Why do I have hair loss at a young age?
Hair loss, also known as alopecia could be a worrisome problem for many. In certain conditions, hair loss can indicate some health issues in your body.
TYPES OF HAIR FALL
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Involutional alopecia - A natural condition where hair gradually thins with age.
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Androgenic alopecia - A genetic condition that can affect both men and women. Men with this condition, (male pattern baldness), can begin suffering hair loss as early as their teens or early 20s. It's characterized by a receding hairline and gradual disappearance of hair from the crown and frontal scalp. Women with this condition, (female pattern baldness), don't experience noticeable thinning until their 40s or later. Women experience a general thinning over the entire scalp, with the most extensive hair loss at the crown.
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Alopecia areata - A condition starts suddenly and causes patchy hair loss in children and young adults. This condition may result in complete baldness (alopecia totalis). But in about 90% of people with the condition, the hair returns within a few years.
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Alopecia universalis - causes all body hair to fall out, including the eyebrows, eyelashes, and pubic hair.
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Trichotillomania - Common in children, a psychological disorder in which a person pulls out one's own hair.
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Telogen effluvium - Temporary hair thinning over the scalp that occurs because of changes in the growth cycle of hair.
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Scarring alopecias - A permanent loss of hair. Inflammatory skin conditions (cellulitis, folliculitis, acne), and other skin disorders (such as some forms of lupus and lichen planus) often result in scars that destroy the ability of the hair to regenerate.
CAUSES OF HAIR FALL
Hormones - Abnormal levels of androgens (male hormones normally produced by both men and women)
Genes - from both male and female parents, may influence a person's predisposition to male or female pattern baldness.
Ringworm - A fungal infection that causes hair loss.
Drugs - Chemotherapy drugs used in cancer treatment, blood thinners, beta-adrenergic blockers used to control blood pressure, and birth control pills, can cause temporary hair loss.
Autoimmune disease - May cause alopecia where the immune system revs up for unknown reasons and affects the hair follicles. In most people with alopecia areata, the hair grows back,
Cosmetic procedures - Such as shampooing too often, perms, bleaching, and dyeing hair can contribute to overall hair thinning by making hair weak and brittle. Tight braiding, using rollers or hot curlers, and running hair picks through tight curls can also damage and break hair causes hair falls.
Medical conditions - Thyroid disease, lupus, diabetes, iron deficiency anemia, eating disorders, and anemia can cause hair loss. Most times, when the underlying condition is treated, the hair will return unless there is scarring as in some forms of lupus, lichen planus or follicular disorders.
Diet - A low-protein diet or severely calorie-restricted diet can also cause temporary hair loss.
Stress, illness, childbirth, burns, injuries, and X-rays can cause temporary hair loss.
HAIR FALL TREATMENTS
Certain drugs may slow hair loss, and alternative treatments may bolster the health of remaining hair, but no treatment is likely to replace a full head of hair.
Minoxidil (Rogaine)
Under certain circumstances, this topical (applied to the skin) preparation appears to provide modest regrowth of hair on areas of the scalp that have gone bald. Rogaine works on hair follicles to reverse their shrinking process to stimulate new hair growth.
Finasteride (Propecia)
Originally used in higher doses for the treatment of prostate problems, Propecia is now being used for male pattern baldness. Propecia works by blocking the formation of the male hormones in the skin that can cause hair loss.
Spironolactone
Blocks the male hormones in the skin that can cause hair loss. This is sometimes used for female pattern hair loss.
Hair transplantation
Involves the relocation of plugs of skin from parts of the scalp containing active hair follicles to bald areas. A person may need several hundred plugs implanted 10 to 60 per session. The transplanted hair may drop out, but new hair usually begins to grow from the transplanted follicles within several months. Newer hair transplantation procedures called follicular unit hair transplants can transplant one to four hair follicles very close together, for a more natural look. In addition to follicular unit transplantation (FUT), follicular unit extraction (FUE), which involves harvesting finer hair from the nape of the neck to be used at the hairline or for eyebrows, is also available.
Corticosteroids
Most cases of alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair to fall out in clumps, resolve spontaneously. Some doctors try to speed recovery with topical corticosteroid drops or steroid shots directly into the areas of hair loss on the scalp. The treatment may be somewhat painful and may cause skin thinning in the injected sites. Prednisone, an oral steroid, may be an effective treatment for alopecia areata, but its potential side effects include weight gain, metabolic abnormalities, acne, and menstrual problems. Its positive effects are often only temporary.
Drithocreme (Anthralin)
This is a topical medication used to control inflammation at the base of the hair follicles. It is used in conditions such as alopecia areata.
Diphencyprone
This is a topical sensitizing agent used occasionally to stimulate hair regrowth in alopecia areata.
Lasers
Office and home based laser comb devices are sometimes successful in stimulating new hair growth.
Janus Kinase Inhibitors
A class of immunomodulators, are showing promise in clinical studies to treat alopecia areata.
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