Losing hair is a normal occurrence that takes the place of any existing human. That means each day; one loses some amount of hair. An adult can lose around 50 to 100 strands of hair each day, and that is regarded as a normal situation. In an approximate measure, an adult has around 100,000 hairs where there happens to be losing some hair daily; new ones are growing even on the same areas if the follicles have not been affected. What causes baldness?
In a situation where your hair is shedding off and thinning faster than the usual situation, you may be balding. And this is usually caused by numerous situations, which maybe be physical, psychological, or even emotional factors. If that is the case, then it is good to note that you are not alone. Many people undergo hair loss as they grow older. For some people, balding is genetics as it is believed they inherit genes from the parents who have got a similar condition. For other people, balding is a natural process of aging, or perhaps it may be caused by underlying medical conditions. For example, many cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments end up losing their hair, a condition that is very devastating to the culprit.
In this article, we will explore the possible symptoms and causes that lead to the balding condition. Apart from that, we will also address the treatment options and preventive measures that both men and women need to follow to sort out the problem.
Facts about balding
Here are some important statistics that one should have concerning the hair loss
On average, people lose around 50 to about 100 hairs daily. It is a normal situation for any sound adult.
It has been deduced that more than 50 percent of women are experiencing balding.
At the age of 50 years and above, over 85 percent of men start balding as they lose more unreplaceable hair. This is research well done by the American Hair Loss Association (AHLA).
Another thing to have in mind is that 25 percent of men have genetically related loss of hair which may get started before they are 21 years of age, according to the reports given by AHLA.
What is balding?
It is important to have a clear understanding of balding. Balding denotes excessive loss of hair from your head. It is a team that is used commonly when referring to the androgenetic alopecia for both male and female hair loss patterns.
The hair cycle has three stages which include the telogen, catagen, and anagen phase.
Anagen phase refers to the phase of the hair on your scalp or the growing stage, which lasts about 2 to 4 years. At this stage, you have over 90 percent of the hair on your scalp during this phase.
The Catagen phase is denoted to the stage when the hair follicles begin shrinking for over 2 to 3 weeks. It is also referred to as the transition phase.
The telogen phase is the resting stage where hairs shed off right after about 3 to 4 months. During this stage, the hairs may fall out at the end of the stage, and new hairs begin growing. However, if you are encountering more hair loss than that which is growing, then there is the likelihood of balding taking place.
Symptoms
And because balding is an exclusive term, it describes the androgenetic alopecia it has these amazing symptoms.
- Thinning, which comes on top of the head
- Receding hairline which appears in men
- Widening hair part which comes in women
Causes of balding
Androgenetic alopecia is the major cause of balding. For men, the condition is commonly known as the male pattern baldness, while in women, it is known as the female pattern baldness. This cause factor is responsible for over 95 percent, which becomes permanent hair loss, as stated by the American hair loss council. This balding type is not necessarily a disease though it is a condition that is related to the following:
- Genetics meaning it is inherited
- Normal aging process
- Male hormones are known as the androgens
Genetics plays a major role when it comes to these predisposing factors causing androgenetic alopecia, which are possible reasons that affect the main enzymes in the likes of 5-Alpha. It is enzymes that later lead to the conversion of the testosterone to DHT since both these enzymes are androgens.
Apart from androgenic alopecia, other possible reasons lead to balding. Here are more causes of hair loss.
Traction alopecia in some
Hairstyles by women in the likes of ponytails, braids, cornrows, and more tends to pull, and your hair stresses on the follicles. This can easily lead to traction alopecia or hair loss which may result from the repeated tension on the hair follicles. During the earlier stages, this hair loss is reversible but can become permanent if it is a prolonged encounter.
Alopecia areata, the autoimmune disease, comes into place if your body attacks its hair follicles by damaging hair roots leading to hair loss.
We’ve effectively given you the measurements on going bald, which fundamentally demonstrate this: It becomes any and each man in their 20s who’s worried about going bald to plan a counsel with a trichologist. A trichologist is a hair specialist who’s been instructed about the sicknesses of the human hair and scalp. A meeting, which can go in cost however will commonly last from 30 minutes to 60 minutes, will by and large incorporate an assessment of your scalp under a magnifying instrument.
Anagen effluvium is a condition that produces toxic substances which impairs the hair follicle during the anagen phase causing reversible balding.
Telogen effluvium is a condition where balding results from major stress or shock in our body. It takes around three months after undergoing surgery, trauma, illness, and weight loss. In many instances, it grows within six months.
Prevention
Hair loss prevention can be attained need only through early treatment. In some instances, you may think that the hair loss is breakages that happen to the hair after using the hairdryer and other products, but no, that not the case.
It is not possible preventing loss of hair, especially when it is caused by disease, age, heredity, or physical stressors like an injury. You can only prevent balding
which is caused by the caustic chemicals and hairstyles that are tight, by avoiding them by all measures. You may be able to prevent some loss of hair by eating a healthy diet that offers the required nutrients in terms of minerals, vitamins, and other proteins. Besides that, you need to stop smoking completely.
Conclusion
The vast majority of the time, the androgenetic alopecia, which is the leading cause of baldness, is the major thing you should focus on. For men, it is way much more commonly known to cause male pattern baldness, while in women, it causes female pattern baldness. Having this type of balding, the hair loss, in turn, follows predictable patterns that one needs to be skeptical of. That means if you are connected about the hair balding, it is essential to talk with your dermatologist and doctor as it entirely describes everything surrounding hair loss. Depending on the hair loss cause, one might be able to recommend good treatment and clear procedures that will treat or slow down the problem of hair loss.
