Everyone has witnessed or experienced hair loss and its effects on a person’s appearance. Known by the clinical term alopecia, balding occurs when hair stops growing and eventually falls out. Over time, the loss becomes apparent and can result in full or partial baldness. So what causes hair loss, and how can we treat it? Hair is made up of keratin, a protein produced by the hair follicles inside the outer layer of the skin. When the follicles produce new hair cells, old cells are pushed out through the skin’s surface. Unfortunately, as the body ages, the rate of hair growth slows. Apart from age, several other factors can result in hair loss, affecting many men and women alike. Scientists study the origins of hair loss in hopes of one day discovering a cure. Until then, medical science has developed several treatments for baldness.
Progressive Hair Loss and Advanced UGraft FUE Hair Transplant In Los Angeles
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This video shows Dr. U was able to take 3,200 head and nape hair grafts during the Advanced FUE hair transplant. After only nine months, the patient showed significant signs of a successful transplant and was ecstatic with the results. Now, after eight years, the results remain as impressive as ever. It’s important to know that while hair transplants can cosmetically reverse hair loss, they cannot control the effects of natural hair loss. Hair loss will, unfortunately, continue to progress in the non-grafted areas of the head, so it is necessary to get a touch-up to stay on top of the new areas of baldness.
The Facts on Alopecia
People often have a stereotypical image of baldness as a man with a receding hairline. Alopecia can affect anyone, from women to children, to the typical stereotype of male balding. Balding doesn’t have to occur just on the top of the scalp, either. Many times genetic factors come to play a significant role in hair loss. Balding can also result from other variables. Some forms of hair loss can come from hormonal changes, medical conditions, and medications. While some may experience thinning in their hair or patchy areas, others can experience excessive loss leading to complete baldness.[1]
VIDEO: What Causes Hair Loss?
- Androgenic Alopecia – This genetic condition most commonly causes baldness. Also known as hereditary hair loss, it can affect men (male pattern baldness) and women (female pattern baldness).
- Alopecia Areata – This condition is when your immune system attacks your hair follicles. It is called Alopecia Totalis when all head hair is affected, and Alopecia Universalis, when all body hair falls out, including the eyebrows, eyelashes, and pubic hair.
- Trichotillomania – This condition results from a psychological disorder where a person pulls out their hair. It most often afflicts children.
- Scarring Alopecia – Certain conditions and disorders cause scarring, destroying the ability to regrow hair and resulting in permanent hair loss. Some causes of Scarring Alopecia are:
- i. Inflammatory skin conditions (cellulitis, folliculitis, acne)
- ii. Other skin disorders (some forms of lupus and lichen planus) as well as using hot combs and having hair too tightly woven or pulled
- Traction Alopecia – This condition causes gradual loss resulting from a pulling force applied to the hair. It is most common among African American women and those who choose to wear their hair in tight ponytails, pigtails, or braids.
Hereditary hair loss with age is the most common cause of baldness. According to The American Association of Dermatology, 80 million men and women in the United States suffer from hereditary hair loss. Parents pass this genetic condition down to their children via the X chromosome. Though a result of the same genetic cause, hereditary hair loss can affect men and women differently.
Male Pattern Baldness
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Hair loss causes: The Norwood-Hamilton Scale shows the scale of male pattern baldness and the male balding patterns of each stage.
Male pattern baldness (MPB) most often starts with the recession at the hairline and temple points. Thinning continues at the vertex, or crown, of the scalp. Those with the hereditary mark of male pattern baldness usually have some form of a warning sign through their family history. A family history of baldness doesn’t always guarantee or negate whether it’s a certainty. Unfortunately for men, male baldness can start as early as their 20s.
MPB begins when their testosterone is reduced by 5-alpha-reductase to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). While every human scalp contains the hormone DHT, those with genetically weak androgen receptors (active hair follicles) suffer the most from hair loss. DHT miniaturizes the subject follicles until they disappear entirely.
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Heredity causes most hair loss in men. Doctors hope to one day develop a baldness cure.
Doctors hope to one day develop a male pattern baldness cure, as genetic hair loss continues to plague men on a wide scale. According to The American Health Journal, MPB causes 95 percent baldness in men. Hair loss can range from dispersed thinning to severe balding. Of approximately 40 million men in the United States suffering from Alopecia, two-thirds will suffer from male pattern baldness by age 35. By 50, MPB will affect over 85 percent of men with hereditary hair loss.
Hair Loss in Women
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The Savin Scale depicts female pattern baldness and the stages that women can see hair loss.
Hereditary hair loss in women, or female pattern baldness (FPB), is also mediated by DHT. However, in women, hair loss manifests later in life because of the protective effect of estrogen, which negatively affects DHT in hair. As estrogen level falls with age and menopause, the protection is lost, leading to the rapid manifestation of hair loss. Often this is mistaken as hair loss caused by age. Thus the mechanism of androgenic Alopecia for both men and women is the same. The hormone DHT also miniaturizes the hair follicles as they weaken in women. Some women can experience extensive baldness, while others see more general thinning in their hair overall. Signs of Alopecia will begin to appear along the hair part in women.
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According to the American Hair Loss Association, androgenic Alopecia in women results from the action of androgens, or male hormones typically present in small amounts. Many other factors can also trigger female baldness, including hormones, ovarian cysts, the taking of high androgen index birth control pills, pregnancy, and menopause.*
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Constant strain or pulling causes traction alopecia. This form of hair loss mainly affects African Americans or others who wear hair in tight braids.
More often, certain hairstyles and repeated regular use of tight ponytails, braids, or weaves can be a significant contributor to any unexpected hair loss. Women are also more likely to experience transient outlying causes of baldness from lifestyle and environmental variables.
Apart from androgenic patterned hair loss in women, other often treatable reasons can include:
- Pregnancy
- Illness
- Sleep Deprivation
- Severe Stress
- Mal-nourishment
- Iron or Folic Acid Deficiency
- Poor Circulation
- Hormone Imbalance
- Telogen Effluvium
- Untreated Hypothyroidism
- Drug Use
No matter who is affected by Alopecia, it can become a source of stress and embarrassment. Fortunately, doctors now have hair restoration options for those seeking to conceal baldness.
Hair Loss Treatments
Depending on the type of hair loss, patients have a variety of different hair restoration treatments available:
Temporary nonsurgical methods: Hair loss concealers, hairpieces, wigs, and scalp micro pigmentation can offer temporary camouflage for those looking for a quick fix. Unfortunately, most of these options are only effective when used daily. Furthermore, they usually don’t offer natural-looking results.
Hair Loss Medications: There are two FDA-approved medications for treating or slowing thinning hair– Rogaine (Topical Minoxidil) and Propecia (Finasteride). Both have shown efficacy in preventing loss of hair, but they often do little to regrow hair.
Hair Transplantation: Hair transplantation entails surgically transferring hair from one area to a balding location. Some people have begun to seek surgical treatment for Alopecia, regardless of their baldness. Doctors have a variety of procedures at their disposal.
Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS): FUSS procedures involve taking an elliptical strip of hair from the back or sides of the head. A surgeon splits the strip into smaller follicle grafts and then places them in the recipient area. Not all people suffering from hair loss qualify for this method. Furthermore, it can have extreme complications, including heavy scarring and a deformed, unnatural look to the hair.
Basic Follicular Unit Extraction (Basic FUE): FUE uses a specialized instrument to cut around individual hair follicles, which is taken solely from the back or sides of the scalp. Like FUSS, basic FUE can lead to scarring, and not all patients qualify. Limiting the donor pool to just the head also severely limits the potential for this surgery.
Dr.UGraft Advanced FUE: Dr.UGraft is an advanced FUE system using head and body hair transplantation to expand the available donor source. Doctors have begun recognizing advanced FUE as the most effective hair loss treatment. Dr. Sanusi Umar’s revolutionary Dr.UGraft Advanced FUE system has provided results for hundreds of patients. The system marks a breakthrough in hair transplant, as it utilizes scalp and body hair in transplantation for long-term hair restoration.[2] The Dr.UGraft™ Intelligent Punch service has shown excellent results as a male pattern baldness treatment.
VIDEO on Various Hair Loss Treatments and Preventative Measures
Men and women who have suffered hair loss often experience devastating blows to their self-image. Patients who seek a solution in hairpieces or hair concealers often experience embarrassment or anxiety over how natural the concealment looks.
Fortunately, modern medicine has a solution for anyone suffering from hair loss. Advanced FUE hair transplant procedures with the Dr.UGraft™ Hair Transplant System can restore hair to the head, eyebrows, or eyelashes without the risk of complication. The Dr.UGraft™ System, featuring the Intelligent Punch, can extract hair from all over the body to create the most natural look possible. With Dr.UGraft™, even patients suffering from severe baldness can regain a full head of thick, natural-looking hair that grows. While other methods of hair loss treatment can result in a pluggy, unnatural look, Dr.UGraft™ uses hair of varying thickness and density to accent facial features and restore hair. This advanced system is revolutionary for extracting and transplanting varying hair textures from all ethnicities.
Nobody asks to suffer the humiliation of hair balding. Now, science has a solution for even the most extreme cases.
Free Hair Consultation Hair thinning refers to a hair density loss within a given head region. In male-pattern thinning, for example, the loss of hair might not result in total baldness in a given area. Instead, the hair appears “thin” because only some hair will fall out while other follicles continue to grow. This makes the scalp more visible and presents a prominent symptom of hair loss. Yes. Men can also experience hair loss due to traction alopecia, like keeping hair in tight braids or other follicular damage from using harsh chemicals like hair bleach or alcohol-based products on the scalp. Baldness can present itself in patterns similar to those expected in women or compound the results of other hair loss causes like male pattern baldness. While hair loss treatments address symptoms of baldness, they do not cure the underlying causes of balding, like genetic predisposition or traction alopecia. Unfortunately, medical science has yet to develop a hair loss cure to address and prevent all causes of balding. Doctors hope one day to learn how to stop male pattern baldness and other forms of hair loss. Until a cure is developed, doctors can offer treatments like hair loss medications, hair transplant surgeries, or scalp micro pigmentation to treat the symptoms of baldness. Have more questions for Dr. U? Use this button to submit your inquiry:Frequently Asked Questions On Hair Loss:
What is hair thinning?
Can causes of female hair loss like traction alopecia also cause baldness in men?
Do doctors know how to stop hair loss? Are any of the hair loss treatments mentioned here a hair loss cure?
References
- Pratt, C., King, L., Messenger, A. et al. Alopecia areata. Nat Rev Dis Primers 3, 17011 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrdp.2017.11
- Umar Sanusi. Body Hair Transplant by Follicular Unit Extraction: My Experience With 122 Patients.Aesthetic Surgery Journal 2016; DOI: 10.1093/asj/sjw089. Published September 22, 2015.
Further Reading:
Learn more about female hair transplant services with Dr.UGraft™
Read how Dr.UGraft™ qualifies most young adults for a young-age hair transplant.
