Hair Loss (Alopecia)
Hair loss is usually associated with aging men: thinning scalp hair, receding hairline, a shiny spot of scalp at the crown, or total baldness. Male pattern baldness, as it is known, is the most common type of balding, affecting 50 percent of Caucasian men over the age of 50. Yet this is not the only type of hair loss. Some women suffer from a similar thinning of hair, called female pattern baldness. Women’s hair loss differs in appearance from men’s: female pattern baldness involves an all-over thinning of scalp hair, but rarely progresses to total baldness. Female pattern baldness is most common in postmenopausal women, though it can affect women of any age. This type of hair loss is usually permanent, for men or for women.
There are other types of hair loss, as well; among them are thinning hair due to hormonal changes (caused by pregnancy or some types of birth control pills) or nutritional deficiencies, and partial or total hair loss due to chemotherapy or overly tight hairstyles. In these instances, the hair loss is usually temporary. The hair should grow back after the cause is discontinued.
Alopecia areata is another type of temporary hair loss that causes patches of hair-usually the Size of silver dollars-to fall out. In some instances, these patches overlap, causing large tracts of bare scalp. Body and facial hair also may fall out, although this is less common. In approximately 90 percent of all alopecia areata cases, the lost hair grows back within six months to two years.
Female and male pattern balding are hereditary; those with a family history of the condition are at increased risk. Alopecia areata, on the other hand, is caused by an immune disorder wherein the body’s immune system rejects its own hair. While the exact cause of the condition is unknown, experts believe that extreme stress, surgery with anesthesia, a weakened immune system, or a reaction to a medication may contribute.
