Hair Loss may be abnormal if you are losing more than 100 hairs a day. This may result in a general thinning of hair or in a patchy loss of hair over the scalp and other hair bearing areas such as the beard or eyebrows.
This is the commonest cause of Hair Loss in both men and women. It is commonly known as male or female pattern baldness. It is caused by a combination of factors including hormones (Testosterone), age and genetic predisposition. It usually affects women later in life than men.
Auto-immune disease where immune cells of the body attacks and damages your own hair follicles, this usually results in a patchy loss of hair.
Disruption of normal hair cycle resulting in diffuse loss of hair. This commonly occurs 2 to 4 months following situations such as childbirth, acute illness, surgery, physical and emotional stress and crash dieting.
Such as iron, vitamin D and zinc. Thyroid diseases, connective tissue disease and chronic kidney or liver disease can also cause hair loss.
Fungal and bacterial infection, and other local scalp inflammatory disorders such as seborrheic dermatitis may result in patchy or focal hair loss with accompanying scaliness.
Obsessive, uncontrolled self-plucking of one's hair. This results in patchy hair loss in bizarre shapes and patterns, broken hair shafts and scalp excoriations.
See your doctor if:
Treatment for Hair Loss depends on the type and severity. Your doctor will take a detailed history and perform a thorough examination. He or she may also conduct certain investigations such as blood tests, hair microscopy and even perform a scalp biopsy.
First line treatment involves applying topical solutions such as Minoxidil (2%/5%). Oral Finasteride tablets can also be used in men. Oral medications are not routinely prescribed for women because of possible side effects and risks of teratogenicity. You should discuss this with your doctor. In patients who have failed medical therapy, hair transplant surgery can be an option.
First line treatment involves either injecting steroid solutions into the scalp or applying potent topical steroids on the scalp. In more severe cases, topical immunotherapy can be performed. This involves a weekly application of a solution over the bald patches to induce an inflammatory reaction, thereby stimulating hair growth. Oral medications such as prednisolone, methotrexate and ciclosporin are sometimes also used for severe cases, it is best to discuss this with your doctor.
This is condition is usually self-limiting once the inciting factor is over eg. childbirth, emotional stress.
Nutritional deficiencies such as iron, vitamin D and zinc should be replaced either with diet or vitamin supplements. Chronic illness should be managed and treated adequately.
Topical or oral antimicrobial therapy will be used to treat these scalp infections. Topical steroids and medicated shampoos such as coal tar, cetrimide and ketoconazole are often used to treat scalp inflammation.
Counselling and behavioral modification are important. Medications such as Tricycline anti-depressants and Selective Serotonin reuptake inhibitors can also be used, often in consultation with psychiatrists.
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