Hair Loss - Symptom, Treatment And Causes

Alopecia is generally the medical term that is used to define the phenomenon of hair loss. In majority of the cases, the cause behind the occurrence of alopecia remains unknown. Several studies based on this have shown that alopecia could well be a hereditary problem. The wigs help patients get back their confidence with a natural feel of hair.

Some of the factors that can cause alopecia or in simple words, hair loss, include:

• Stress
• Medication
• Illness

Alopecia could well be a symptom of certain diseases like:

• Diabetes
• Lupus
• Thyroid related conditions.

There are some women, who tend to experience hair loss after giving birth but in most of the cases, it is a temporary element.

Kinds of Alopecia

1. Alopecia Areata:

This kind of hair loss takes place mainly due to autoimmune response. Loss of hair is noticed mainly in the scalp region, with the formation of bald spots, sometimes taking the size of a nickel.

2. Alopecia Universalis:

Alopecia Universalis refers to the kind of hair loss that occurs right through the entire body. People who suffer from this kind of hair loss, tend to lose their eyelashes, eyebrows as well as hair from other parts of the body.

3. Alopecia Totalis:

Alopecia Totalis is caused mainly out of the autoimmune response. This type is associated with loss of hair, whose presence is there on the entire scalp.

4. Androgenetic Alopecia:

Androgenetic Alopecia refers to a kind of hair loss that is caused by factors related to heredity.

5. Traction Alopecia:

This type of Alopecia tends to occur when scalp comes across too much of friction along with excessive rubbing. Traction Alopecia is mostly prevalent among women or men, who carry ponytails, micro braid, weaves and cornrows.

Now, in the next segment, let us come to the Alopecia Wigs.

Alopecia Wigs

The wigs for Alopecia are basically full lace wigs, which are at times even called as full cranial prosthesis. Alopecia wigs are generally not that different from other wigs, which are full of lace. Full lace wigs and lace front wigs very much serve the same purpose regardless of the reason for which people need to wear them. 

The full lace wigs are great and ideal for people who suffer from alopecia because:

• They are all expertly made and each strand of hair is hand tied to give people a kind of an illusion as of it coming off one’s scalp
• The full lace wigs can be customized as per the choice of colour, head size and texture
• The variety of colours, textures and length give people a natural feel and help to make them feel secured and confident.

Hair Loss is a major concern for each and every individual, as it hampers one’s style and has a major impact on the self-confidence. Male-pattern hair loss has a combination of male hormones and genetics, while on the other hand, the cause behind hair loss in females is supposed to be autoimmune in nature. Platelet-Rich Plasma is one of the many treatments for hair loss, which people can try out and get desired result. The plasma contains white blood cells and platelets, which are rich in growth factors. Let’s go deep into what exactly Platelet-Rich Plasma is and its role in hair growth.

What is Platelet-Rich Plasma?
Platelet-Rich Plasma or PRP is a concentration of platelet-rich plasma protein, which gets derived from whole blood, with the aim to remove red blood cells. There is a fairly greater concentration of growth factors than whole blood and it is generally used to encourage a swift healing response to different specialities. Using PRP is a great option for treating the problem of hair loss as it has numerous scientifically based articles showing:

• Its effectiveness in increasing hair count
• Improves thickness of the hair

Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment Procedure
Like most procedures, a careful process is involved in using Platelet-Rich Plasma for re-growth of hair. A standard amount of blood is drawn from a patient’s arm. The tube, containing the blood is put inside a machine, known as a centrifuge, which helps to spin the blood tube and get the red blood cells separated from the plasma. Then the plasma, which is rich in platelets, gets injected directly on to the scalp, right at the level of the hair follicles. The process is carried out meticulously, starting off with injections across the scalp, which is injected approximately at every half inch over the area, having thin hair as a result of hair fall. The whole process takes less than 30 minutes. 

Results

• Maintaining consistency is the key towards achieving the best results of this treatment.
• People need to undergo this treatment ideally once a month for three to four months in the initial phase and then gradually increase it to every six months thereafter.
• The extent of treatment depends upon how an individual patient responds and results it shows.
• If the treatment procedure is maintained on a regular basis, the desired results can be seen within the first two to three months.

Risk Factors

• There is no risk involved in being part of this treatment.
• Most of the patients receive injections without getting the areas numbed, as there is minimum discomfort.
• In case, a patient comes across any sort of pain, cool air or ice packs can be used to minimize it.

A perfect mop of hair on head is one of the most cherished desire for any woman. Healthy hair accentuates the beauty of a woman by multiple times. It also conveys a lot about a person’s overall personality. In order to maintain perfect hair, people take many measures like buying the best available products in the market, using the best shampoo available, trying various home remedies to maintain and improve hair health and even visiting salons for a perfect hairstyle and look. However, in some individuals, their worst possible fear related to their hair comes true and creates a nightmare. Hair fall! It’s dreaded, both by men and women. Especially for women, it becomes a huge obstacle in achieving a perfect persona.

The most common cause of the female pattern hair loss is the increase in age. Researchers have found out that a large number of women lose around 50% of their hair by the age of 45-50 years. This particular age group is commonly the period of menopause in the female population.

1. Other major reason of female hair loss is psychological stress. In females, hair loss is a chronic and gradual process which demands an early diagnosis and prompt action.
2. Hormonal imbalance and disorders related to the thyroid gland are among the major risk factors for triggering hair loss earlier than expected in women.
3. Other important causes of hair loss in women include use of certain medications, systemic diseases, infections affecting the scalp, deficiency of essential nutrients and even genetics. Identification of the underlying causative factor is essential in aiding an appropriate treatment.

The medical term for baldness is ‘alopecia’. Alopecia areata is the condition where bald patches are seen on the scalp. It is an autoimmune condition affecting the hair follicles and the lost hair usually grow back after a year. However, when there is complete loss of hair, with no chances of regrowth, the condition is termed as ‘Alopecia totalis’.

A contagious skin infection that can also be a cause of hair loss is the ringworm infection. Ringworm infection on the scalp is termed as ‘Tinea capitis’. This condition can be treated using antifungal medication.
Hair loss is also expected in women post childbirth. This condition is attributed to changes in the hormones occurring during childbirth and it reverses after a few months with proper diet.

A dermatologist should be consulted for prompt treatment for hair fall before it progresses.

Are you suffering from the problems of excessive hair fall or hair loss? Are you turning bald at a young age? Hair loss can have different reasons and causes. Sometimes, it is a symptom of a major disease. At times, hair loss is just due to hormonal issues. Whatever be the cause, excessive loss of hair leaves bald patches on your scalp. At times, they are really embarrassing for the person suffering from such hair problems. Though there are surgical methods like hair transplant and hair re-growth serum, the newest technology and treatment that people are interested in is the PRP treatment.

What is PRP?
PRP is also known as Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy. After several experiments and research medical practitioners have started making use of this therapy to help you grow back the hair that you have lost. The process of this therapy is extremely simple. It uses your own platelet rich plasma. This plasma is injected onto your scalp with the help of a thin needle. The main purpose is that the plasma reacts with the growing factors of the blood and helps the hair to grow naturally. This can be seen as a very natural procedure as your own plasma is used for treating your hair loss issues. It is carefully conducted by experts after several tests on your scalp and plasma. It is undertaken by trained professionals and thus is seen as a successful way of getting your hair back.

Advantages of PRP:
There are several advantages of this therapy. Some of them are explained below:

1. It is one of the very few non-surgical procedures. It is effective in most cases and has been successful in providing desired results. It is also a very simple treatment to undergo and thus many choose it compared to transplants.
2. Your recovery period is not very long and thus, after about a week’s rest you can go about living your life normally.
3. It is a very safe procedure. Several tests are conducted prior to the implementation of this therapy. If complications are bound to arise, your medical practitioner would definitely inform you.

Thus, if you are experiencing excessive hair loss and severe balding of the scalp, this is one treatment that you can opt for. The advantages have been clearly outlined for your benefit. Furthermore, it is recommended that you visit your dermatologist before settling for any kind of treatment. They would assess your scalp condition and causes of hair fall and guide you towards the right treatment for your problems.

What is Alopecia Areata?
Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune condition that results in shedding of hair in small and random patches. Alopecia in general affects the scalp, but then again it can also occur in other parts of the body.
The exact reason for alopecia still remains undefined. Nevertheless, it has found that most people who have a family history of autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes are the most vulnerable to this condition. The good news for you is that although this illness has no cure, there are treatments which can help your hair regrow quickly and may also, in many cases, prevent future hair loss.

How is Alopecia diagnosed?
While the doctor may be able to diagnose this disease by simply looking at the extent of hair loss, he can also examine a few strands of the hair samples under a microscope. If needed, your doctor can also perform a scalp biopsy to rule out other conditions that may have caused the hair loss, such as fungal infections like tinea capitis. While performing a biopsy, the doctor will remove a small piece of skin (no more than the nail on your little finger) on your scalp for analysis. If other autoimmune conditions are suspected, blood tests may also be done. The specific blood test that needs to be performed depends completely on the particular disorder that your doctor suspects.

How is Alopecia treated?

1. Medical Treatment: Minoxidil helps in stimulating hair growth and also prevents further hair loss. Other commonly used therapies include corticosteroid creams and steroid injections and ointment. In certain cases, photo-chemotherapy can be used as a part of the treatment plan to promote hair growth. Photo-chemotherapy is a type of radiation therapy that combines ultraviolet radiation along with oral medications as a follow-up.
2. Alternate Therapy
   • If you wish, you can also choose alternate therapies to treat this condition. These therapies include:
   • Acupuncture (on the scalp)
   • Aromatherapy
   • Herbal supplements
   • Vitamin supplements (like vitamin E)

 In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!