hair loss

Getting a Diagnosis and Treating Your Hair Loss Problem

Hair loss can be an embarrassing problem. It can happen for many different reasons. Hair loss can be the result of incorrect hair grooming habits or from harsh chemicals being put on your scalp, to the medications that are taken to treat an illness or condition. Hair loss can also happen when we are really stressed out about something of an emotional, or mentally stressing situation. We can also experience physical stress such as major surgery and hair loss can occur. Hair loss can be a big problem for many people children, men and women alike.

There are many treatments and ways to cope with temporary or permanent hair loss and the way to find out what the best treatments might be is to first get a diagnosis for your problem. A doctor can examine your scalp, access your general health, perhaps run a few tests like blood or urine tests or by taking a small sample of your scalp skin and or hair follicles in order to come up with the diagnosis or cause(s) of your hair loss. With this information in hand, the doctor can help you to make good decisions about how to cope with or treat your hair loss.

If your hair loss is due to another illness or condition, getting that condition or illness under control can result in a solution for your hair loss. Scalp infections can usually be treated with medications and are usually temporary. Hormonal imbalances can usually resolve themselves (if caused by pregnancy or birth control pill usage or hormonal replacement therapy) or if the situation can be addressed by solving the imbalance.

If stress is causing the hair loss, improving the situation that is causing the stress often results in the ability of the hair to regrow.

The key to treating your hair loss problem is to get an accurate diagnosis so that the best treatment can be determined. A medical doctor or dermatologist can make the diagnosis and advise you on what your treatment options are.

Treatments can vary and will depend on what is causing the hair loss but common treatments include:

· Medications to prevent further hair loss by improving blood circulation to the scalp or medications that stimulate new hair growth

· You can color your hair to try to hide the hairless scalp

· Improve your diet if poor nutrition is contributing to your hair loss

· Wear hairpieces such as wigs, toupees or hair extensions

· Stop taking birth control pills or replacement hormone therapy medications if they are found to be causing hormonal imbalances that can contribute to hair loss

· Use hair transplant surgery to put hair plugs into areas of the scalp that have suffered permanent hair loss 

Tags: treating hair loss problem, hair loss, scalp infection

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