Causes of Baldness
Author: mike hayden The most common type of baldness in men is known as male pattern baldness. With this type of hair loss, men will experience hair loss at the temples and the crown of the head. Male pattern baldness can occur at any age, however this process mostly starts among men in their 30s.
Baldness that is genetically determined is rare, and often irreversible. Baldness, at least amongst men, is becoming a macho look, and treatments that work or help or prevent are becoming much more abundant. Baldness is defined as an area of the scalp that is no longer covered by hair.
Balding may be caused by genetic disorders such as androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata and so on. It can also be caused by hormonal imbalances, chemotherapy and some medications.
Telogen effluvium is a temporary kind of hair loss. Hair falls out suddenly in handfuls. It may occur because of a physical or emotional shock or trauma.
An active intellect or mental illness can cause baldness. Because of the close proximity between the brain and hair, it was believed that too much brain activity or too many psychological problems could contribute to hair loss. Needless to say there is no validity to this theory and plenty of examples to refute it.
Hair is made in hair follicles which are like tiny pouches just under the skin surface. Some men have areas on the scalp that are extremely sensitive to the male sex hormones that circulate in men's blood. The hormones make the hair follicles shrink from where the hair grows. After a while, they become so small that they can't replace lost hairs.
The main reason for hair loss in most of the men is the hormone called DHT and this hormone is fed by the sebum gland that is inside the scalp in the hair follicle. A very specific enzyme called 5 alpha reductase converts testosterone to DHT (the hormone for hair loss). This bad enzyme feeds off the cholesterol in the sebum or scalp oils.
A number of things can cause excessive hair loss. For example, about 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the illness and is temporary.
Lengthy growth period (Anagen Stage) - this phase usually lasts between two and seven years with an average growth rate of six inches (15cm) each year.
As the name suggests, androgenetic alopecia is a baldness triggered off by the action of the male hormone on a weak gene. Androgenetic alopecia is also known as Male Pattern Baldness. Treatments are available for fight against androgenetic alopecia.
Natural treatments such as acupuncture and homeopathic methods are also becoming increasingly popular. There is no research that has concluded that these treatments are effective, but they are still available.
This hair loss condition is known as male pattern baldness because the hair tends to be lost in a very distinctive shape or pattern. In the initial phases you may notice some thinning of the hair around the crown and temples, and your hairline may start to recede upwards towards your crown.
Read About Hair Loss Also Read About Baldness Causes and Prevent Hair Loss
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