hair loss: diagnosis and treatment
Medically Reviewed by Dr Sravya, MBBS, MS
Introduction
“Lose hair but don’t lose hope”– inspired by a cancer patient. Hair loss is the most common thing that everyone faces at some point in their lives. It’s quite common to lose some hair every day, but it can be upsetting when you can’t grow that amount of hair
back, right? Have you ever thought about what might cause this problem and how to treat it? Let’s discuss it in the following sections. But before we delve into hair loss diagnosis and treatment, let’s discuss some basics first.
What is hair loss?
Alopecia, the medical term for hair loss, also referred to as baldness. Hair loss can occur everywhere on the body, but the scalp is the most usually affected. The severity may range from mild hair thinning to total baldness. It is the most common distressing complaint.
- Anagen phase - Hair grows actively, and this phase lasts for years.
- Catagen phase- In this stage, hair stops growing and lasts around ten days. This phase marks the end of hair growth.
- Telogen phase- Hair falls out after the follicle rests for two to three months
Generally, during this cycle, most people lose 50 to 100 hairs per day, but if this cycle is damaged, hair begins to fall out more quickly than regenerated, leading to hair receding, hair falling in patches, or thinning.
Causes of Hair loss:
Hair loss affects all kinds of age groups, and others may include:
- Hereditary
- Medical conditions
- Stress
Telogen effluvium:
- Common forms of hair loss happen two or three months after a major surgery, prolonged illness or serious infection, or sudden change in hormone levels, especially in women after childbirth.
- Although you lose 300 to 500 hairs every day, it does not result in complete baldness in this condition.
- Although you lose 300 to 500 hairs every day, it does not result in complete baldness in this condition.
Drug side effects:
- Certain drugs or medications like beta blockers, warfarin, heparin, amphetamines, and levodopa can result in hair loss.
- Starting or stopping of oral contraceptives may also cause hair loss
- Medications such as doxorubicin, which is used in cancer chemotherapy, can cause sudden hair loss and affect your entire head.
Symptoms of medical illness:
- Hair loss is a symptom of medical illnesses such as systemic lupus erythematosus, Syphilis, thyroid disorders, sex hormone imbalance, or serious nutritional deficiencies.
Tinea Capitis:
- Form of patchy hair loss when certain types of fungi infect the scalp.
- This condition is most common in children.
Alopecia areata:
- Autoimmune disease that causes hair to fall out in one or more small patches.
- This disease may result in alopecia totalis or complete hair loss gradually.
Traumatic alopecia:
- Form of hair loss caused by hairdressing techniques that pull the hair, expose hair to heat, and twist or damage the hair with some chemicals.
Hereditary pattern baldness or androgenic alopecia:
- The most common type of hair loss occurs at any time in a man’s life, even during his teens.
- It is caused by heredity, age, or male hormones.
- Women’s scalps narrow throughout the entire crown, sparing the front of the scalp. This particular type of hair loss can start at any point after puberty and is a normal aspect of aging.
Signs and Symptoms of hair loss:
Signs of hair loss:
- Gradual thinning of hair
- The bald spot that grows gradually
- Receding hairline
- Thinning ponytail
- Widening part
You may have hair loss along with
- Burning or stinging before hair loss
- Intense itching
- Burning and tenderness
- Scaly bald patches, often with sores or blisters that open and ooze pus
- Redness, swelling, and sores that may itch and leaky pus
- Scaly patches of psoriasis on your scalp
Women likely to experience hair loss:
- Those who have just had babies
- Who are older than 40
- Those who had chemotherapy or were under certain medications
- Who have hairstyles that pull on the hair
- Who use harsh chemicals on hair
- Menopausal women
- Women with vitamin deficiencies and restricted diet
Hair loss diagnosis:
Diagnostic tests for hair loss include the following:
Hair loss diagnosis:
- Your dermatologist asks you several questions, including when the hair loss began, the pattern of hair loss, the kind of hairstyles you wear, whether hair loss runs in the family, and other symptoms.
Physical exam:
- The dermatologist looks closely at your hair to check for inflammation, redness, and sores.
- During the physical exam, the doctor prescribed some simple tests. These include the following:
Pull test and Tug test:
- These tests measure the severity of hair loss.
- During a pull test, a dermatologist grasps small sections of hair, about 40 strands from different parts of the scalp, and gently tugs. If six or more strands fall off, you have active hair loss.
- During this test, the dermatologist grips a segment of hair gently into two hands –one at the root and the other at the tip and tugs to see if any of the strand breaks.
Card test:
- This test is used to examine the health of the hair shafts and to evaluate the number of new hair strands forming.
Scalp biopsy:
- A scalp biopsy will be performed to check for skin diseases.
Hair loss treatment:
Hair loss treatment is based on the root cause, and there are many treatment options available for hair loss.
Medications:
The most common types of hair loss are treated with medications, either oral or topical, and it is considered the first line therapy for hair loss.
Other medications like OTC (Over-The-Counter) medicines such as topical gels, creams,foams or solutions can be applied directly to your scalp. Most of these products contain an ingredient known as minoxidil.
Your dermatologist may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications such as corticosteroids and this is only prescribed when your hair loss is related to an autoimmune disease/condition. Others may include finasteride, which is prescribed especially for male pattern baldness and also helps prevent further androgenetic hair loss.
Hair transplant surgery
During hair transplant surgery, bald areas of your scalp are covered with tiny plugs of skin, each containing a few hairs.
This is effective for people who have hereditary baldness, which usually results in hair loss on top of the head. Some types of hair loss are gradual, so over time, you might require more than one surgery.
But remember that this procedure is unlikely to benefit people with scarring alopecia.
How to prevent hair loss?
You can reduce hair loss by doing the following:
- Avoid touching your hair frequently: Avoid pulling, rubbing, or twisting your hair too much. It may lead to damage to your hair and eventually may result in hair loss.
- Try loose hairstyles: Whatever hairstyle you do, such as a braid, ponytail, or bun, keep it loose to avoid the pressure on your hair.
- Pat your hair dry: Avoid touching or twisting your hair after washing it. You can pat your hair gently by using a towel.
- Balanced diet: Try to eat foods that contain lots of proteins and iron to keep your hair healthy.
Be bOld!
Don’t lose hope because you are bald. There are many hair loss treatments available for you. Take necessary measures to prevent hair loss and get treated right away to avoid complete baldness. So be bold and get diagnosed right away to minimize the complications.
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Dull Hair: Signs, Causes and How To Boost Shine?
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What Causes Frizzy Hair: Management & Natural Remedies
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