Overview
Hair loss, also known as alopecia or baldness, refers to a loss of hair from part of the head or body.[1] Typically at least the head is involved.[3] The severity of hair loss can vary from a small area to the entire body.[6] Inflammation or scarring is not usually present.[3] Hair loss in some people causes psychological distress.[2]
Common types include male- or female-pattern hair loss, alopecia areata, and a thinning of hair known as telogen effluvium.[3] The cause of male-pattern hair loss is a combination of genetics and male hormones; the cause of female pattern hair loss is unclear; the cause of alopecia areata is autoimmune; and the cause of telogen effluvium is typically a physically or psychologically stressful event.[3] Telogen effluvium is very common following pregnancy.[3]
Less common causes of hair loss without inflammation or scarring include the pulling out of hair, certain medications including chemotherapy, HIV/AIDS, hypothyroidism, and malnutrition including iron deficiency.[2][3] Causes of hair loss that occurs with scarring or inflammation include fungal infection, lupus erythematosus, radiation therapy, and sarcoidosis.[2][3] Diagnosis of hair loss is partly based on the areas affected.[3]
Treatment of pattern hair loss may simply involve accepting the condition, which can also include shaving one's head.[3] Interventions that can be tried include the medications minoxidil (or finasteride) and hair transplant surgery.[4][5] Alopecia areata may be treated by steroid injections in the affected area, but these need to be frequently repeated to be effective.[3] Hair loss is a common problem.[3] Pattern hair loss by age 50 affects about half of men and a quarter of women.[3] About 2% of people develop alopecia areata at some point in time.[3]
Description
Symptoms of hair loss include hair loss in patches usually in
circular patterns, dandruff, skin lesions, and scarring. Alopecia areata
(mild – medium level) usually shows in unusual hair loss areas, e.g.,
eyebrows, backside of the head or above the ears, areas the male pattern
baldness usually does not affect. In male-pattern hair loss, loss and
thinning begin at the temples and the crown and hair either thins out or
falls out. Female-pattern hair loss occurs at the frontal and parietal.
People have between 100,000 and 150,000 hairs on their head. The
number of strands normally lost in a day varies but on average is 100.[8]
In order to maintain a normal volume, hair must be replaced at the same
rate at which it is lost. The first signs of hair thinning that people
will often notice are more hairs than usual left in the hairbrush after
brushing or in the basin after shampooing. Styling can also reveal areas
of thinning, such as a wider parting or a thinning crownEligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
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Exclusion Criteria:
- Exclusion Criteria