Hair loss: Symptoms, Causes and treatment

​What is Hair loss?

Hair loss is loss of hair from the part of the body or head. Mostly head is involved. Hair loss is also known as alopecia or baldness. Hundreds of hair are lost every day. Loosing hundreds of hair is not a cause of concern but if you see bald patches on your head or if your hair have become thinner you may be suffering from Hair loss and that requires treatment.

Symptoms of hair loss:

There are various types of hair loss

The symptoms of hair loss depends on type of hair loss. Thinning of hair is observed in women mostly on top of the head and bald patches are observed in men mostly around forehead or on the top of the head. As the hair adds to your beauty and overall appearance, persons suffering from hair loss have lower self-esteem. This mainly affects the women and teenage girls as they more concerned about their looks than men and boys of the same age.

Causes of Hair loss

• The main reason behind hair loss is family history. If any of your parent is suffering from hair loss you are more likely to inherit it.This is called male-pattern or female-pattern hair loss.

• Stress which includes both psychological and physical stress from surgery and disease/disorder.

• Chemotherapy, which is used in treatment of cancer. The major side effect of chemotherapy medicines is hair loss.

• Damage to the hair from combing hair too hard, wearing tight braids or ponytails or by using curling irons, dyes and harsh shampoos.

• Hair gets thinner and tends to break more easily as you age.

• If you are not having well balanced diet or you are missing out on essential nutrients like protein or iron in your diet.

• Thyroid diseases, such as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.

• Infections such as ringworm of the scalp, which is more common in children.

Treatment:

Treatment with medicines such as minoxidil and finasteride helps in treatment of hair loss. Minoxidil promotes hair growth both in male and female. Finasteride is used for treating male pattern baldness only. It slows down the hair loss. Hair loss caused by diseases such as thyroid disease can be treated by taking medications on thyroid disease.

The hair loss inherited from either of parents can be treated with hair transplant surgery. Hair transplant surgery is a permanent form of hair replacement in which the existing hair on the scalp are transferred to bald area or area with thin hair. Hair transplant surgery is mainly used for treating male pattern baldness. It can also be used in women having thin hair or in people who have lost some hair from burns or other injuries to the scalp, eyebrows or eyelashes.

People who don’t wish to undergo surgery can try wigs. Different ways of styling or combing your hair can also help treat hair loss.

Hormonal treatment can also be helpful in some cases. Corticosteroid injections and immunosuppressants are used in type of hair loss known as alopecia areata in which bald spots are observed.