Two out of three men often suffer from one type of baldness, but a greater percentage of men and women suffer from one type or another of hair loss during their lifetimes. Many men and women, without knowing the exact causes of hair loss, resort to drugs and many types of shampoos, electrotherapy, ointments and even surgery in the hope of encouraging their hair to grow again.
People devote a large portion of the time they spend caring for their personal looks to styling and arranging their hair. They attach great importance to having integrated hair on the head. As for baldness or sudden hair loss, it often causes them severe discomfort. And some men associate the presence of hair integrated in their heads with strength or youth.
Natural growth of hair
Over a period of two to six years, 90% of scalp hair continues to grow. The remaining 10% of scalp hair remains dormant until it lasts for two to three months. When this dormancy stage is complete, this hair will begin to fall out. The loss of between 50 and 100 hairs per day is considered within the normal limits, and when one hair falls out, it is replaced by another new hair from the same hair follicle located directly under the surface of the skin, noting that no new hair follicles are formed during a person’s life.
Head hair grows at a rate of one centimeter or half an inch per month in the length of each hair. The amount of hair is usually greater for a blond (140,000), on average. As for brown hair, they have an average of 105,000 hairs, followed by red hairs (90,000). With the passage of time, the rate of new hair growth decreases in humans, and the amount of hair on the head gradually decreases.
Hair is made up primarily of the protein "keratin", which is the same substance found in fingernails and toenails. It is essential for all people of all ages to consume an adequate amount of protein to maintain normal hair growth. Protein is found in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, soybeans, grains and nuts.
Causes of abnormal hair loss
Precipitation is abnormal hair may occur for many reasons . Those who notice a decrease in hair thickness or notice severe hair loss after styling or combing it should see a dermatologist to find out the true cause, and whether there is a problem that responds to medical treatment.
Dermatologists (who specialize in treating hair and skin problems) will assess the patient''s hair condition, checking the foods he consumes, the drugs he has taken during the previous six months, the family history of hair loss, whether the patient has had any disease recently, and the extent Interest in his poetry. The dermatologist also asks the patient about her menstrual cycles, and about the number of pregnancies, miscarriages and menopause. After he examines the scalp and hair, he examines some hairs under a microscope, and there may be a need for some laboratory investigations, which may sometimes include a biopsy of the scalp skin to be examined.
Birth
When a woman becomes pregnant, hair loss usually stops relatively, but a large proportion of hair enters the resting stage after childbirth. Within two to three months after childbirth, some women notice that large amounts of hair fall out when styling and combing, and this condition mostly resolves automatically. Not all mothers suffer from this condition and it may not recur in every pregnancy.
High fever, acute bacterial infections, and influenza cases
The patient is surprised after a period of 6 weeks to three months of having a high fever or influenza by losing a large amount of hair, and this condition disappears automatically as well, but some cases of bacterial infection may need treatment.
Thyroid diseases
Excessive secretion from the thyroid gland is known as hyperthyroidism, while hypothyroidism is known as hypothyroidism. Both of these conditions can cause hair loss. Thyroid diseases can be diagnosed with clinical signs and other symptoms in addition to laboratory investigations, noting that hair loss caused by thyroid diseases can be successfully combated with appropriate treatment.
Lack of protein in food
Vegetarians who eat foods completely devoid of protein, and patients with anorexia nervosa who eat a small amount of food, may develop protein malnutrition, and when this situation occurs, the body tries to maintain the protein by converting the growing hair to the resting stage. Therefore, those who follow a severe diet, vegetarians or patients with anorexia nervosa may suffer from heavy hair loss two to three months after the start of the change in their diet so that the hair becomes relatively easily removable from its roots. This condition can be prevented or treated with adequate intake of protein substances.
Drugs
Drug abuse may lead to hair loss, but this condition is curable, and some of these drugs include some anticoagulants (which are medicines that prevent clotting by thinning the blood), some anti-gout and arthritis drugs, or antidepressants (that relieve symptoms of depression) and some drugs (To control heart problems and high blood pressure) and high doses of vitamin A. A somewhat small percentage of patients who take these drugs experience hair loss, but their cases are treatable, praise be to God.
Cancer drugs
Some types of drugs used in cancer chemotherapy prevent hair cells from multiplying, so that the hair becomes brittle and liable to fall as soon as it emerges from the scalp. This phenomenon may occur one to three weeks after starting cancer treatment, and the patient may lose about 90% of the scalp hair. When the treatment is completed, hair grows again in most patients. Such patients, especially women, are encouraged to prepare for the purchase of a wig before starting treatment.
Birth control pills
Contraceptive pills contain two substances: synthetic estrogen and progestin, and women who experience hair loss while receiving contraceptive pills are mostly women who are at risk of hair loss due to hereditary reasons, and this condition may occur early due to the effects of the semi-male hormones of the progestin compounds that these contain. Disks. In the event that this situation occurs, the woman should consult her doctor to place her on another type of contraceptive pill.
When a woman stops using the oral contraceptive pill, you may notice that her hair begins to fall out after two to three months of that, and this loss may last for six months and then stop, and things return to normal. This is similar to the subject of hair loss after giving birth.
Birth control pills
Contraceptive pills contain two substances: synthetic estrogen and progestin, and women who experience hair loss while receiving contraceptive pills are mostly women who are at risk of hair loss due to hereditary reasons, and this condition may occur early due to the effects of the semi-male hormones of the progestin compounds that these contain. Disks. In the event that this situation occurs, the woman should consult her doctor to place her on another type of contraceptive pill.
When a woman stops using the oral contraceptive pill, you may notice that her hair begins to fall out after two to three months of that, and this loss may last for six months and then stop, and things return to normal. This is similar to the subject of hair loss after giving birth.
Undergoing major surgeries or severe chronic illnesses
Patients who undergo major surgeries often experience hair loss, because such surgery may expose the vital organs of the body to a significant shock. Hair loss may occur within two or three months from the date of the operation, but the condition will return to normal within a few months. People who suffer from severe chronic diseases also suffer hair loss as long as they suffer from these diseases.
Alopecia
In alopecia areata, hair falls out in patches that become completely devoid of hair and in the form of circular smudges the size of a coin or larger than that. The disease may lead to complete loss of scalp hair and partial or complete loss of body hair. This disease may affect men and women at any stage of life.
The causes of this disease are not known, knowing that people who develop this condition are in an excellent physical and health condition except for their suffering from hair loss, and a dermatologist can treat some of these cases, where hair may grow back spontaneously at times.
Hereditary hair loss or baldness
Male pattern baldness, hereditary baldness or decreased hair volume are the most common causes of hair loss. Genetics can take place on the mother''s side or on the father''s side. Women who suffer from this hereditary disease complain of diminished hair volume, and they do not become completely bald. This condition is known medically as (male special) and begins in the teenage years and in the twenties or thirties of life.
There are several ways to treat hereditary hair loss, and the treatment methods depend on the patient’s age and the degree of hair loss. The drug Minoxidil, which was introduced to the world market since the early 1980s, is considered one of the first research results that gave encouraging results in about 60% of those who used this drug and it is used for men and women. In the last five years, as research continues, a new treatment has been discovered that is given orally (Fenestrad). It must be taken under medical supervision and given only to men. Also, hair transplantation has developed in recent years and is done by implanting hair follicles in hairless areas.
Hereditary hair loss or baldness
Male pattern baldness, hereditary baldness or decreased hair volume are the most common causes of hair loss. Genetics can take place on the mother''s side or on the father''s side. Women who suffer from this hereditary disease complain of diminished hair volume, and they do not become completely bald. This condition is known medically as (male special) and begins in the teenage years and in the twenties or thirties of life.
There are several ways to treat hereditary hair loss, and the treatment methods depend on the patient’s age and the degree of hair loss. The drug Minoxidil, which was introduced to the world market since the early 1980s, is considered one of the first research results that gave encouraging results in about 60% of those who used this drug and it is used for men and women. In the last five years, as research continues, a new treatment has been discovered that is given orally (Fenestrad). It must be taken under medical supervision and given only to men. Also, hair transplantation has developed in recent years and is done by implanting hair follicles in hairless areas.
Use of cosmetics and materials not suitable for hair
Many men and women use chemical hair treatments such as dyes, pigments, bleaches, and straighteners. And chemical treatment does not damage hair except in rare cases, if used in the right way. However, the hair may become weak and liable to fall if it is used in an exaggerated manner, or if the solution remains on the head for an extended period, or if bleach is used for previously bleached hair. And if the hair has become very weak and brittle due to overexposure to chemical treatments, it is better to refrain from using these substances for some time until the hair grows naturally.
Washing hair with shampoo, styling it and brushing it are necessary matters for the care of the scalp, except that excessive or wrongly practicing it will damage the hair, making it vulnerable to falling or cracking, and the hair can be rinsed with moisturizing materials after washing it with shampoo to facilitate combing and combing it and the water should be dried Excessive pressure of the towel on the head without rubbing the hair strongly. Hair is more fragile when wet, and therefore violent brushing and brushing should not be used. Also, you should stop combing the hair many times a day, because this excessively
