Hair fall is also called as alopecia or baldness.
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There are multiple causes of hair fall. Few of them are:
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Androgens
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Stress
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Poor diet
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Men and women both can suffer from hair fall or alopecia. In females it is called as female pattern hair loss (FPHL) or telogen effluvium and in males it is referred as androgenic alopecia.
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Hair life cycle: Anagen, catagen and telogen
Anagen phase: The growing phase lasts 2-7 years and determines the length of our hair.
Catagen phase: This is the transitional stage that lasts about 10 days. The hair follicle shrinks and detaches from the dermal papilla.
Telogen: This is the resting phase which lasts around three months. Around 10-15 percent of hairs are in this phase. Whilst the old hair is resting, a new hair begins the growth phase.
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Objective of hair fall treatment is to keep maximum of your hair in anagen phase. Hair fall or alopecia as a disease is not life threatening, but it affects the social life of the patient. It is observed that the confidence of the patient is affected which prevents them to get socially active. Patients stop themselves from participating in social gatherings, going out at public places and getting involved in other activities where known or unknown people are involved.
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With proper skin procedures, treatment, healthy lifestyle and nutritious diet hair loss or baldness can be treated. Early diagnosis plays a very critical role in the treatment:
Hair fall of approximately 100 strands per day is considered as normal. If pateints face hair fall of more than 100 strands per day then this can be a symptom of alopecia. Patients should consult their doctor or physician immediately. Delay in treatment will result in more prolonged treatment duration and hence delayed results.
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Symptom:
Most common symptoms observed during hair fall in women is hair thinning, hair loss during washing, loss of lustre and colour changes. In men the major symptom of androgenic alopecia is receding hairline. After a period of time shape of the hairline is of alphabet ‘M’ on the forehead and hair fall from the centre of head also takes place. Baldness at the centre of head is called as ‘crown’.
Treatment:
Hair transplant or hair replacement surgery is one of the treatment methods of alopecia. Application of minoxidil based lotions, hair serums and having multivitamin tablets meant exclusively for hair loss treatment is another option. Now, selection of treatment depends on severity and treatment choice of the patient.
Treating alopecia by using minoxidil based lotions and other products meant for topical application involves long term treatment. Treatment adherence plays a very important role here.
Multiple clinical studies are there in which efficacy of various treatment modalities are mentioned. Minoxidil based hair lotions are widely used. Their topical application and duration of application and treatment plays critical role in the outcome. Visible results can be observed after 3 to 6 months. Consult your doctor if you face any side effects or unwanted effects of the prescribed medicine.
Clinical studies are there in which it is observed that hair fall is associated with improper diet or deficiency of nutrients. To full fill the deficiency of nutrients patients should have nutritious diet. Nutraceuticals are also helpful in the treatment of alopecia. Nutraceuticals are the products containing vitamins, minerals, amino acids and certain important plant extracts.
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Other methods for treating hair fall are:
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Meso therapy
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Hair roller
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Platelet rich plasma
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Regular exercise and yoga help to reduce stress. Patients should do exercise and yoga for at least 30 minutes every day.
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