A Detailed Report On Causes Of Baldness
Hair Loss
Causes Of Baldness
Baldness, a major cause of psychological stress in both men and women is basically the result of a mish-mash of genetic and hormonal factors. Although the actual process of baldness is still pretty much a mystery, scientists are on the brink of identifying the genes responsible for baldness. It is widely believed now that over-conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), an important part of male development, causes baldness.
Let's examine what triggers pattern baldness. This will help people suffering from baldness a long way in seeking right treatments for their hair loss.
Appearance of pattern baldness indicates presence of the following three factors:
- Excessive levels of male hormones or androgens.
- A genetic make up favorable to balding.
- Conversion of male hormones to DHT which degrades the vulnerable hair follicles.
There are several other factors such as stress, nutrition, health, age and hormones that can cause temporary as well as permanent hair loss. These factors should be factored in before deciding drugs for male or female pattern baldness or for any other atypical hair loss.
What causes excessive hair loss or baldness?
More often than not, whether you will go bald or not is determined before you're even born. The follicles follow a genetic roadmap as to when, where and how much baldness (if any), you'll experience in your lifetime. That apart, baldness is also caused by interaction of certain hormones over time with those hair follicles - conversion of testosterone into DHT, via the blood by 5-alpha-reductase enzyme, present in hair follicles, as well as the sebaceous glands - that are vulnerable to their effects.
Besides these, there are some other factors such as health problems and side-effects of medicines and lifestyle practices that can lead to pattern baldness.
Some common reasons for hair loss are:
- Stress caused by severe or prolonged illness. However this kind of hair loss is generally temporary.
- Hormonal imbalances such as an overactive or under active thyroid gland or the imbalance of male or female hormones (androgens and estrogens).
- Post natal hair loss in women, especially within the first 3 months of child birth.
- Side-effects of blood thinners (or anticoagulants).
- Side-effects of medicines used in chemotherapy to treat cancer.
- Side-effects of sulfur drugs, medicines used for treating gout, birth control pills and antidepressants.
- Excessive doses of vitamin A.
- Fungal infections of the scalp, such as ringworm (tinea capitis), kerion, and favus.
- Iron deficiency or anemia, more frequently seen in women because of inadequate consumption of iron-containing foods and poor absorption of iron in foods or supplements.
- Diseases such as lupus or diabetes.
- Skin cancers such as metastatic carcinoma and sclerosing basal cell carcinoma.
- Excessively tight and pulled hair styles worn on a consistent basis such pigtails or cornrows and frequent use of tight hair rollers. These can lead to permanent hair loss and scarring of the scalp.
- Side-effects of hair treatments such as hot oil hair treatments or perms that use hot oil and chemicals. These may lead to scarring and hair loss.
Now that you know what might be the causes of your baldness or hair loss, you can decide what would be the best treatment for it in consultation with a qualified medical professional.