Archive for December, 2008
Facing Our Own Hair Loss
Ok, we all would rather not have to face our own hair loss, but unfortunately unless you are blessed with really good "hair genes", and somehow manage to grow old with a full head of hair, you have a good chance of at some point in your life facing the prospect of excessive hair loss. Even children and teens can experience hair loss. Normally the pictures of hair loss we see in the media are those of men or women but anyone can experience hair loss at many different times in their life.
Children especially can experience hair loss due to fungal infections. Ringworm is a common fungal infection that children can get. Children being treated for cancer can experience hair loss as a result of chemotherapy or radiation. Certain diseases such as diabetes or lupus can also have the side effect of hair loss. Children can also have a mental illness in which they intentionally pull out hair. Hair can also be lost as a result of stress such as physical, emotional or mental stress.
Adults can experience hair loss for the same reasons; as a result of a medical condition or disease, as a result of treatment for cancer, as an adverse reaction from certain medications, from the overuse or abuse of certain hairstyling products or hair equipment, and as a result of physical, emotional or mental stress.
Emotional stress that may result in hair loss could be when an individual experiences great emotional stress over the loss of a loved one. Mental stress resulting in hair loss may happen as a result of long-term financial distress, and physical stress can lead to hair loss such as when someone has major surgery, or experiences physical trauma as in a traffic accident.
Facing our own hair loss requires that we first find out why we are losing our hair and then deciding what to do about it. When a doctor or dermatologist is consulted a cause can be determined for the hair loss and a treatment plan designed. The treatment plan may include medications or ways to stimulate hair growth such as scalp massages. A doctor may recommend hair transplant surgery or other alternative methods to either stop or prevent hair loss.
Once the cause is determined, or multiple causes as that can be the case such as someone who contracts a fungal infection who is also on a poor diet, or someone who is 3 months post-partum and is also taking medications that can cause hair loss; the individual can than correct the causes by following medical advise. If a certain medication is causing a side effect of hair loss the person can let the prescribing doctor know so that the medication can be adjusted or changed to something else. If an individual is having hair loss due to hormonal imbalance such as taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy the doctor can suggest alternative methods. Most causes for hair loss can be treated by medication or by non-medicated methods. Unfortunately there are some instances where balding cannot be stopped and hair cannot be stimulated to regrow. Facing our own hair loss is easier if we take the time to determine the cause and investigate treatments. Doctors and dermatologists are both professionals who can assist in discovering the cause and in suggesting possible treatments. They can also refer hair loss patients to reputable products to help stimulate new hair growth. They can also recommend other sources of information and support in the community and in books or online.
Tags: hair loss, dermatologist
The Connection Between A Stressful Life And Your Hair Loss
There are many things that are common in our lives but one thing that many of us have in common is that we go through life with stress as a companion. Another thing that children, men and women can have in common is hair loss. Have you ever thought that perhaps there may be a connection?
Have you noticed thinning hair or areas of your scalp that are more scalp than hair? If you suffer from hair loss there may be many reasons for it including poor diet, a side effect of a medication, heredity, a symptom of a condition or illness and stress. Yes, stress can cause hair loss.
We experience stress in a physical manner such as when our bodies are traumatized in an accident or we can experience emotional stress such as when a family member dies. Another stress is mental stress such as when we become stressed out over an out of balance checkbook.
The stress we encounter in our lives can result in two types of hair loss. One is classified as telogen effluvium and the other alopecia areata.
Of the two types of hair loss we can encounter as a result of stress telogen effluvium is the less severe form of hair loss. Telogen effluvium presents as hair that stops growing and remains in the resting stage for 2 to 3 months. This "dormant" hair will then fall out and be replaced by new hair growth within 6 to 9 months. The length of time it takes to have new hair growth will depend upon the condition of your scalp, and what has caused your hair to fall out in the first place.
Alopecia areata occurs when white blood cells attack the hair follicles. Several weeks after the attack of white cells, hair will fall out in patches. Individuals who have alopecia areata can also have hair loss over the entire scalp hair. Alopecia is not limited to the hair on your scalp it can happen with any of your body hair.
You can experience more than one hair loss factor at the same time along with the stress factor.
If you are wondering how to know if your hair loss is caused by stress or not, have a talk with your doctor. In order to determine if your hair loss is caused by stress, your doctor will give you a physical examination and will take a current medical history.
If you are not sure what can cause stress in your life take a look at this list and see if any of these things have happened to you over the last 6 months:
You have experienced one or more major life changes such as a job change, moving, a marriage or a divorce, the birth of a child or the death of a child, the loss of any family member or long-time friend.
Tags: stress and hair loss, telogen effluvium, hair loss
