Medical Centric

BALDNESS

Men's Health, Women's Health / By

BALDNESS

Baldness refers to an excessive loss of hair that usually affects the scalp.

  • It is considered normal to shed about 50 to 100 hairs daily with new growth replacing these hairs. However, if the lost hairs are not renewed or comes back thinner than the one that was shed, it eventually leads to baldness.
  • Although both men and women experience hair loss, it is not as common in women as in men and appears differently.
  • There exist two patterns in human: the male pattern baldness and the female pattern baldness.
  • Men with male pattern baldness tend to develop a receding hairline and bald spots. In women, the hair may become thinner rather than fall out, and the resulting baldness may be less severe than in men.
  • In the early stage of male pattern baldness, the hair loss is noticed at the front of the head (temple), and gradually recedes to the back where the scalp in the upper and crown areas become more visible.
  • Women lose hair from all over their head, starting at the part line. Hair at the temple may also recede.
  • Female pattern and male pattern baldness usually occurs in people in their 40s and beyond

CAUSES

GENETICS: Genetics play a significant role in developing baldness. Men and women can inherit the gene for pattern baldness from either parent. You are more prone to developing baldness if your father, mother, or other close relatives have experienced hair loss.

 ILLNESS: Hair loss can develop after a significant illness. The stress from illness or surgery may prompt the body to temporarily cease such tasks as hair production. Some other specific conditions such as syphilis, iron deficiency, thyroid disorder or some certain type of cancer can trigger hair loss.

MEDICATIONS AND SUPPLEMENTS: Hair loss can result from the use of certain medications, such as those used for treating cancer, high blood pressure, arthritis and heart problems.

 AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE: A rare autoimmune disease known as alopecia areata that causes the immune system to attack the hair follicle can lead to hair loss.

 HORMONAL CHANGES: Changes in the level of certain hormone in men and women can lead to hair loss. Androgen is a hormone that plays a role in pattern baldness. A tumor of the pituitary gland that secretes androgen may play a large role in hair loss.

 AGING

 MENOPAUSE: In women, female baldness pattern becomes more common after menopause. This occurs because the level of estrogen in the body decreases.

SYMPTOMS

The most common symptoms of baldness in men are:

  • Bald patch on top of the scalp
  • Receding hairline from the front
  • Partial baldness
  • Complete baldness at a later stage

The most common symptoms of baldness in women are:

  • Excessive loss of hair
  • Overall thinning of hair
  • Reduction in the density of hair

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

DIAGNOSIS

Your doctor will perform a physical exam on your scalp to see the pattern of hair loss and review your medical and family history. The doctor may also carry out certain tests such as:

Blood test to uncover underlying medical conditions that may be related to your hair loss.

Scalp biopsy where few hairs are plucked from your scalp to examine the hair root. This helps to determine whether hair loss is due to certain infection.

Pull test, your doctor pulls multiple hairs to see how many comes out. The doctor can then determine the stage of the shedding process.

TREATMENT

Early diagnosis is encouraged as it can get you on a treatment plan and minimize future loss. Treatments are available and may depend on the cause of your baldness

If your baldness is caused by an underlying medical condition, treatment for such condition may be of significant importance.

If the excessive hair loss is caused by a certain medication that you are using, your doctor may ask you to stop using such medication for a while

if it is as a result of a gene that was passed from your parents ( genetics), medications are available. Such medications include:

  • Minoxidil, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat pattern baldness in men and women. Minoxidil is a topical medication applied to the scalp that stimulates the hair follicle to grow new hair.
  • Finasteride and Dutasteride are approved by the FDA to treat hair loss in men. They are not approved for women. This is an oral medication that is taken daily.
  • Spironolactone is one of the oral medication used to treat female pattern baldness
  • If hair loss is as a result of iron deficiency, your doctor may prescribe an iron supplement
  • Laser therapy: Laser comb and helmet which works by emitting low levels of laser light to help stimulate hair regrowth are used. This treatment is FDA approved.
  • Some people may choose hair transplant. During a hair transplant, hair is removed from an area with healthy hair growth and a transplant is made to the spot where the hair is missing. A surgical procedure to treat baldness is expensive with possible risks of bleeding and scarring.
  • Counseling: Going bald can be a big deal and you may have trouble accepting your new appearance. If you experience anxiety, depression, or other emotional problems you should seek counseling.