What is the normal cycle of hair growth and loss?

The normal cycle of hair growth lasts for 2 to 6 years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimeter (less than half an inch) per month during this phase. About 90 percent of the hair on your scalp is growing at any one time. About 10 percent of the hair on your scalp, at any one time, is in a resting phase. After 2 to 3 months, the resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow in its place.

It is normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle. However, some people may experience excessive (more than normal) hair loss. Hair loss of this type can affect men, women and children.

What causes excessive hair loss?

A number of things can cause excessive hair loss. For example, about 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the illness and is temporary.

Hormonal problems may cause hair loss. If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, your hair may fall out. This hair loss usually can be helped by treatment thyroid disease. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop your hair loss.

Many women notice hair loss about 3 months after they've had a baby. This loss is also related to hormones. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. When the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts again.

Some medicines can cause hair loss. This type of hair loss improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners (also called anticoagulants), medicines used for gout, medicines used in chemotherapy to treat cancer, vitamin A (if too much is taken), birth control pills and antidepressants.

Certain infections can cause hair loss. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children. The infection is easily treated with antifungal medicines.

Finally, hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be treated.

Can improper care of my hair cause hair loss?

Yes. If you wear pigtails or cornrows or use tight hair rollers, the pull on your hair can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia (say: al-oh-pee-sha). If the pulling is stopped before scarring of the scalp develops, your hair will grow back normally. However, scarring can cause permanent hair loss. Hot oil hair treatments or chemicals used in permanents (also called "perms") may cause inflammation (swelling) of the hair follicle, which can result in scarring and hair loss.

What is common baldness?

The term "common baldness" usually means male-pattern baldness, or permanent-pattern baldness. Male-pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss in men. Men who have this type of hair loss usually have inherited the trait. Men who start losing their hair at an early age tend to develop more extensive baldness. In male-pattern baldness, hair loss typically results in a receding hair line and baldness on the top of the head.

Women may develop female-pattern baldness. In this form of hair loss, the hair can become thin over the entire scalp.
 

Can my doctor do something to stop hair loss?

Perhaps. Your doctor will probably ask you some questions about your diet, any medicines you're taking, whether you've had a recent illness and how you take care of your hair. If you're a woman, your doctor may ask questions about your menstrual cycle, pregnancies and menopause. Your doctor may want to do a physical exam to look for other causes of hair loss. Finally, blood tests or a biopsy (taking a small sample of cells to examine under a microscope) of your scalp may be needed.
 

Is there any treatment for hair loss?

Depending on your type of hair loss, treatments are available. If a medicine is causing your hair loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medicine. Recognizing and treating an infection may help stop the hair loss. Correcting a hormone imbalance may prevent further hair loss.

Medicines may also help slow or prevent the development of common baldness. One medicine, minoxidil (brand name: Rogaine), is available without a prescription. It is applied to the scalp. Both men and women can use it. Another medicine, finasteride (brand name: Propecia) is available with a prescription. It comes in pills and is only for men. It may take up to 6 months before you can tell if one of these medicines is working.

If adequate treatment is not available for your type of hair loss, you may consider trying different hairstyles or wigs, hairpieces, hair weaves or artificial hair replacement.
 

GENERAL CURES

Addictions  Alzheimer’s Disease  Alcoholism  Asthma  AIDS  Attention Deficit Disorder (children)  Anger  Anti-Ageing Tea  Arthritis  Avian flu  Asperser's Disorder  Autism  Athletes Foot / Foot Odors  Bacteria  Baldness  Beds and Bamboo  Binge Eating  Big Picture  Blood Pressure  Blood-Letting  Brain Disorders  Breast cancer  Blood Loss and Blood Donations  Bloodletting  Cancer Cells and Cancer Cure  Colds and flu  Cold Sores  Colon Issues  Cooking food  Cholesterol  Child Birth  Coma  Chronic Fatigue Syndrome  Death  Depression  Diabetes  Downs syndrome  Eye Problems  Eye Color (changing)  Eating Flesh of animals  Hair Loss  Hangover  Headaches  Heartburn  Heart Problems  Heart Disease (all forms)  Hot wax treatment  Infections  Insomnia  Lead Poisoning  Limb Regeneration (on the body)  Liver Problems  Love  Lung Cancer  Lower blood pressure  Parkinson's disease  Pica  Poison ivy, oak and sumac  Psoriasis  Quit smoking  Overeating  Road rage  Sea, car, place, motion sickness  Softer Skin  Stress  Stopping and possible reversing the human aging process  Sun burns  Stretch Marks  Younger Skin / Anti-Ageing  Weight loss  Weight Loss / Fat Blocker Shrimp Tail Tea  Rabies Childhood ADD and Hyperactivity

PREVENTION AND INFORMATION

Emotions  Tears  The Tiger Dream  Floaters and the human lifespan  The power of the sun  Get anything you want in life  Leukemia and Lymphoma  Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar  The power of the human mind  Shampoo of Life  Talking to the dead  World consciousness  Meditation  Human Groups  The Afterlife  Sleep  Time and how to overcome it  Human Ageing  Beef Jerky  Finding your Soul Mate  Wearing Makeup  Money  Multitasking  Virus Information  Human cells programmed for death?  Telekinesis  New MRI Machine  Under Water Ultrasound Machine  T Cells  Garlic  Green Tea and Cancer Cells  Sleeping toward the North  Intention  Suicide  Seal Milk  Seaweed  Insect problems  Using white onions to cure brain related disorders Sleeping with the soul  Softer skin with a bottle cap?  Cooking with Iron Tea of life  Stomach Problems cured by urine  Soap bubbles and babies  Increasing Male Lifespan Alzheimer's and Pschyzophrenia Jigsaw Puzzle Dream  Exercise Oil The Tea and Me

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THE HUMAN SOUL, AND THE SECRET OF LIFE  HUMAN BABIES ARE ENLIGHTENED  WHITE HOLES , HUMAN DEATH AND REBIRTH  THE GARDEN OF EDEN  INCREASE SEX DRIVE  JESUS HEALS THE SICK  MORE ON ALZHEIMER'S AND HOW TO STOP IT,  MY RIGHT HAND  TEACHING HUMANS CELLS IN OUR DREAMS  PROBLEMS HAVING A BABY?  HAVING A PERFECT DAY

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