From a clinical point of view, is it true that people with severe hair loss are suffering from many aspects of life?70% of the respondents believe that hair loss affects the choice of a spouse, 61%, hair loss makes it more difficult to find a job, and older men believe that hair loss is the beginning of aging and create a fear psychology. This lack of appearance makes them lack self-confidence in job search, love and social activities. Some patients are in a long-term state of low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety, which eventually leads to psychological disorders that require psychological guidance and medication.
Is hair loss hereditary? (Does it matter if it is passed on from male to female?)
Seborrheic alopecia is called “androgenic alopecia”, also known as “male pattern baldness” and “seborrheic alopecia”, which is commonly referred to as “baldness “early baldness”.
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss in clinical practice and can be seen not only in men but also in women. Androgenetic alopecia is an androgen-dependent polygenic genetic hair loss.
This type of hair loss is very closely related to genetics, so there can be multiple affected individuals in a family.
Besides genetics, what are the other major causes of hair loss?
There are many types of pathological hair loss depending on the cause
1. First of all, the most common type of hair loss is “androgenetic alopecia”. From the name, this kind of hair loss is related to two factors, one is the genetic factor, and the other is the role of androgens. The main androgen in the male bloodstream is testosterone, which inhibits hair growth and makes hair shorter and thinner. Testosterone is converted to the more active dihydrotestosterone by an enzyme (5α reductase), which binds to the androgen receptors on the hair follicles and eventually leads to hair loss.
Androgenetic alopecia often develops after puberty, mostly in young adults, and has a very high incidence. Caucasians have AGA at 30 years of age 30% and 50% at 50 years of age. women: onset is generally 10 years later than men. There are two peak ages of onset, 20-30 years and 40-50 years. There are three general patterns of androgenic alopecia.
Anterior pattern: an M-shaped receding anterior hairline.
Typical pattern: The anterior hairline is receding while the top of the head loses hair in a Mediterranean-like fashion.
Top pattern: No receding frontal hairline and hair loss on the top of the head.
Female patients usually have diffuse alopecia.
2, there is another type of hair loss is also more common, we usually call it “ghost shaving”, medically known as “spot baldness”. This kind of hair loss is related to autoimmunity, and most patients are related to mental stimulation.
The onset is sudden, and there are no conscious symptoms of round or oval areas of hair loss on the scalp.
3. The more common type is called resting alopecia. This condition is mostly seen in women after childbirth. Normal adult hair 80% in the growth phase, so the hair will not occur synchronous loss, after childbirth, discontinuation of birth control pills, malnutrition, endocrine diseases (hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism) and other cases, so that many hair follicles enter the resting phase in advance, resulting in gum much hair synchronous loss.
4, the fourth called scarring hair loss, such as burns. Infection, certain skin diseases destroy hair follicles, causing hair loss.
5, the fifth: growth phase hair loss, generally caused by chemotherapy, radiation therapy hair loss.
6, there are some rare types of hair loss such as psychogenic alopecia, also known as hair pulling fetish. It is an abnormal behavior caused by psychological disorders.
The above is to introduce you to some of the common types of hair loss in clinical practice, as well as the causes and performance of each type. The causes of pathological alopecia are complex, and as to which type you actually belong to, you need to go to the hospital to ask your doctor to help diagnose and treat the cause.
Is there any help for alopecia areata patients? What are the most effective treatments for hair loss?
There are many clinical treatments available to treat hair loss. In the case of the most common androgenetic alopecia, there are already clinical treatments that can significantly improve androgenetic alopecia.
1. 5α reductase inhibitors: Androgenic alopecia is caused by the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone under the action of 5α reductase, which binds to androgen receptors on hair follicles and leads to hair loss. A new drug, 5α reductase inhibitor, has now been developed, which is the only FDA-approved oral treatment for androgenic alopecia in men. His principle is to inhibit 5α reductase in the scalp, inhibit the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, reduce the amount of dihydrotestosterone in the serum and scalp, and thus treat hair loss.
2.Anti-androgens are generally used for female patients.
3, topical treatment commonly used minoxidil solution.
4.Serious patients can also use hair transplantation.