Hair loss is diagnosed through a medical history and physical examination. Your health professional will ask you questions about your hair loss, look at the pattern of your hair loss and examine your scalp, and may tug gently on a few hairs or pull some out.
The most common cause of hair loss, inherited hair loss (androgenetic alopecia), is easily recognized. Men tend to lose hair from the forehead area and top of the head with normal amounts of hair on other areas of the scalp. Women tend to have the same amount of thinning of hair throughout the scalp.
Hair loss history
To determine the cause of your hair loss, your health professional may ask you about:
* Characteristics of your hair loss. Is your hair thinning, with your scalp becoming more visible, but your hair is not noticeably falling out? Or is your hair shedding, with lots of hair falling out?
* How long your hair loss has been occurring. How long has it been since you had your normal amount of hair?
* Your family history of hair loss. Does your mother or father, brother or sister, or any other relative have hair loss? If so, what caused their hair loss?
* Your hairstyling habits. Has your hair become fragile from pulling it too tight or from other hairstyling habits? Have you had any chemical treatments to your hair, such as perms or bleaching? Do you use a blow-dryer that may be too hot? Is a curling iron damaging your hair?
* Any recent illness. Have you had any skin rashes, such as ringworm, recently?
* Medications you are taking. Are you taking blood thinners (anticoagulants) or medications for arthritis, depression, or heart problems? Have you had any cancer treatment?
* Your diet. Are you getting enough protein and iron in your diet?
Tests
If the reason for your hair loss is not clear, your health professional may do tests to check for a disease that may be causing your hair loss. Tests include:
* Hair analysis. Your health professional will take a sample of your hair and examine it under a microscope. A scalp sample might also be taken.
* Blood tests, including testing for a specific condition, such as an overactive or underactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism).
Hair loss in women is more difficult to diagnose than it is in men because the pattern of hair loss is not as noticeable as it is in men. In women with mild to moderate hair thinning who are otherwise healthy (with normal menstrual cycles and fertility history), testing to diagnose hair loss usually is not done. However, in women who have irregular menstrual cycles, continued episodes of acne, or too much body hair (hirsutism), testing for a class of hormones called androgens, including testosterone, is sometimes done.
reference: http://health.yahoo.com/
Exams and Tests
Hair Loss
What Happens
What happens in hair loss depends on its cause.
Inherited hair loss
Inherited hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) often begins between the ages of 12 and 40, and about half the population has some hair loss by about 50 years of age. 1, 2 The hair loss generally is gradual. Men tend to lose hair on the front hairline and forehead and on top of the head. Eventually, only hair around the ears, the sides, and back of the head remains. Women with this condition typically have gradual hair thinning throughout the scalp. This type of hair loss must be treated early for hair to regrow.
See an illustration of typical inherited hair loss.
Other causes of hair loss
Alopecia areata is hair loss caused when the immune system attacks hair follicles, where hair growth begins. It usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth bald patches on the scalp and can progress to total scalp hair loss or complete body hair loss. It often begins in childhood. The hair usually grows back within 1 year. However, hair loss in alopecia areata often comes and goes—the hair will grow back over several months in one area but will fall out in another area.
Hair loss may be caused by stress, disease, or medications or medical treatments. In these cases, clumps of hair may fall out. However, once the underlying cause is stopped, the hair usually grows back, although sometimes treatment may be needed.
Treatment to regrow hair does not work for everyone. If your hair loss is inherited, treatment may not permanently restore your hair. If your hair loss is caused by medication, stress, or damage, hair often grows back after the cause is removed, although sometimes you will need treatment.
For both men and women, hair thinning and baldness increase the risk of sunburn and skin cancer on the scalp. When in the sun, it is important to wear a hat or use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more to prevent sun damage to the scalp.
reference: http://health.yahoo.com/
Minoxidil for hair loss
Examples
| Brand Name | Chemical Name |
| Rogaine | minoxidil |
Minoxidil (2% or 5% solution) is a spray or lotion that you put directly on your scalp twice a day. It is available without a prescription.
How It Works
It is unclear how minoxidil affects hair growth. Minoxidil appears to increase hair follicles and increase the diameter of hair shafts.
Minoxidil has been approved for both men and women.
Why It Is Used
Minoxidil was originally used to treat high blood pressure. It is now also used to treat inherited hair loss (androgenetic alopecia), the most common cause of hair loss, as well as for other causes of hair loss.
How Well It Works
Minoxidil slows hair loss and grows new hair. In men, the 5% solution appears to be more effective than the 2% solution, but it costs more and may have more side effects. 1
Some people who take minoxidil only grow hair that is thin and wispy or similar to peach fuzz.
Minoxidil seems to work best on people younger than 30 years of age who have been losing hair for fewer than 5 years.
Side Effects
The most common side effects include skin irritation and an itchy scalp. In women, minoxidil may promote facial hair growth, especially on the forehead and cheeks.
If you have heart problems, ask your health professional about using this medication.
See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)
What To Think About
Minoxidil must be used daily. If you stop using minoxidil, any regrown hair will gradually be lost, and within 6 to 12 months the scalp will most likely appear the same as before treatment.
reference: http://health.yahoo.com/
HOW TO USE ROGAINE (MINOXIDIL) FOR HAIR LOSS, DALLAS, TEXAS
EMINA KARAMANOVSKI, HAIR TRANSPLANT COORDINATOR AT LAM INSTITUTE FOR HAIR RESTORATION, DESCRIBES HOW TO APPLY ROGAINE (MINOXIDIL) FOR HAIR LOSS
KEY WORDS: HAIR LOSS, HAIR TRANSPLANT, HAIR RESTORATION, ROGAINE, MINOXIDIL
Hair Loss Cure Found?
When trying to reduce and stop your hair loss it's important to understand WHY you are experiencing hair loss in the first place. Only then can you really cure your hair loss, because you can stop the root causes of it!
So what causes hair loss?
Contrary to popular myth it isn't excess testosterone. It is excess estrogen, or more technically, estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance causes the over-production of DHT, and DHT is well known to be the 'death hormone', aka the aging hormone.
Cut down your estrogen exposure and you will stop the production of DHT, and thus stop your hair loss and perhaps experience regrowth.
So where is this estrogen exposure coming from?
Pollution in the environment, and chemicals put into food. This makes it clear what has to be done to reduce and stop hair loss. You need to
1) Neutralize pollution before it becomes estrogen in your body. Do this by cleansing and strengthening your main detoxification organ, the liver. There are many cleansers on the market which do this.
2) Stop eating food with chemicals put into them Do this by eating organic food instead.
By doing both of these steps you will no longer produce anymore DHT. However, there is the small matter of DHT that is lodged in your scalp. This needs to be removed asap, otherwise hair loss will continue. There are many expensive DHT removing agents on the marketing, yet cheap and effective ones do also exist. Shop around and find the best one for you.
Colin Montana has set up a free website about solving your hairloss problem. Check it out today at The Ultimate Hairloss Solution.
reference: http://ezinearticles.com/
