There are a high number of people who will, at some point or another throughout their life, suffer with hair loss. For many this will be down to the natural aging process, whilst for some it will be temporary. In all cases though, it can lead to anxiety and depression, and deeper rooted psychological issues.
People with anemia can be prone to suffer such a condition, and treatment of this parent issue will most likely see the loss reversed. This is also true with those having some cancer treatments; which again will see hair be restored once these courses have been completed.
Androgenic alopecia is the most common of conditions. Better referred as male pattern baldness, many people are unaware that it is just as likely in women as it is men; passed down through the genes in a family line. Here though, medications finasteride and minoxidil can be effective for some.
Whilst is remains unclear why minoxidil is effective, this is the only treatment that can be effective for women to use. Finasteride only performs when used by men; though the process is better understood; controlling the levels of follicle shrinking dihydrotestosterone in the body.
Both treatments need to be given a minimum of four months to work, and whilst side effects are rare, stopping the treatment will see the condition return; whilst ne hair growth will fall out within six to eight weeks.
Another common condition, suffered by around one percent of the population is alopecia areata. This is indicated by sudden patches of baldness appearing over the scalp, and tends to more virulent in younger people. Of the reported cases, there are again links to family history, with as many as twenty percent of sufferers coming from a line of previous sufferers.
Whilst most sufferers will see hair growth return within a year or so, there are up to twenty percent of cases that can be far more severe.
A lesser known form of alopecia is telogen effluvium; which can be recognized not so much through total loss of hair; but through widespread thinning across the entire scalp and other areas of the body. Again, this is a condition that often subsides after a few months; as is closely linked with stress or a reaction to some forms of medication.
Treatments for all forms of hair loss do vary, and can include steroids, immunotherapy and UV light courses. However, it is important to understand that such conditions are common, and whilst it is natural to be embarrassed and depressed, help can be effectively sought through doctors, dermatologists and even through consultation with a reputable pharmacist.
Would you like to learn more about hair loss treatment? Read more articles about hair loss in women