Understanding Hair Loss: The Basics

Hair grows everywhere on the skin except on the palms and soles of the feet, the eyelids, and belly buttons, yet many hairs are so fine that they are nearly invisible. Keratin, a protein made in hair follicles in the skin’s outer layer, is what makes up hair. Old hair cells are pushed out through the skin’s surface at a rate of about 6 inches per year as follicles produce new hair cells. Dead keratin cells make up the visible hair. The typical adult scalp contains 100,000–150,000 hairs, of which up to 100 are lost daily; hence, a few stray hairs on the brushes shouldn’t necessarily raise red flags. Let’s learn all the fundamentals of hair fall and the various variables contributing to hair loss. We will also find where one can receive the most effective hair fall treatment in Delhi. We will start with understanding the phases of hair loss.

What are the Phases of Hair Loss?

Approximately 90% of the hair on an individual’s scalp is growing at any given time. Age, illness, and a variety of other factors can affect the distinct life cycle that each follicle has. Three phases make up the life cycle of hair:

• Anagen: active hair growth that typically lasts between two and eight years.
• Catagen: transitional hair growth lasting 2 to 3 weeks.
• Telogen: It is a resting phase that lasts approximately 2 to 3 months; at the end of the resting period, the hair is shed and replaced by new hair, and the growing cycle begins again.

What are the Types of Hair Loss?

People’s hair growth diminishes as they age. Hair loss, often known as alopecia, can be classified into several types:

• Involutional Alopecia is a naturally occurring condition in which hair thins with age. More hair follicles enter the resting phase while the remaining hairs grow shorter and fewer in number.
• Androgenic Alopecia is a hereditary disorder that can affect either males or women. Men with male pattern baldness can experience hair loss as early as their teens or early twenties. A receding hairline and the progressive loss of hair from the crown and frontal scalp distinguish it. Women with this disorder, known as female pattern baldness, do not see visible thinning until their 40s or later. Women undergo overall scalp thinning, with the crown showing the highest hair loss.
• Alopecia Areata frequently begins quickly and produces patchy hair loss in children and young adults. This disorder may cause complete baldness (alopecia totalis). However, in approximately 90% of people with the condition, hair regrows within a few years.
• Alopecia Universalis causes hair loss on the entire body, including the brows, eyelashes, and pubic hair.
• Trichotillomania, which most commonly affects youngsters, is a psychological disorder in which a person tears off their hair.
• Telogen Effluvium is a temporary thinning of hair on the scalp caused by changes in the hair’s development cycle. A significant number of hairs enter the resting phase simultaneously, resulting in hair shedding and eventual thinning.
• Scarring Alopecia results in permanent hair loss. Inflammatory skin problems (cellulitis, folliculitis, acne) and other skin disorders (such as lupus and lichen planus) sometimes result in scars that impair hair regeneration.
• Traction Alopecia. Hot combs and hair that are too tightly woven and pulled can also lead to irreversible hair loss.

What are the Causes of Hair Loss?

Doctors aren’t sure why certain hair follicles have a shorter development period than others. However, various variables can cause hair loss:

• Genes: A person’s susceptibility to male or female pattern baldness may be influenced by genes from both male and female parents.
• Hormones: These include uncontrolled androgen levels (male hormones that both men and women typically produce)
• Stress, Sickness, and Childbirth: Transitory Hair loss can be brought on by stress, illness, and childbirth.
• Certain Medications: Medications such as blood thinners, beta-adrenergic blockers (used to lower blood pressure), chemotherapy treatments, birth control pills, and blood thinners might temporarily cause hair loss.
• External Factors: Hair loss can be transient and result from burns, accidents, and X-rays. Unless a scar forms, average hair growth usually resumes after the damage heals in such circumstances. After that, hair won’t grow back.
• Autoimmune Illness: Alopecia areata may be brought on by an autoimmune illness. The immune system overreacts for unclear reasons in alopecia areata, affecting the hair follicles. The majority of alopecia areata sufferers see their hair regrow. Still, it may do so in a very fine and possibly lighter shade initially before its typical thickness and color return.
• Cosmetic Procedures: Because they make hair fragile and brittle, cosmetic procedures like perms, bleaching, hair coloring, and excessive shampooing can contribute to general hair thinning. Hair can also be broken and damaged by tight braiding, using hot curlers or rollers, and passing hair pickers through tightly curled hair. Nonetheless, baldness is not a result of these practices. If the cause of the issue is removed, hair usually regrows naturally. However, severe injury to the scalp or hair can occasionally result in regions of lifelong baldness.
• Health Issues: Hair loss can be brought on by anaemia, eating disorders, lupus, diabetes, thyroid disease, and iron deficiency anaemia. Hair typically regrows if the underlying cause is treated, with the exception of lichen planus, follicular disorders, and some forms of lupus that leave scars.

To get the best treatment, understanding hair loss, its causes, and the type of hair loss one is going through is paramount. One can get this diagnosed by consulting a skilled hair specialist.

Contact the Best Hair Fall Doctor in Delhi for Hair Loss Treatments

Regardless of Norwood’s stage or type of hair loss, if hair loss worries one, get in touch with a qualified hair fall specialist. In many cases, it is best to manage hair loss as soon as possible because doing so may lessen or even altogether remove the need for surgical hair treatments. However, a person may still be qualified for a hair transplant even if their hair loss is advanced. One may consult the best hair fall doctor in Delhi, Dr. Urvashi Chandra, by contacting the top hair loss treatment clinic, Chandra Hair Transplant Clinic. The doctor will perform a thorough evaluation of hair loss to determine which treatment is appropriate and which method will work best.

To learn more, visit Chandra Hair Transplant Clinic now.