Do you know that baldness can suddenly become more than a purely esthetic issue?
No matter what they say, we all live in a harsh society having very strict standards of beauty. Every individual does everything in the world to fit into this limited beauty span and look the way we are supposed to look. Do you really consider it is purely teen behavior? We don’t really want to disappoint you, but cosmetic surgeries, beauty saloons and fitness centers are full of grownup men and women who forget themselves and spend crazy sums of money to look the way fashionable stars and public people do!
As you can see, our appearance matters a lot these days! Some thing like fancy clothes and unique accessories can be easily purchased, others are part of our looks, that is why it is extremely hard to put them straight. You are expected to have large sparkling eyes, thick chic hair, good teeth and immaculate skin to become fascinating and appealing for your interlocutor! Recent investigation demonstrate that beautiful individuals find jobs and make friends easier than plain ones. They have two or three times as much sexual partners, are always trusted and are seldom suspected in committing different crimes. Do you still believe we all are equal?
As you might guess, alopecia is one of the appearance issue making persons feel totally uneasy. It is useful to learn some facts about your hair and find the best way out in case of necessity or to help your relatives and friends face this embarrassing situation.
As every part of your body, your hair has a normal cycle of life. The period of 2-3 years is considered normal for your hair to grow and stay on your head. Each tiny hair grows approximately 1 centimeter per month. Scientists tell us that about 90% of the hair on the scalp is in the phase of growing. The rest of the hair (about 10%) is in its resting phase. This means that 1/10 of your hair is rather old and after 3-4 months the resting part of your chevelure is going to fall out just to give way to young hairs! As a result you can see a few hairs on you comb, bed, clothes and in the shower - it is a part of natural process. The trouble is when your hair loss becomes excessive.
It is generally stated that hair loss is a purely male disorder. In reality it is not so - males, women and even kids can develop this cosmetic problem for a number of reasons.
To avoid a certain confusion of terms, let us find out what common baldness is. As a rule this word-combination is used to describe a permanent-pattern baldness typical for many males over 30. The medical term for this kind of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia. It is universally believed that type of baldness is an inherited trait. It is characterized by receding hair line and complete baldness on the top of the head. As a number of cases reveal, men who start losing their hair rather early (when they are under 30) in the course of time get extensive baldness while males who showed no early signs of androgenetic alopecia can enjoy their thick chevelure for the rest of their lives.
Unlike men, women can partially lose their hair over the entire scalp having no bald spots. Thinner hair without any changes in hair line forms so-called female-pattern baldness.
People can notice they lose hair excessively after some disease or a major surgery. As a rule it happens 3-4 months afterwards. In this case we speak about the stress caused by the health disorder and have nothing serious to survive - this hair loss is temporary, the amount of dead hairs will become less with every week.
Hormonal issues are also often responsible for hair loss. Number one issue here is your thyroid gland - if it is overactive or underactive, your hair will fall out excessively. As soon as you start managing you thyroid disease, your hair will be OK again. Male and female hormones (androgens and estrogens) can also cause excessive hair loss if they are out of balance in the body. See your doctor and take a course of treatment for correcting the hormone imbalance and soon you will notice your hair stopped falling out!
The majority of women having a 3 months old baby point out they lose hair excessively. There is nothing to worry about here! The fact is certain hormones during the pregnancy keep all your hair from falling out. As soon as your hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, your body restores the usual cycle of hair growth and right hair loss starts again!
If you take certain pills for a long period of time, be aware of the fact they can affect your hair! Anticoagulants (or so called blood thinners), anti-gout medicines, medicines for hypertension or heart problems, birth control pills, antidepressants and vitamin A in big doses can influence your scalp in a ruinous way causing excessive hair loss. As soon as you stop taking the medications in question, the usual cycle of hair growth and hair loss will recommence.
Never forget that fungal infections of the scalp cause excessive hair loss, too. The majority of cases of that kind are associated with children. The good news is that this kind of infections can be easily and rapidly cured with special antifungal drugs.
A chronic disease, especially one connected with your immune system, such as lupus or diabetes, can affect the state and thickness of your hair as well. What is more, hair loss can become one of the early symptoms of a starting disease and if you report to your physician about it in time you can start your treatment as soon as possible and expect a complete recovery or at least a long-term remission.
Medical practice shows that some hairstyles or treatments cause hair loss, too! If you are a fan of pigtails, ponytails, cornrows and extremely tight hair rollers and you keep wearing them season in and season out, you can end up losing a part of your hair! Eventually, you will get so-called traction alopecia. The pleasant fact is that if you give your hair more rest and stop torturing it, your chevelure will grow back normally, unless you have already developed scars on your scalp. Sorry to say, scarring causes permanent hair loss. Remember that you can get scalp scars in the process of hot oil hair treatments and when you have your permanents (usually called “perms”) done. The point is that the chemicals used in permanents are ruinous for your hair follicles; they may cause inflammation and swelling which results in scarring and excessive hair loss.
The question if your physician can do something about your hair loss is quite usual. The answer is “yes”! Be ready to give you MD some information about your way of life and harmful habits, about your diet and medications you’re taking, about your chronic and recent diseases etc. Female questionnaire includes questions about menstrual cycle, pregnancies and menopause. Later you doctor will want to give you a physical exam and make several tests like blood test, biopsy etc. This will help you doc make sure what exactly causes your extensive hair loss.
As a rule, examining and diagnosing is followed by a special kind of treatment. What is the treatment for hair loss like? If you trouble is caused by the meds you take daily, your MD can prescribe you a different one. If you lose your hair because of some infection, it will be recognized and treated, and you will soon grow your chevelure back. If you happen to have a certain hormone imbalance certain pill treatment will soon allow you to enjoy your shaggy mane again!
What is more, modern pharmaceutical industry works miracles. This means you can purchase a wide range of meds preventing the development of common baldness! Please, keep in mind that some pills like Rogaine (generic name Minoxidil) are available in any online drugstore without rx and can be used by both genders. Other meds like Finasteride are meant for males only! Keep them away from females, kids and domestic animals!
If you made up your mind to grow your hair back and get drugs, be prepared to take your medications regularly for a long period of time. Usually it takes you up to 6 months to see the results with your own eyes.
Even if no medical treatment is available for you, do not despair! Firstly, you can try alternative medicine. Secondly, your appearance disaster can be solved with the help of different hairstyles, as well as cosmetic hair transplantation.
Anyway, growing your hair back is a slow process taking a lot of time! Do not become isolated in you own house! If you are a woman, top-quality wigs and hairpieces will help you out any time - believe it or not, a lot of celebrities wear them! If you are a male, consider shaving off all your hair - it is fairly considered cool and sexy! Give it a proper thought and you will certainly find the best way out!
Tags: excessive hair loss, male baldness, no prescription drugstore, order medications