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What is the
normal cycle of hair growth and loss?
At any one time, about 10 percent of
the hair on your scalp is in a resting phase. After 2 to 3
months, the resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow
in its place. This growing phase lasts for 2 to 6 years. Each
hair grows approximately 1 centimeter per month during this
phase. About 90 percent of the hair on your scalp is growing
at any one time.
It is normal to shed some hair each
day as part of this cycle. However, some people may experience
excessive (more than normal) hair loss.
What causes
excessive hair loss?
A number of things can cause
excessive hair loss. For example, about 3 or 4 months after an
illness or a major surgery, you may suddenly lose a large
amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the
illness and is temporary.
Hormonal problems may cause hair
loss. If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, your
hair may fall out. This hair loss usually can be helped by
treatment of the thyroid disease. Hair loss may occur if male
or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out
of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop
your hair loss.
Many women notice hair loss about 3
months after they've had a baby. This loss is also related to
hormones. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones
cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out.
When the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, that hair
falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts
again.
Some medicines can cause hair loss.
This type of hair loss improves when you stop taking the
medicine. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood
thinners (also called anticoagulants), medicines used for
gout, medicines used in chemotherapy to treat cancer, vitamin
A (if too much is taken), birth control pills and
antidepressants.
Certain infections can cause hair
loss. Children may have hair loss caused by a fungal infection
of the scalp. The infection is easily treated with antifungal
medicines.
Finally, hair loss may occur as part
of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. Since
hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important
to find the cause so that it can be treated.
Can
improper care of my hair cause hair loss?
Yes. If you wear pigtails or
cornrows or use tight hair rollers, the pull on your hair can
cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia (say:
"al-oh-pee-sha"). If the pulling is stopped before
scarring of the scalp develops, your hair will grow back
normally. However, scarring can cause permanent hair loss. Hot
oil hair treatments or chemicals used in permanents may cause
inflammation (swelling) of the hair follicle, which can result
in scarring and hair loss.
What is
common baldness?
The term "common baldness"
usually means male-pattern baldness. Male-pattern baldness is
the most common cause of hair loss in men. Men who have this
type of hair loss usually have inherited the trait. Men who
start losing their hair at an early age tend to develop more
extensive baldness. In male-pattern baldness, hair loss
typically results in a receding hair line and baldness on the
top of the head.
Women may develop female-pattern
baldness. In this form of hair loss, the hair becomes thin
over the entire scalp.
Can my
doctor do something to stop hair loss?
Perhaps. Your doctor will probably
ask you some questions about your diet, any medicines you're
taking, whether you've had a recent illness and how you take
care of your hair. If you're a woman, your doctor may ask
questions about your menstrual cycle, pregnancies and
menopause. Your doctor may want to do a physical exam to look
for other causes of hair loss. Finally, blood tests or a
biopsy (taking a small sample of cells to examine under a
microscope) of your scalp may be needed.
Is there
any treatment for hair loss?
Depending on your type of hair loss,
treatments are available. If a medicine is causing your hair
loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different
medicine. Recognizing and treating an infection may help stop
the hair loss. Correcting a hormone imbalance may prevent
further hair loss.
Medicines may help slow or prevent
the development of common baldness. One medicine, minoxidil
(brand name: Rogaine), is available without a prescription. It
is applied to the scalp. Both men and women can use it.
Another medicine, finasteride (brand name: Propecia) is
available with a prescription. It comes in pills and is only
for men. It may take up to 6 months before you can tell if one
of these medicines is working.
If adequate treatment is not
available for your type of hair loss, you may consider trying
different hairstyles or wigs, hairpieces, hair weaves or
artificial hair replacement.
(Created
9/00)
(Updated 3/02)
This
handout provides a general overview on this topic and may not
apply to everyone. To find out if this handout applies to you
and to get more information on this subject, talk to your
family doctor.
Visit familydoctor.org
for information on this and many other health-related
topics.
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