What is the normal cycle of hair growth and loss?
The normal cycle of hair growth lasts for 2 to 3 years. Each hair grows
approximately 1 centimeter per month during this phase. About 90 percent of the
hair on your scalp is growing at any one time. About 10 percent of the hair on
your scalp, at any one time, is in a resting phase. After 3 to 4 months, the
resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow in its place.
It is normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle. However, some
people may experience excessive (more than normal) hair loss. Hair loss of this
type can affect men, women and children.
What is common baldness?
"Common baldness" usually means male-pattern baldness, or permanent-pattern
baldness. It is also called androgenetic alopecia. Male-pattern baldness is the
most common cause of hair loss in men. Men who have this type of hair loss
usually have inherited the trait. Men who start losing their hair at an early
age tend to develop more extensive baldness. In male-pattern baldness, hair
loss typically results in a receding hair line and baldness on the top of the
head.
Women may develop female-pattern baldness. In this form of hair loss, the hair
can become thin over the entire scalp.
What Causes Baldness and Hair Loss?
The genetics causes of baldness and hair loss
It isn't so much that most of us have a gene that causes baldness and hair
loss, but that our hormones change with age, and this then causes the hair loss
and baldness to happen. This hormone change may be genetically caused, but you
don't have a gene that says," right, time to cause baldness, lets get rid of
this hair".
However, premature hair loss does tend to be genetically caused.
Research undertaken by Prof. Nothen and Dr Kruse, 2005, showed that premature
hair loss in men followed the pattern of their maternal grandfather, as the
gene that caused this hair loss was carried on the x chromosome.
In 2008, these two scientists further reported that chromosome 20, which can be
inherited from either the mother or father, also contains a gene that can cause
premature baldness. With the chromosome 20 gene, the son's premature baldness
may resemble the pattern of the father's baldness.
Of course, there are many other causes of hair loss and many other causes of
baldness, and these are covered further down, but hair loss and baldness caused
by hormones is the norm for both sexes.
The cause of baldness or hair loss needs to be identified to determine the
treatment that is most likely to succeed in regrowing hair.
The things that cause baldness, alopecia, hairloss
(and How TREATABLE each type of baldness is)
Baldness, which is medically known as alopecia, affects both sexes, male and
female, and can be caused by any of the following:
1.
Age can cause baldness and hair loss, by it's effects on hormones and the
weakening immune system. This type of baldness and hairloss is often
reversible, using hair loss treatments targeting the hormone problem. However,
age also affects our hair loss in a more permanent way - some of our hair
follicles die, and this hair loss cannot be reversed. For those of you
interested in stats, 40% of men have significant hair loss or some baldness
BEFORE they turn 40 years old.
2.
Genetics - can certainly be a cause of baldness in a small number of
individuals. Baldness that is genetically determined is rare, and often
irreversible.
3.
Lifestyle can cause baldness in some individuals - such as tight braiding, poor
diet, and so on. Often the baldness and or hair loss is reversible, but it does
depend on what actually caused it. For example, tight braiding can sometimes
scar the scalp, destroy the hair follicles, making normal hair regrowth
essentially impossible.
4.
Environmental factors can cause baldness, such as exposure to caustic gases,
xrays and pollutants. Whether the baldness is reversible, again depends on what
causes it. As a general rule of thumb, if the hair follicles are not destroyed,
hair regrowth is possible.
5.
Hair products can also sometimes cause hair loss and baldness - the more
chemicalized, the more the potential for trouble. My brother in law went bald
prematurely as a result of using such a product, my wife came close as well to
becoming bald. As long as the hair follicles are left alive and well, hair
regrowth is possible and likely.