Some Bald Facts: Hair Fall And Premature Balding

Throughout our lifespan our hair constantly keeps on dying, falling out and getting renewed. But with the passing of age, hormonal changes occur in our body. These changes restrict the natural process of hair reproduction, leading to baldness in males and females. The question is whether this problem can be cured?

Losing hair is a natural phenomenon and it is a part of the body’s ageing process. But over the course of time the hair follicle becomes fatigued and withers making it increasingly arduous to produce new hair. Almost 70% of the people suffer from premature hair loss. Men are most likely to get affected with premature balding.

The baldness which occurs in men is called ‘male pattern baldness’. It is characterized by loss of hair in the crown area. The hairline also decreases a lot in this case. Most men experience this after the age of 25.

The reason for male pattern baldness is an increased production of testosterone after puberty sets in. When testosterone comes into contact with the skin, it gets broken down into the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is responsible for decreasing the ability of the hair follicle to produce new hair in the crown region and upper forehead.

DHT is produced by stress, caffeine, hormonal imbalance and masturbation. In most cases, the production of DTH is linked with genesdefine of a person.

On the other hand, the baldness which occurs in women is called ‘female pattern baldness’. The symptoms include overall thinning of hair on the scalp combined with a little loss of hair on the crown or hairline. This condition can begin at puberty but usually occurs after menopause.

There are many reasons for premature balding and hair loss. Some of these can be:

1.Stress

2.Thyroid hormone imbalance

3.Excess of vitamin A

4.A prolonged illness

5.Use of harsh chemicals or hot oil for treatment.

6.Too much of exposure to dust, sunlight, water and other pollutants.

7.Unhygienic way of living.

There is no universally accepted method of preventing baldness and hair fall. The remedies can prove to be very costly at times and not everyone can afford them. Also, these procedures carry no guarantee and can have side-effects.

Some of the popular methods used are hair transplant, grafting, usage of FDA certified drugs and use of hair pieces.

Hair Transplant: This is very expensive option which involves transplantation of hair from other parts of the body into the bald patches. Though the procedure is safe, it can cost you around US $20,000.

FDA certified drugs: Regaine and Propecia are the two drugs which can be used to enhance hair growth. Propecia is a DHT inhibitor while Regaine is a follicle stimulator. But these two can prove to be very costly.

Grafting: It involves grafting of small chunks of hair. It is thought that this can help grow a new head of hair.

Hair Pieces: This is an old fashioned method in which hair pieces are used to cover the bald spots. This method is also very expensive and unhealthy too. In fact it increases hair loss. Also, the bald patch soon outgrows the hair piece and a new one has to be stitched onto the scalp.

Although there are no sure shot ways of preventing hair loss, but some things can be taken care of in order to avoid it:

1.Don’t use strong chemicals on your hair.

2.Avoid tying hair too tightly for longer periods of time.

3.Don’t wear helmets, tight caps or turbans for long periods of time.

4.Eat a healthy and balanced diet.


Source: http://www.themedguru.com/articles/some_bald_facts_hair_fall_and_premature_balding-8615648.html