Republished with the permission of the Bermuda Sun
Did you know the average scalp contains about 100,000 hairs, and that you lose roughly 100 hairs from your head every day?
Most often, however, new hair grows in its place.
Each strand of hair sits in a tiny hole in the skin called a follicle.
Baldness occurs when the hair follicle shrinks over time, resulting in shorter and finer hair. Eventually, the follicle does not grow a new hair.
Both men and women tend to lose hair as they age. In fact, about one-half of men begin to bald by the time they are 30 years old, and most are either bald or have a balding pattern by age 60.
The most common form of hair loss in men is male pattern baldness, which usually follows a pattern of receding hairline and hair thinning on the crown. It is caused by hormones and genetic predisposition.
Some men are comfortable with their appearance; however, most men who suffer from male pattern baldness are unhappy with their situation and would like to change it. Hair loss can affect every aspect of a man’s life including interpersonal relationships as well as their professional life.
In the past few years, medicine has made tremendous strides in the treatment of men’s hair loss. For the first time in history it is now possible to stop or slow the progression of hair loss and to replace lost hair through surgery with completely natural results.
Two medications are approved to treat male pattern baldness:
Minoxidil (Rogaine) — a solution that you apply directly to the scalp to stimulate the hair follicles. It slows hair loss for many men and some men grow new hair.
Finasteride (Propecia) — a pill that interferes with the production of a certain male hormone linked to baldness. It slows hair loss. It works a little better than minoxidil.
With both treatments, hair loss returns once you stop taking the medicine.
Mistakenly thought to be a strictly male condition, women make up a significant percentage of hair loss sufferers.
Forty percent of women have visible hair loss by the time they are age 40, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Hair loss in women can be absolutely devastating for self image and emotional well-being.
The reason for female pattern baldness is not well understood, but it may be related to ageing, family history or changes in the levels of androgens (male hormones).
For example, after reaching menopause, many women find that the hair on their head is thinner, while the hair on their face is coarser.
Hair thinning in women is different from that of male pattern baldness in that it usually starts with a widening through the center hair part while the front hairline remains. In addition, hair loss rarely progresses to total or near total baldness, as it may in men.
Unlike male pattern baldness, there aren’t many treatment options for female hair loss.
The only medication approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat female pattern baldness is minoxidil. Another medication called spironolactone may help if hair loss is caused by too much androgen; however it currently isn’t FDA-approved for female baldness.
For both men and women, hair weaving, hairpieces, or a change in hairstyle may disguise hair loss. A hair transplant consisting of removing tiny plugs of hair from areas where the hair is continuing to grow and placing them in areas that are balding is another option and often provides excellent results, yet the procedure can cause minor scarring and possibly, infection. In addition, it usually requires multiple sessions and may be expensive. However, this is a welcome solution for many people.
