Hair Loss in Women

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If you find that there are spaces between in your hair that are gradually getting wider then it is possible that you are losing more hair than normal and this video is for you.

Usually on a daily basis humans loose somewhere between 50 to 100 hair strands daily but when it exceed this by 25 strands per day then we without any external factor then we say the person I s experiencing hair loss.

In this video we will look at the clinical features, the causes and confirmatory test that are necessary to know if a woman has hair loss or alopecia. We will also look at some of the treatment option and managements.

There is balance between hair growth and hair loss that typically is seen in in the hair. This is between the hair growth and the hair lost everyday. This balance is supposed to keep hair growing and to replace the old hair in the process. This balance can be upset when there is more hair loss than hair growth. Medically this termed Alopecia.

Besides the head there is are other surfaces on the body that have hair. It covers virtually every surface really. The hair on the head and pubic region are more affected by testosterone and are thicker and darker.

What are the types of hair loss?
There are three: anagen effluvium, telogen effluvium and FPHL.

Anagen effluvium: This when air loss is due to some substance in the body like in the case of chemotherapy.

Telogen effluvium: This is may be due to stressors like weight loss and the like.

Androgenic alopecia this also known as female patterned balding and clinically presents with thinning over the hair. It is the most common type of hair loss seen in women.

Hair loss is seen in nearly 50% of women and it is noticeable in this 50%. Rough estimates show that about a third of women in America experience female patterned hair loss.

Hair loss is more likely to happen if yo are over 40, just had a baby, or were on chemotherapy of you are menopausal. Certain hair styles also make women more prone to hair loss. Like pony tails or tightly locked braids.

Some of the myths people have been found to believe about hair loss is that, shampoo can cause air loss or that dandruff or stress causes hair loss that is permanent. Some people believe that shaving their hair grow thicker or that standing on the head will make blood more flow to the head and increase circulation. People also think that hair loss affect only smart women or that 100 brush stokes per day is all that is necessary for health hair growth.

SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES
One of the commonest causes of hair loss in women is styling such as tight corn rows braids or ponytails. It called traction alopecia. This loss can be permanent. Other causes are deficiencies in vitamins poor eating habits.

What causes anagen effluvium hair loss?
Chemotherapy usually destroys fast growing cells like hair and the effect is typically seen all around the body. This hair loss can be permanent too.

What causes telogen effluvium hair loss?
Extreme physical stress or shock to your body: This causes temporary hair loss. This category includes events like losing a lot of weight, surgery, anemia, illness and having a baby.
Extreme emotional stress: mental illness, the death of a loved one, etc.

What causes FPHL (Female Pattern Hair Loss)?
Genes: Your family’s genes can cause thinning of hair along the top of your head.
Aging: Hormone changes as you age can cause balding.
Menopause: This type of hair loss often gets worse when estrogen is lost during menopause.
There are also some conditions that affect hair loss:
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune skin disease that causes patchy hair loss on your head and possibly other places on your body. It’s usually not permanent.

Abnormal thyroid
Some drugs like some anti-hypertensives, drugs for gout and vitamin A---menopause
Hormonal changes in pregnancy can also causes these.

Female patterned hair loss can because by different factors

In menopause the hair loss is typically due to the drop in hormone levels. Particular hormones are estrogen and progesterone.

DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS
Hormone levels will be essayed for also some scalp examinations for fungal infection such as trichophyton in addition to scalp biopsy.

MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT
I suggest being watch for the type of hair you make, don’t apply too much traction to the hair so that you don’t lose hair, for those who are losing hair in pregnancy, seeing your obstetrician for those complaints will be helpful because of the hormonal changes. Hormone replacement is helpful for those who are menopausal you can reach out to an endocrinologist/gynecologist for those prescription.

In general follow good diet habits, if you find that you have poor diet habits meet you general practitioner for the way f

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