piece of scalp skin.

TREATMENT

Treatment depends on the cause of your hair loss. Treatments for hair loss include medications and surgery .

• In cases due to nutritional deficiencies, you might be told to take multivitamin supplements. A proper diet advice will be given.
• After assessing your hair loss , we will prescribe you hair growth serums or solutions with proper directions for usage
• In cases where the loss is due to stress or hormone changes like pregnancy, there might be no treatment needed. The hair loss will stop after a period of time. Oral supplements might be prescribed.
• Hormonal abnormalities, if any, might have to be treated with hormonal medications
• In cases of hair loss being due to hair styling practices, like tight braids or ponytails or certain chemicals, treatment means not doing the things that caused the damage.
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) Injections: This is one of the safest and non-invasive technique that is scalp injections of your body’s own blood plasma, rich in platelets from the blood drawn from you. This plasma contains crucial growth factors that help miniaturized hair follicles to become healthier, producing more robust hair growth. It is natural, with no down time.
• Microneedling of the scalp with and without the application of minoxidil,or prp. This causes stimulation of hair follicle and helps in preventing further hair loss.
• Hair transplant surgery is another option. Hair follicles are taken from the back of the head and moved to slits in the areas of baldness.

The sooner you get treatment, the more effective it will be.Your dermatologist provides information about these options and discusses the possible benefits and risks before recommending treatment.