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Hair Loss

Hair Loss: Help, Support and Overcome

Hair Loss Overview

We panic when we see too many hair lying on the bed sheets or in sink after a wash or combing. But hair fall and hair loss are not the same thing. We lose 50 to 100 hair strands almost everyday. This is healthy because hair follicles have a cyclical life. But thinning hair and receding hairline are a sure sign to press the panic button.

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Every follicle starts with a long growth phase or anagen. During this time, hair grows at an average rate of 1 cm for a period of 28 days. Anagen can last till 2 to 7 years depending on the genetics. After anagen, comes a small transition phase called catagen. It lasts for 2 to 3 weeks. Post-catagen, hair enters resting phase or telogen. Club hair is an outcome of this phase. Covered with a sheath, hair follicle looses supply of fresh blood and dies. Dead hair falls off and new hair follicle emerges in the same place.

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But, if we start loosing more hair due to any reason than we grow, hair density on the scalp goes down. Patches of thin hair emerge. This is an illness and is medically known as alopecia. If not treated timely, thinning hair can lead to premature baldness. Alopecia can occur in men and women due to many reasons. Premature thinning of scalp hair or baldness can cause a serious dent in oneโ€™s self-confidence. Besides, hair loss can cause depression in people who become conscious about their look.

Help and Support for Hair Loss

Hair loss is different from hair fall. Receding hairline and thinning hair are common symptoms of scalp hair loss. Alopecia starts at the temples among men. Women suffer from alopecia in parietal and frontal areas.

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Many causes can trigger alopecia. Acquire rounded barrel hair straighteners forย  quality hair care products. More common factors are poor nutrition, medicine side effects, radiation therapies, hormonal disorder, diseases, excessive use of styling agents and scalp inflammation. Among nutrients, iron is most crucial. Drug abuse also causes premature hair loss. Among diseases, diabetes is the biggest reason behind premature hair loss.

Overcome Hair Loss

You should consult doctors whenever you see thin hair patches or excessive hair fall after wash or combing. There are different clinical procedures to diagnose hair loss. Common diagnoses are pull test, pluck test, scalp biopsy, daily hair counts and trichoscopy. The physician will try to test the strength of the hair follicle, count rate of hair fall and physical structure of hair follicles.

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All hair loss treatments try to increase health of the hair follicle, promote growth, lower hair fall or cover up the thinning. Common medicines for treating hair loss are minoxidil, finasteride, cortcosteroid and anthralin. However, finasteride is not used for treating hair loss in women. It can cause impaired libido and erectile dysfunction in males too. Hair transplant and scalp reductions are two surgical procedures used to cover up thin hair patches on scalp. However, they are costly and painful. To prevent hair loss in the first place, you should eat four square meals, refrain from harsh handling of hair, avoid over use of styling agents, tight knots, heat treatment.

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