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 How Your Hair GrowsYour hair is made of keratin (KER-uh-tin), the same protein that makes up your nails and the outer layer of your skin. The part you see and style is called the hair shaft. It's actually dead tissue made by your hair follicles-tiny bulb-like structures beneath your scalp's surface. The average head has about 100,000 hairs. Your hair grows and is shed regularly. But many factors can disrupt this cycle. About 90 percent of the hair on most people's scalp is in 4 to 5 year growth stage at any given time. The other 10 percent is in a 2 to 3 month resting phase, after which it is shed. Most people shed 50 to 100 hairs a day. Once a hair is shed, the growth stage begins again as a new hair from the same follicle replaces the shed hair. New hair grows at rate of approximately ½ inch each month although this slows as you age. Hair loss may lead to baldness when the rate of shedding exceeds the rate of re-growth, when new hair is thinner than the hair shed or when hair comes out in patches. The Beauty TabooConfronting the stigma of hair loss poses considerable psychological and emotional challenges for both men and women. For every five men with hereditary hair loss, three women experience the same condition. Yet women's hair thinning remains a "taboo" subject for the media, the public and patients. "Hair thinning is common, among otherwise healthy women, and can begin in women as early as their twenties," "Women need to better understand the various reasons why hair loss occurs and seek treatment options that are proven to work." "Thinning hair and hair loss can have a profound effect on self-image and self-confidence, causing women to feel unattractive, embarrassed and helpless," said Ellen Rubin, Psy.D. clinical instructor of psychology at NYU school of Medicine. "It's important for anyone experiencing hair loss to remember that they're not alone, to confront their hair loss and take action to safely regain control of their appearance and self-esteem." Potential Causes of Hair Loss in Women
You wouldn't guess it from the male-oriented ads for hair-growth products, but about two-thirds of women also face hair loss at some point in life. Not surprisingly, many find it as alarming as men do- perhaps even more so. Anyone including men, women and children can experience hair loss. But baldness typically refers to excessive hair loss from your scalp and can be the result of heredity, certain medications or an underlying medical condition. For many, the loss is permanent. But some causes of hair loss in women are treatable. Seeing your physician can help you get to the root of the problem. The medical term for hair loss is Alopecia. The most common is known as androgenetic Alopecia or pattern baldness. It's typically permanent and can be attributed to heredity. In fact, about 95 percent of hair loss from the scalp is due to your inheritance. StressPhysical or emotional stress can trigger hair loss whether people are predestined to lose hair or not. When stress causes hair loss in women who do not have hereditary hair loss, the effects are not usually permanent. But in women who do not have hereditary hair loss, stress can actually speed up the process. The stress experienced must be quite severe before it leads to hair loss. Examples of severe stress are loss of a loved one, strenuous sports, training, severe illness or drastic weight loss, surgeries, and emotional stress. The body simply shuts down production of hair during periods of stress since it is not necessary for survival and instead devotes its energies toward repairing vital body structures. A recent high fever, severe flu or surgery, you may notice you have less hair 4 weeks to 3 months after an illness or surgery. These conditions cause hair to shift rapidly into a resting phase, meaning you'll see less new hair growth. A normal amount of hair typically will appear after the growth phase resumes. This then means that the total hair loss and re-growth cycle can last 6 months or possibly longer when induced by physical or emotional stress. There are some health conditions which may go undetected that can contribute to hair loss. These include anemia or low blood count and thyroid abnormalities. Both of these conditions can be detected by a simple, inexpensive blood test. Age and hormonesMost people naturally experience some hair loss, as they get older. But age, changing hormones and heredity cause some to lose more hair than others. The result can be partial or total baldness, known as Alopecia. Men are far more likely than women to have hair loss and baldness as they age. "Male-pattern baldness" is the receding hairline and hair loss on top of the head. It's typically genetic. But "female=pattern baldness"- also inherited- that can cause modest to significant hair loss in women as they age. The hair loss can first become apparent in women ages 25 to 30. Female-pattern baldness starts with the replacement hairs becoming progressively finer and shorter. They can also become transparent. Usually, the hair loss is far less prominent than it is in men. It also occurs in a different pattern. Most women first experience hair thinning and hair loss where they part their hair and on the top of the head, but don't have a receding hairline. About 50 percent of women who experience hair loss have female-pattern baldness. Unfortunately, it's often permanent- just as in men. AlopeciaAlopecia is a common disease that results in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere. Alopecia occurs in males and females of all ages, but onset most often occurs in childhood. There are three types of Alopecia: Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis. What is Alopecia areata?Another type of Alopecia, known as Alopecia areata, it is usually temporary. It affects approximately 2 percent of the population and can involve hair loss on the scalp or the body. Its specific cause is unknown. With Alopecia areata, baldness usually occurs in small, round, smooth patches. Hair loss may be on the scalp only, or body hair may be lost as well. Alopecia areata is classified as an autoimmune disease, but the cause of it is unknown. In fact, people who develop this type of baldnessare generally in good health. A family history of Alopecia areata makes you more likely to develop it. Unlike androgenetic Alopecia, hair will generally grow back. But it may take several years. What triggers Alopecia areata to start or stop?Current research suggests that something triggers the immune system to suppress the hair follicle. It isn't known what this trigger is, and whether it comes from outside the body like a virus, or from inside. Recent research indicates that some people have genetic markers that increase both their susceptibility to develop Alopecia areata, as well as the degree of disease severity. Is Alopecia areata hereditary?Yes, heredity palys a role. In one out of five persons with Alopecia areata, someone else in the family also has it. Those who develop Alopecia areata for the first time after the age of thirty years have less likelihood that another family member will have it. Those who develop their first patch of Alopecia areata before the age of thirty have a higher possibility that another family member will also have it. Alopecia areata often occurs in families whose members have has Athmas, Hay fever, Atopic Eczema, or other autoimmune disease such as Thyroid disease, early-onset Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus Eryhemaosus, Vitiligo, Pernicious Anemia, or Addison's dieseas. What other parts of the body are affected?In some people, the nails develop stippling that looks as if a pin had nade rows of tiny dents. In a few, the nails are severely distorted. However, other than the hair and occasionally the nails, no other part of the body is affected. Alopecia TotalisInvolves hair loss over the entire scalp. The affected follicles become very small, drastically slowing down production. The hair follicles remain alive and are ready to resume normal hair production whenever they receive the appropriate signal. Hair growth may occur without treatment and even after many years. Alopecia UniversalisIndicated by hair loss of the entire body. Androgenetic Alopecia (Female Pattern Hair Loss) The most common type of hair loss seen in women. Genetically, hair loss can come from either parent's side of the family. The technical term Androgenetic Alopecia is where the hair is genetically programmed to gradually fall out, occurring in 1 out of 5 women. This condition is also known as Female Pattern Hair Loss. This is seen as hair thinning predominately over the top and sides of the head. It affects approximately one third of all susceptible women, but is most commonly seen after menopause, it occurs more commonly between the ages of twenty and forty-five, although it may begin as early as puberty. True hair loss occurs when lost hairs are not re grown or when the daily hair shed exceeds 125 hairs. At menopause, the level of estrogen usually declines which is why the effects of Female Pattern Hair Loss are often seen among this age group. It's believed that this type of hair loss is caused by an inherited sensitivity in the hair follicles to the male hormones testosterone. Yes, women do have testosterone in their bodies, however the female hormone estrogen usually protects the female body against the effects of testosterone. In Female Pattern Loss, testosterone in the scalp breaks down and one of its by-products, Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), interferes with the hair follicle, causing it to atrophy (resulting in smaller hairs of less pigment), and finally, to wither and die, when it finally produces no hair at all. Female Pattern Hair Loss generally occurs in a woman slightly later in age than it occurs in a man. Where Male Pattern Baldness usually affects the hairline, women generally experience an overall thinning across the entire scalp. |
