Pulling The Root- Cause Of Hair Loss

Hair loss is a common disorder many men and women experience as they grow older. Sometimes hair loss lowers a person's self confidence. Men are more accepted being bald than women. Both men and women can experience baldness with equal frequency. Men are more visibly bald because of their characteristic receding hairline not seen in women. Women on the other hand have a more generalized type of balding. Both of these occurrences are referred to as common baldness. Unfortunately, this form of baldness is beyond cure. However intensive the researches are to find cure for this bane, still no perfect treatment has been discovered yet.

Aside from common baldness, there are also other kinds of hair loss that we should be aware of.

Alopecia areata is a form of hair loss where all the hairs in one small area are completely lost. However, the scalp underneath is usually normal. The causative factor related to alopecia areata is still unknown. Luckily, people affected with this type of hair loss can usually expect hair re-growth within 12 months. Yet, an estimated 40 percent of patients with this type of problem will encounter similar hair loss within the next four to five years. Doctors often prescribe cortisone creams to make the hair grow back faster. However, discontinued use of the cortisone cream will make the new hair fall out again.

Abnormalities in the scalp skin or hairs themselves can also result to hair loss. When these happen, treatment by a competent medical practitioner is needed. One of the most common scalp skin problems that cause hair loss, is ringworm. This is characterized by a red or scaly scalp, which may contain oozing pustules. The hairs infected by the ringworm fungus will become so thick and can easily break. Abnormality in the scalp and hair appearance can often be remedied with a physician's expert care. Ringworm is often detected by just mere hair and scalp examination. Some instances may require a few samples of hair to be examined under the microscope. Ultraviolet lamp is often used to determine ringworm of the scalp since some types of ringworm usually fluoresce under Ultra-violet light. Oral drugs like griseofulvin are often the medication of choice for ringworm. Creams and lotions applied to the affected area are often not used to treat ringworm because these are not sufficient enough to penetrate into hair follicles and kill the fungus. One or two decades ago, X-rays were used to treat ringworm. However, today this form of treatment should no longer be used. If your physician suggests this form of treatment, reject it and find a better practitioner.

Innocent children may also suffer from hair loss. This may not be related to any disease or health disorders. A friend while playing may accidentally pull your child's hair, which can result to hair loss. Tight braids and ponytails can also cause hair loss. If you notice your child frequently pulling his or her hair, your physician should be informed about the behavior.

Finally, hair loss can also be attributed to a lot of other factors including major surgery or illness, hormonal problems like over-active or under-active thyroid glands and hormonal changes in pregnancy.