Thursday, November 29, 2012

Hair Loss: How Do I Know If I Need Hair Restoration?

The statistics from combined resources like American Health Journal and WebMD report a number of dismal percentages with regard to hair loss. Going bald is a prevalent concern for men and women alike—as many as 85% of men over 50 and 50% of women over 40 are expected to endure some measure of thinning. The percentages don't stop there. Two in three men over 35 will already suffer a loss of hair, and for 25% of them, it began before they were 21.
These percentages are scary to consider, but with a multitude of causes, how can a person tell with certainty that he's losing his hair? How does one know he should begin that walk down the road to hair restoration?
Hair Loss is in the Numbers
The hair goes through three natural phases of growth: anagen, catogen, and telogen; a growing phase, a transitional phase, and a resting phase. The telogen phase of growth causes a shedding of "club hairs" that were formed during the transition, in order to make way for new anagen hairs to grow. Telogen hairs are constantly shedding. It is normal to experience a loss of 50 to 100 of these strands every day.
If you notice you're losing much more than that, you may have some source of extraneous hair loss. A visit to your doctor is in order before beginning any course of hair restoration treatment.
Know About the Causes of Hair Loss
Ninety-five percent of thinning hair is caused by genetic balding, or androgenic alopecia. More commonly known as pattern baldness, this inherited condition has a strong ancestral presence, especially among men. You may have a good idea of whether or not you'll go bald long before it happens by simply looking to your parents and grandparents.
With androgenic alopecia, men can also see a distinct identifiable pattern—the hair usually begins to recede at the hairline and then advances to targeted thinning amid the vertex until these two areas meet in the middle, creating an advanced stage of pattern baldness (at which point, surgical hair restoration becomes the only permanent solution). For women, the familial association is not as strong. Androgenic alopecia can hit women that have no apparent family history of the condition because other things, like hormones and aging, also influence female pattern baldness.
The remaining margin of hair loss causes can include traction alopecia, pregnancy, an extremely stressful event, emotional trauma, malnourishment, alopecia areata, lupus, drug use, diabetes, anemia, and thyroid disease. If you are aware of your hairstyle choices, your lifestyle choices and the state of your mental and physical health, you have a good idea if you're at risk for losing your hair.
Various Treatments for Hair Restoration
If you find you are losing your hair, the solution is dependant upon the cause. Traction alopecia and early pattern baldness warrant the use of Rogaine, with Propecia also an option for the latter condition. Temporary hair loss from anemia, malnutrition, and pregnancy are treatable with the right vitamins and dietary improvements. Even thyroid-related hair loss will stop once the underlying issue is treated with medication.
In any event, noticing the early signs of hair loss, like shedding more than 100 hairs per day or hairline-specific loss, should be followed up by an appointment with a dermatologist.

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