About Hair Loss

Hair Loss (Alopecia)

Hair loss, independent of its background and causes, is a distressing condition that significantly affects quality of life. It is a condition that can happen in any stage of life and to anyone. Hair Loss can be classified as two types: scarring and non-scarring. These are mainly categorised in three types, metabolic/hormonal, chemical and physical. There are 46 known types of hair loss.

There are unfortunately much false and misleading information about hair loss but whatever the cause for your hair loss is, it is important to follow a healthy hair care regime. The products will help maintain this by producing a healthier scalp and improving the hair growth. Many hair loss conditions can still be treated by recognising the problem, stabilising it quickly and try to reverse it as much as possible, even in the comfort from your own home. The stage of hair loss at which treatment is started, rather than age, determines the chances of success.

Hair grows from a follicle which is a pocket in the skin in the dermis under the scalp. It grows approximately 0.92 cm to 1.25cm a month. There are approximately 100 000 follicles in the scalp. Each hair contains blood supply, nerve endings, and a combination of cellular activity. Each follicle can produce 20 individual hairs in a person’s life time. Hair is the one of fastest cell produced in the body. It can stretch 1.5 times its own length and it is the strongest natural fibre there is. Hair is made up of an insoluble mixture of proteins, called keratin. The colour, texture and density are all inherited factors.

Hair grows in 3 cycles: Anagen, Catagen, Telogen and each strand of hair on the human body is at its own stage of development. Anagen stage can last from two to six years depending on the genetic origin of hair (Asian, Caucasian etc.) and it is the stage where the hair grows. Catagen stage lasts between two to three weeks, the hair follicle shrinks due to disintegration and the papilla detaches and “rests,” cutting the hair strand off from its nourishing blood supply. Telogen (resting) stage can last for one to four months and its where the follicle remains dormant.

Approximately 90% of scalp hairs are in the anagen phase, growing actively. Remaining 10% is either in the catagen or telogen phase.

Most people shed between 50 to 100 hairs per day. If you are losing more hairs than you are growing, you are getting thinner.
There are various reasons for hair loss, genetic, medical conditions, emotional and physical stress, age related, nutritional, excessive hair styling and harsh hair styling products and medications to mention few.

About Drugs for Hair Loss

There are various drugs for hair loss. Some of the drugs can cause severe side effects such as impotence in men, headaches, dizziness, skin rash, swelling, weakness, breast pain, vomiting etc. We understand that hair loss is very distressing, and people are ready to take anything to restore the hair and have the hair growing back again. However, there are natural compounds and products available that have helped people to restore their hair without any of the side effects and we intend to educate about these plant-based remedies.

The three most common alopecias are male and female pattern baldness and diffuse hair loss and the most common scalp disorders, dandruff, eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis, which all can lead to an unhealthy scalp.

Female Pattern Hair Loss (Androgenetic Alopecia) FPHL

The incidence of women’s hair loss has increased in the last years with their hair getting sparser, especially in the frontal regions, due mainly to a combination of various factors which include dieting, stress, thyroid, contraception, and menopause.

Female pattern hair loss is an inherited nonscarring progressive thinning of hair in which the male hormones influence the women’s hair follicle leading to a reduction in the cycle of the hair growth, with the normal hair being progressively replaced by shorter hairs which are thinner, finer and wispier than normal. Early onset of Female Pattern Hair Loss is noticed first in puberty. The scalp may become greasier and dandruff may also be present.

Late onset of Female Pattern Hair Loss tends to occur in women in their mid-thirties and worsen during menopause as the female hormone level starts to fall. With the aging process and the male hormones being more dominant. This affect approximately 35% of post-menopausal women.

Early onset of Female Pattern Hair Loss is noticed first in puberty. The scalp may become greasier and dandruff may also be present.

Late onset of Female Pattern Hair Loss tends to occur in women in their mid-thirties and worsen during menopause as the female hormone level starts to fall. With the aging process and the male hormones being more dominant. This affect approximately 35% of post-menopausal women.

You may notice an increased number of hairs on a pillow or in your brush, and although it is very distressing, there is help available. Diffuse hair loss is divided into two categories Anagen Effluvium and Telogen Effluvium.

Types of hair loss

Hair loss disorders comprise an extensive group of conditions that can be classified as scarring and non-scarring alopecia. Whereas scarring alopecia is irreversible, in non-scarring alopecia there is no damage to the hair follicles. Some of the most common types of hair loss disorders fall under nonscarring alopecias. The most important factor is to understand the pathophysiology of hair loss in order to stabilize the condition and promote hair growth as quickly as possible.

The three most common alopecias are male and female pattern baldness and diffuse hair loss and the most common scalp disorders, dandruff, eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis, which all can lead to an unhealthy scalp.

Male Pattern Baldness (Androgenetic Alopecia) MPB

Male pattern baldness affects approximately 50% of males. The earliest signs are the recession of the frontal hairline, followed by thinning on the crown. The thinning is caused by the male hormone Androgens and other hormones such as DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), which slows down cell division at the root, which reduces the number of hair follicles. As the follicles become smaller, the hairs produced are much finer and their growth is much slower, leading to very fine and thin hair. Although genetics and hormones cause most MPB, also age, race, lifestyle, other medical conditions, and stress are contributing factors.