In most cases, baldness is part of the ageing process, although
it does seem to affect some people more than others. The problem
arises when new hair fails to grow fast enough to replace the
normal daily loss. As the hair loss process continues, the new
growth stops altogether in certain parts of the scalp.
The normal thinning pattern would be for the front hairline to
recede while hair thins over the crown. Women sometimes have the
same type of hair loss, although not usually as severe. In
addition, most women lose some hair following the birth of a
baby, because of the variation in their hormones. This is a
fairly common occurrence and the hair will grow back after a few
months.
There are also other factors that may promote hair loss -
surgery, radiation, poor circulation, skin disease, sudden
weight loss, diabetes, iron deficiency, poor diet, vitamin
deficiency, stress and chemotherapy. In most of these cases,
effective treatment of the underlying disease will restore hair
to normal.
Finally, there is a specific disease that can cause hair loss -
the disease is called alopecia areata. Those affected by this
disorder, normally only lose hair in patches but, in a few cases
the loss is complete.
What you can do?Although difficult, most people accept
natural balding as part of the ageing process. However, there
are some who refuse to be seen in public with a thinning crown,
and will therefore opt for a hairpiece. Wigs and toupees are
other common means of hiding your age, however these seem to be
more popular in those where hair loss was caused by a disease or
certain medical treatment. Another alternative, would be that of
surgery, whereby hair would be transplanted to the scalp. This
usually produces wonderful results, however there is a fairly
high risk of infection.
Treatment with a lotion containing the drug minoxidil does
restore the growth of hair in some men, especially those who are
younger than 50 years of age. Upon stopping the treatment,
patients can expect hair loss to resume, nevertheless, this
treatment may just mean that one is able to have a head full of
hair for an extra couple of years.
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