Hair loss

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• Medical Professionals
• General Skin Care
• Former Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
• When should I call the doctor?
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A biopsy may also be taken if it is initially very unclear what the root causes may be. Tinea capitis, also called ringworm of the scalp, is a fungal infection that can affect the scalp and hair shaft. It causes small bald patches that are scaly and itchy. Over time, if not treated early, the size of the patch or patches will increase and fill with pus.

Medical Professionals

Baldness is often hereditary, and is activated by a shift in your hormones. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, it’s completely normal to shed anywhere between 50 to 100 strands of hair per day. However, if you’ve noticed more strands falling out of your head than normal, you may be experiencing alopecia, the medical term for hair loss.

General Skin Care

An excessive amount of hair fallout is known as telogen effluvium. This can have many causes, including medical conditions, physical and psychological causes, and certain medications. In most cases, telogen effluvium is temporary and resolves without treatment. However, you may need to work with your healthcare provider to find and treat any underlying conditions that are causing your hair to fall out. This is the name for hair loss caused by medications that harm your hair follicles. Radiation and chemotherapy treatments for cancer can be toxic to follicles, causing your hair to fall out within the first few weeks after you start treatment.

Former Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Hair may stop shedding when you stop taking the medication. If you believe medications are causing your hair to fall out, talk to your healthcare provider about changing dosages or finding an alternative medication. Traction alopecia is a type of hair loss that's brought on by the way you style your hair. Hairstyles like cornrows, braids, or tight ponytails can cause it. Some signs of traction alopecia include hair loss in patches where the hair was pulled and shorter strands of hair near the forehead.

My Hair Is Falling Out Like Crazy — What's the Deal? - Shape Magazine

My Hair Is Falling Out Like Crazy — What's the Deal?.

Posted: Mon, 31 Oct 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

It is known as Androgenic Alopecia which includes male-pattern baldness, and female-pattern baldness. This type of hair loss is experienced by both men and women. The primary cause of Androgenic Alopecia is dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

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Telogen effluvium is a type of sudden hair loss that results from emotional or physical shock, like a traumatic event, period of extreme stress, or a serious illness. Hair loss is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy. Alopecia areata affects up to 6.8 million people in the U.S.

They can also vary according to the pattern and location of hair loss. While most causes of hair loss are treatable, some may not be. Newer treatments that are also being explored include some forms of laser therapy, microneedling with PRP, as well as other oral medications. Many of these treatments are still in the early testing phases though, and more research will be necessary.

There are many other potential causes of hair loss in women. Stopping hair loss indefinitely depends upon the underlying cause. As a general rule, the sooner you treat hair loss, the more likely you will be able to reverse or reduce the rate of hair loss.

This usually happens because of radiation treatment or chemotherapy. The main symptom of alopecia is losing more hair than usual, but this can be harder to identify than you might think. Hair grows on almost all of your skin surfaces — not the palms of your hands, soles of your feet, lips or eyelids.

Hair loss can also occur as a medication side effect or if you have underlying health conditions, such as lupus. Speak with a doctor about any troubling hair loss, shedding, or thinning you may be experiencing. Your doctor can help determine the cause of your symptoms and put together a treatment plan. Finasteride inhibits 5 alpha-reductase, blocking the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the androgen responsible for male pattern baldness.

Female pattern baldness is largely genetic, affecting hair along the top of a woman’s head. Hair loss from any cause can be emotionally challenging. Talk to your healthcare provider about what may be causing your hair loss.