Subscribe to our newsletter today to receive updates on the latest hair loss news, treatments, products and special offers!
There are a multitude of different types of hair loss that affect men, women, and children alike. The purpose of this article is to inform people of the different forms of hair loss that can be brought on by genetic factors as well as stressors in the environment. For instance, stress can trigger hair loss in both men and women, as well as certain forms of surgery. Furthermore, pregnancy can cause acute hair loss in some women, as can certain medications. Certain diseases, such as diabetes and lupus have also been known to cause hair loss in patients, and even hormonal problems, or certain hormone treatments, can lead to hair loss.
As for the types of hair loss, trichotillonmania is essentially caused by the frequent twisting and twirling of hair. The end result is hair that looks patchy or that literally breaks apart from the trauma. In addition, alopecia universalis is a form of hair loss that affects the entire body. Fortunately, it only affects about 1 in 100,000 people in the general population, and only 1% of patients who suffer from alopecia areata. Alopecia areata is a form of hair loss that seems to affect random spots on the scalp, causing round, bald patches. What’s more, this form of hair loss is brought on by an autoimmune disease that seems to develop in most patients during their childhoods, although it can also occur in people of all ages.
Moreover, alopecia totalis, as the term implies, causes complete baldness due to complete hair loss on the scalp. As for female pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia, it tends to cause the thinning of hair on the top of the scalp. Affecting about 40% of the female population, most of those affected will start to notice thinning hair in their early 50s. While scientists postulate that genetics may have a role to play in androgenetic alopecia, it is still not known if reduced estrogen levels, brought on by menopause, have a role to place. For instance, studies have shown that women who suffer from hair loss have reduced estrogen but have normal levels of androgens-such as testosterone. Finally, male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia is characterised by hair loss at the top and front of the head, as well as a receding hair line. At least 50% of men will suffer from male pattern baldness at some point, and over 80% will notice the affects of androgenetic alopecia by the age of 70. Interestingly, both genetic and hormonal factors have been linked to male pattern baldness.
