Every day, every one of us looses some hair. Our body then replaces it with some new strands as part of the many renewal processes that are built into our body systems. As we all age, ‘the reappearance of new hair’ event gradually slows down. This observable fact is more evident in men than women, whose ‘male-pattern baldness is genetically determined and can begin as early as age 20. For women, hair normally thins after age 50, and considerable hair loss before that age is very rare.
General problems of hair loss: Dandruff, Graying of hair, loosing hair, brittle hair and slow growth of hair are some of the common hair problems that people complain about. Though most of these problems are natural signs of aging or part of our genetic makeup.
Facts about Hair:
Typically, hair grows an average of an inch every two months.
The average head can shed up to 100 of its 100,000 hairs every day.
Indication of hair loss:
Hair Loss generally is noticed in one of two-ways.
With common pattern baldness, the loss is gradual. It can start as early as puberty, or very late in life.
Sudden loss of hair, or loss in clumps usually indicates a different problem. This type of symptom could be caused by a number of factors, including hormonal changes, medications, thyroid problems, stress etc.
Male pattern baldness typically starts by causing the hairline to recede in the center of the forehead. A bald spot may then form on the top of the head, towards the back and center. Eventually almost all the hair on the top of the head will be lost. This leaves the hair on the sides and back forming the notorious horseshoe pattern. By this stage, hair loss will be very difficult to treat with medications.
Female pattern baldness results in a more evenly spread out thinning of hair. Women will notice an increased rate of hair loss. This will most likely be noticed on pillows, in the shower, hairbrushes, or even vacuum brushes. It is impossible to count the number of hairs being lost per day, but women will notice the thinning and loss of hair around the same time. Some women who have curly or thick hair may not notice the change as early. Skin and hair color also determine how easily the thinning is noticed. Someone who has light hair and dark skin will notice balding much sooner than most.