Hair Loss - Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

Hair loss is a natural part of the body's process of renewal. As some hair falls out, new growth replaces it. However, this process may be accelerated by a number of conditions. Hormonal changes may contribute to rapid hair loss, such as during pregnancy or childbirth, or even when coming off the Pill. As these fluctuations in hormone levels drop off, the hair loss should clear up, so the condition is only temporary. In a recent study, hormone levels were studied in both male and female patients experiencing severe hair loss. The research points towards a complex interaction between sex and thyroid hormones that may lead to the condition.

The human scalp sheds about 50 to 100 hairs each day, so normal hair loss should not cause alarm. If your hair appears to be thinning appreciably, however, you may want to consult a hair restoration specialist to discuss hair loss prevention and other treatment options. 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.

Hormonal problems may cause hair loss. If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, your hair may fall out. This hair loss usually can be helped by treatment thyroid disease. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop your hair loss.

Stress is another factor linked to hair loss. While it has not been proved definitively, emotional trauma has been loosely associated with hair loss, but milder strains and worries probably do the same thing. Stresses placed on the body may also cause a woman's hair to jump ship. For example, crash dieting, in which a woman loses a large amount of weight rapidly, may also cause her to lose her tresses, too. Since stress is often transient, if its cause clears up, the resultant hair loss should disappear as well.

Many women notice hair loss about 3 months after they've had a baby. This loss is also related to hormones. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. When the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts again.

However natural or normal this may be, many women want to reverse or halt this trend. If a woman wishes to take action medically, she will get better results if she acts sooner rather than later. Rogaine (minoxidil) is one of the most popular remedies. Still, only about 20% of people have normal hair re-growth, another 40% have a lighter, shorter re-growth that is like "peach fuzz." The growth only lasts for as long as the woman uses it. It costs about $30 a month and must be applied twice a day.

While there are a multitude of products purporting to be the next "hair loss cure," there are only two FDA-approved, non-surgical hair restoration treatments available: Rogaine® (minoxidil) and Propecia® (finasteride). These two products can be effective in hair loss prevention, and may even help to regrow hair for some men. However, once you start using Rogaine® or Propecia®, you must continue to use these products indefinitely, otherwise any new hair will fall out. Fortunately, there are other, more permanent treatments available to improve the appearance of thinning hair.

The earlier hair transplant techniques took large chunks of scalp and hair from dense areas and moved them to bald spots, something that did not address the typical situation for women. The newer, micrograft hair transplant techniques make this a viable option for a woman's overall thinning pattern.

Many women can forego the medical route for this problem. Hair loss can be managed through a variety of hair products, from mousses and gels to coloring to wigs and extensions. These often give better cosmetic results at lower costs and with less trouble.