Hair Loss Problems
Diffuse Alopecia
 Diffuse alopecia is a gradual loss of hair across the whole
scalp without any itching or scaling being present.
It occurs in females for a
variety of reasons.
Medical help should be sought in all cases because some of
them may be serious.
Below are some possible causes.
Telogen effluvium (moulting) following child birth, high
fever or severe emotional stress. Many scalp follicles enter catagen
simultaneously, causing thinning of the scalp hair. There should be regrowth
within a few months.
During pregnancy many women have a prolonged anagen
period and as many as 95% of scalp hairs may be in anagen by the time they
give birth.
This is 10% more than normal. Within three or four months of
giving birth this figure may drop back down as low as 70%. Regrowth generally
takes another three months. Not all pregnant women lose their hair, so anyone
who is pregnant should not worry about it.
Under activity of the thyroid or pituitary glands. This
will decrease the rate at which the whole body uses energy and may be due to a
tumour or, more rarely, a lack of iodine in the diet.
Iron deficiency. You do not have to be
anemic. If you have
increased hair loss monthly, it could be linked to the menstrual cycle.
Tiredness is often a symptom.
The side effects of drugs. Ask your doctor if this is
possible. Drugs which help to prevent cancer, are anti-mitotic and therefore
slow down cell division in healthy cells such as hair.
Severe illness such as cancer, kidney or liver failure.
Cicatricial Alopecia
This is baldness due to scarring. The follicles are absent in
scar tissue. The scarring may be due to wounds, burns or infection.
Boils can
cause scar tissue as may be seen on the necks of many men.
Great care must be
taken by hairdressers with hair straightening chemicals that are highly alkaline
and can burn and damage the skin.
Nothing can be done once scarring has
occurred.
Alopecia Senilis
Alopecia senilis is baldness due to old age. In most people
the metabolism slows down with increasing age, and nutrients fail to reach the
follicles.
A similar thing happens to the bones in old age, where even although
enough calcium is taken in the diet, the bones lose it and become brittle.
This
occurs in the majority of old people. There is usually a general thinning on the
head for which nothing can be done.
Alopecia Adnata
Congenital baldness or baldness at birth.
Alopecia Follicularis
Hair loss due to inflammation of hair follicles.
Alopecia Neurotica
Baldness following a nervous disorder or injury to the
nervous system.
Trichotillomania
This form of hair loss is caused by pulling out one's own
hair, usually without realising it. In young children it often occurs after the
birth of a new child, to get the attention of the parents.
If the child is
right-handed the baldness will tend to be greater on the right side of the head.
It usually stops with the knowledge that one is pulling out one's own hair, but
nervous" twiddling" of hair carries on throughout life in some
individuals.
In older people, this habit can persist throughout the rest of
their life, even though large areas of baldness can occur. In some cases
psychiatric care may be required.
If you pluck a hair out of your head you are not actually
pulling it out by the roots.
The little bulb at the end is not the hair root.
To
pull your hair out by the roots would be extremely painful and your scalp would
be bleeding badly, and more than likely you would pass out.
Mentally disturbed
patients can often cause damage to themselves by pulling out their own hair, but
they often have greatly exaggerated shows of strength.
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