hair loss

Diagnosis and Treatment of Hair Loss

Doctors can diagnosis, determine the cause of and treat hair loss by looking at your head, scalp and hair, and by asking medical questions regarding recent and current illnesses and medications that you have used. Doctors use both the Hamilton and the Ludwig classification charts when classifying the hair loss. If the doctor is uncertain about the cause of the hair loss there may be blood tests ordered or a biopsy of the scalp. Skin problems can lead to hair loss, so the doctor may have to do further evaluation regarding skin conditions. A microscopic examination of tissue from your scalp may help the doctor to diagnose a fungal scalp infection. Lupus is another skin condition that may affect hair loss.

Treating hair loss will depend upon the cause. Causes can vary as well as present several factors such as stress, poor appetite, medication adverse effect, and the presence of disease. If illness is a factor, treating the disease usually will clear up the hair loss.

Treatment may include medications, therapy for stress, proper diet, and also medications. Hairpieces, new hairstyles, replacement hair and artificial hair are all options. Your doctor may prescribe Propecia, Proscar, Rogaine, Loniten, even testosterone depending on the diagnosis. It is important to read all medication labels, follow advice from the doctor or pharmacist. You may want to speak with your doctor about hair transplants where the doctor take a plug of hair from other areas of your scalp and transplant the hair to the thinning area. Scalp rotation can be done for children but not for adults, as adults do not respond well to scalp rotation. Your doctor will ask you to make follow-up appointments to gage how you are responding to treatment.

Your doctor may speak with you about preventing future hair loss. You may be able to make lifestyle changes that may improve the condition of your hair such as changing to a shampoo that does not contain soap, not overusing hair dryers, hair dyes, styling products or curling irons which can all irritate or inflame the scalp, or cause breakage to your hair.

Your doctor may also speak with you about your diet and any stress in your life as these two factors can also influence hair loss. If your diet is lacking in nutrition, your doctor may refer you to a licensed dietician or a nutritionist. Psychological counseling may be prescribed for you if stress is determined to be causing your hair loss.

Your doctor can guide you when it comes to self-help changes such as what hair care products to use, minimizing damage to your hair when using styling equipment and treatments, and improving your diet. If need be, your doctor can explore other medical possibilities for the cause of your hair loss.

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How Do You Cope With Hair Loss?

Are you coping with hair loss now or have you in the past? Do you have a family history of hair loss and wonder how you might cope with it if you should experience hair loss?

Children, men and women can all experience hair loss. Hair loss results from various factors such as having a poor diet, the result of a medication that you are taking, a hormonal imbalance such as when a woman is pregnant, taking birth control pills or going through menopause. Hair loss also occurs as a result of aging and also it happens to us even when we have normal hair growth (but not excessively as it does when you suffer a hair loss problem).

Just like another medical condition or illness we all cope with it differently. Some cope with tough situations by ignoring them, others try to see the positive side of things and others will research the condition "to death" in an effort to understand and find new things to do to deal with it. Hair loss is no different in that people can cope with it in many different ways.

Children who experience hair loss usually do so because of a reaction to medication, or having had hair accessories that are too tight, or from getting scalp infections such as ringworm. Depending on their age, it is usually very embarrassing to lose hair and have others see them that way. You can get creative and use hats or scarves to cover up the hair loss until new hair growth can take place. There are also wigs to be used in the case of children with cancer where hair loss may be long-term or permanent.

Women tend to experience hair loss, as thinning hair so in coping with their hair loss most will turn to creative hairstyling to cover up the thinning hair. Again, hats and scarves or hairpieces and wigs work well too. There are many products on the market today, which are made for women or made so that both men and women can use them. These products are designed to either re-grow hair, or to stop further hair loss by improving blood circulation to the scalp.

Men are more likely to embrace the baldness. There are also many techniques to regrow hair that men take advantage of such as hair transplants, and medications to stimulate new hair growth or to improve the blood circulation to the scalp to stop future hair loss. Men are also found of hairpieces such as toupees that are used to cover up hair loss.

No matter whether you are a child, man or woman experiencing hair loss the best first step to coping with hair loss is to seek medical advice and diagnosis. A doctor or dermatologist can discover the cause or causes (as there may be more than one) for the hair loss. The cause can then target the best course of treatment to stop or prevent future hair loss. If you can understand why you are experiencing hair loss, you are much more likely to be able to find a good treatment or coping plan. 

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