In spite of the fact that there are about 100 000 hairs on an average scalp, people still worry about losing even comparatively small amount of this decorative element of human body. However, worrying and anxiety are not the best means to stop hair loss or restore the lost hairs. Though information may seem a rather trite and ambiguous thing nowadays, it is the first thing, what can really help people understand the problem, reveal its main causes and find the best solution.

So, let us use the “knowledge-acquiring” approach to the problem of hair loss. The first fact about hair loss is that losing 40 - 100 hairs per day is considered to be normal condition; therefore, it does not require any emergency actions to get the lost hairs back.

Androgenetic alopecia, which is the most common type of hair loss, may appear in people, who are genetically predisposed to having a bald scalp, or who has some problems with male hormone. This condition may affect both sexes, but it looks different in men and in women. While women usually experience diffusive hair lost throughout the whole scalp, alopecia in men has more pattern-like character (hairs fall out mostly on the top of the head).

For the time being alopecia is a treatable condition thanks to a range of modern medications, such as Propecia and Rogaine. So, in case of alopecia signs appearance, it is recommended to ask a doctor for the prescription of the most suitable medication.

Unfortunately, hair loss problems are not limited to alopecia alone. There are some other conditions, which occur rather rarely, but may significantly decrease the life quality. These types of hair loss are explained by other factors than genetics or male hormone activity.

Sometimes hair follicles are attacked by the immune system of the human organism itself. Scientists are not sure about the actual causes of such organism’s protective system riot. It looks like a virus in the PC that makes your own anti-virus software go crazy and destroy your own files on the hard-drive. This condition is called Alopecia Areta and it causes coin-size bald patches on the scalp.

Alopecia Areta affects both men and women, but, fortunately, such hair loss has mostly temporary character. It means that the hair growth usually restores in a couple of months on its own.

There are also hair loss types, connected with the hair growth cycle. It is known that human hair follicles do not produce hairs all the time: while one part of them works (anagen phase), the other part of follicles rests (telogen phase). After a certain period of time, the working follicles go on leave and those, who have just been on a vacation, start working.

Sometimes certain external factors may affect the normal hair growth order. For example, a severe stress may influence a human organism so much, that all the follicles that are producing hair prematurely stop working all at once and enter a resting phase. In this case a condition called Telogen Effluvium develops, which may result in the significant hair loss all over the scalp.

Telogen Effluvium affects more women, than men. Perhaps, it is because their lives are full of emotional and hormonal changes, caused by childbirth, birth termination, starting or stopping birth control pills, dieting etc.

Happily, hair loss caused by such stressful events is usually temporary and the hair restores its growth after the stress is fixed.

On the other hand there is Anagen Effluvium type of hair loss. It is very specific sudden and significant hair loss, which is explained by the influence of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. It is known that these kinds of therapy target cancer cells, which are rapidly dividing in the human organism. Hair production by follicles is also characterized by a rapid cells division, so the follicles are affected by chemotherapy just like cancer cells.

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Anagen Effluvium, caused by chemotherapy or radiation therapy, is only a temporary condition and in most cases hair growth will return to its normal condition once the treatment is finished.

Finally, I would like to sum up the description of hair loss types with quite an amazing fact: it is said that one must lose 50% of all scalp hairs before it becomes apparent to other people. Obviously, it will take time for 50 000 hairs to fall out, and it is better to spend this time for understanding the actual reason of hair loss and finding the right solution of a problem instead of worrying and trying a wig on.

Nick

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