What is the normal cycle of hair growth and loss?
normal cycle of hair growth lasts for 2 to 6 years. Each hair grows
approximately 1 centimeter (less than half an inch) 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 2 to 3 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 causes excessive hair loss?
A
number of things can cause excessive hair loss. For example, about 3 or
4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you may suddenly lose a
large amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the
illness and is temporary.
Hormonal problems may cause hair
loss. If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, your hair may
fall out. This hair loss usually can be helped by treatment thyroid
disease. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as
androgens and estrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone
imbalance may stop your hair loss.
Many women notice hair loss
about 3 months after they’ve had a baby. This loss is also related to
hormones. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the
body to keep hair that would normally fall out. When the hormones
return to pre-pregnancy levels, that hair falls out and the normal
cycle of growth and loss starts again.
Some medicines can
cause hair loss. This type of hair loss improves when you stop taking
the medicine. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners
(also called anticoagulants), medicines used for gout, medicines used
in chemotherapy to treat cancer, vitamin A (if too much is taken),
birth control pills and antidepressants.
Certain infections can
cause hair loss. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in
children. The infection is easily treated with antifungal medicines.
Finally,
hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or
diabetes. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is
important to find the cause so that it can be treated.
Is there any treatment for hair loss?
Depending
on your type of hair loss, treatments are available. If a medicine is
causing your hair loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a
different medicine. Recognizing and treating an infection may help stop
the hair loss. Correcting a hormone imbalance may prevent further hair
loss.
Medicines may also help slow or prevent the development of
common baldness. One medicine, finasteride (brand name: Propecia), It comes in pills and is
only for men. It may take up to 6 months before you can tell if it works for you so don’t you quit ,time is the key.