Baldness in men and women. Causes of alopecia, treatment
Complete or partial loss of scalp hair is defined as alopecia. Baldness is most often diagnosed in men, but it also occurs in women after childbirth and in children.
Causes of the development of alopecia
Hair loss can occur for a variety of reasons. In women, it depends on the state of the hormonal system - baldness can begin during pregnancy or after the birth of a child. Sufficient content of zinc and iron in the body is also important - a lack of these elements leads to partial baldness. Trichologists (doctors who deal with hair problems) identify the following reasons that give impetus to the development of alopecia:
- frequent stressful situations;
- too strong emotional experiences;
- long-term use of hormonal contraceptives;
- reception of medicines that affect the blood clotting system;
- poisoning with arsenic, bismuth, boric acid or gold (we are talking about the constant effect of these substances on the body, which may be related, for example, to the specifics of a person's work);
- radiation therapy and the use of cytostatics in the treatment of tumors;
- mycosis is a fungal skin disease;
- syphilis;
- herpetic infection;
- high level of androgenic hormones.
It is impossible to independently recognize the cause of severe hair loss and itching of the head - only trichologists, after conducting a number of examinations, will be able to draw a conclusion.
How does alopecia manifest itself? Its species
Baldness always begins with the appearance of small bald patches located on the crown of the head or in the frontal area. During hair loss, the scalp becomes smooth and shiny, but for a long time you can see the final hair, which looks absolutely no different from the hair before baldness. Often, symmetrical bald spots appear on the temples, over time they spread over a larger area, merge, after which the hair loss process covers the parietal and occipital areas of the head.
In medicine, the following types of this disease are differentiated:
- Androgenic alopecia - occurs not only in men, but also in women, occurs against the background of an excessively high level of synthesis of androgenic hormones in the body. Most often, the first signs of the problem appear at the age of 35, then baldness progresses, and literally in a few months a person can become completely bald. Taking hormonal drugs can stop this process. The doctor will tell you what tests to take in case of androgenic alopecia, and will prescribe treatment. Seborrheic alopecia. It is associated with the appearance of seborrhea, most often diagnosed at the age of 25-30. At first, the hair becomes too greasy, hangs in the form of "icicles" that cannot be styled - a picture of constantly dirty hair arises, despite its frequent washing. Then the hair begins to fall out according to the classic pattern: first on the temples, then on the crown and back of the head. A characteristic feature of this type of disease is a shiny bald spot, framed by an even strip of healthy, densely located hair. Focal alopecia. It is also called nesting. A specific feature of this type is hair loss in the form of randomly located problem centers over the entire surface of the hair part of the head. The true causes of this type of disease have not yet been elucidated. It almost always ends with complete baldness in a short period of time. Alopecia areata has one more characteristic feature - in places of hair loss, the skin acquires a red tint, but then the color becomes normal.
The daily norm of hair loss is the loss of a maximum of 125 hairs. If this process is more active, you should seek help from a doctor.
Treatment of alopecia in children and adults
If the disease was diagnosed in time, then you can hope for positive results of treatment. Females, especially pregnant women, are very concerned about baldness, so the question of how to stop hair loss in women after childbirth is one of the most pressing. The trichologist will prescribe treatment according to the type of disease and the patient's general state of health.
A patient with alopecia is recommended to revise their diet: it should be full and varied. Together with the intake of vitamin complexes, full rest and correction of hormone levels, the diet will lead to good results.
If the cause of baldness was caused by external factors (features of work, taking medications), then they should be eliminated, and hair growth will resume. But you should not engage in self-medication, including taking seemingly harmless vitamin and mineral complexes without a doctor's recommendation. What vitamins to take for diffuse alopecia, what products to add to the menu, whether it is possible to use folk remedies during treatment - the answers to these questions will be given by a trichologist.
More detailed information about the problem of hair loss, including the treatment of alopecia in children, can be obtained on our website Dobrobut.com.
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