Hair Loss
Sometimes referred to as: alopecia, androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata, scarring alopecia, effluviums, male pattern hair loss, female pattern hair loss
Interview between:
Jamila Schwartz, MD
Steven Winiarski, DO
The causes of hair loss can be broken into roughly six categories: effluviums (hair loss due to emotional of physiological stress), alopecia areata (an autoimmune process), scarring alopecias (an inflammatory condition of the scalp), infectious causes, physical causes (e.g. too much tension placed on hair), and genetic causes (male and female pattern hair loss).
Cases Per Year (US)
In any year, about 35 million men and 21 million women are experiencing hair loss.
General Frequency
85% of men by age 50, and 45% of women by age 80.
Risk
Mostly psychological, but can lead to increased sun-related skin cancers on the scalp.
Symptoms
What are the main types of hair loss and how do they present?
The most common type of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, also known as male-or-female pattern baldness. It is genetically predetermined, and is the result of hormones—called androgens—acting on hair follicles and progressively shortening their life cycle.
In men, androgenetic alopecia is recognized as a progressively receding hairline and the loss of hair at the crown. It typically affects half of men over 50 years old, but can start as early as adolescence. In women, it is characterized by a more generalized thinning on the top of the head that only rarely leads to complete baldness. These cases can also begin early, though they more commonly presents after menopause.
Telogen effluvium, the second most common type of hair loss, affects people who undergo some type of significant physical, metabolic, or emotional stress. Many women, for example, experience this after giving birth. Hair abruptly shift from the anagen (growth) into the telogen (resting) phase and falls out. Surgery, severe injury, chronic illness, or rapid weight loss due to diet can also trigger telogen effluvium.
Treatment (Androgenetic Alopecia)
Other Considerations
Lifestyle Approaches
Useful Links
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Jamila Schwartz, MD and Steven Winiarski, DO are both members of the Galileo Clinical Team. Connect with one of our physicians about Hair Loss or any of the many other conditions we treat.
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