Understanding the term Alopecia

Comprehension of hair loss is one thing, however, the solution is entirely different.

First let’s discuss the word Alopecia, which is often misunderstood and often a taboo word. According to Melloni, B. J., Eisner, G. M., & Dox, I. (2001). The HarperCollins illustrated medical dictionary, “Alopecia is the medical term for excessive or abnormal hair loss.”

There are different kinds of Alopecia (hair loss).

Hair Loss Conditions

Traction Alopecia occurs when excessive tension is placed on the hair and scalp, signs of hair loss usually occur at the forehead and temples-the areas where the hair is pulled the tightest in braiding and styling.

With Alopecia Totalis, hair is lost from the entire head, and with Alopecia Universalis all hair is lost from the entire body.

Hair loss occurs in isolated patches with Alopecia Areata.

Trichotillomania also referred to as “hair-pulling disorder,” is a mental disorder classified under Obsessive-Compulsive. The urges involve pulling out hair from the scalp, eyebrows, or other areas of the body.

Telogen effluvium and anagen effluvium can be caused by taking medication. Medicine induced Hair Loss usually appears within 2 to 4 months after taking the drug.

Androgenetic Alopecia is a common form of hair loss in both men and women. In men, this condition is also known as male-pattern baldness. This form of hair loss is the most treatable.

With male pattern baldness, hair loss typically occurs on the top and front of the head. With female pattern baldness, thinning occurs on the top and crown of the head.

What all hair loss has in common, whether it’s in men or women, is that it is generally indicative of unbalances within your body system(s).

Healthy hair and scalp start from within.

Other Factors

Your hair will remain on your head where it belongs if hormone imbalance, disease, or some other condition is not occurring.

That condition may be as simple as having a gene that makes you susceptible to male or female pattern baldness or one of the forms of alopecia, or it may be as complex as a whole host of diseases.

Roughly 95 percent of thinning hair in men is caused by male pattern hair loss, which can manifest as a receding hairline or a thinning patch at the crown of the head.

If your hair loss doesn’t match this pattern, you may be among the remaining 5 percent whose hair loss is the result of an underlying health condition such as auto-immune disease, hormonal imbalance, severe trauma, or shock to the system, medication side effects or other causes.

Who’s Affected

When one hears the words ” hair loss”, typically we think of cases of male pattern baldness.

However, hair loss affects men and women alike. In fact, hair loss affects about 35 million men and 21 million women in the United States alone. In fact, 40% of men have noticeable hair loss by age 35 and 65% by age 60.

In recent years, hair loss has become an epidemic as younger and younger individuals begin to show early signs of hair loss.

What types of hair loss problems can a Hair and Scalp Therapy Specialist treat that a dermatologist cannot?

Hair loss from chemotherapy or other medications, anemia, autoimmune deficiency, thyroid deficiency, most types of alopecia.