Hair Loss: Causes and Treatments
   — Articles by Josh Riverside —

The desire to avoid hair loss is not confined to our time. In ancient Egypt, men used to rub fat from crocodiles, snakes, lions, and other animals on their head in hopes of preventing or treating hair loss. Julius Caesar and Napoleon also experienced hair loss and tried to conceal it by growing their hair long in the back and combing it forward over their heads. Today, this motivation to avoid balding is still evident.

There are many available hair loss remedies that include creams, vitamins, hormones, wigs, hairpieces, hair transplants, and scalp-reduction procedures. A report filed recently by the FDA stated that in a nine year time-span, about 300,000 hair loss treatment products claiming to help hair regrowth were investigated.

Non-surgical treatment options also include hair additions such as hair weaves, hairpieces and toupees. These devices are made of human hair, synthetic fibers or a combination of both. Constructed in a variety of ways, these hair loss aides can give you the look of having a full, natural head of hair without the expense of costly surgeries or expensive medicines.

If typical hair loss treatment products aimed to slow down or stop hair loss are ineffective and you have the time and money, there are surgical treatments for hair-loss. Hair transplant surgery is costly and sometimes painful. During surgery, healthy hair follicles are taken from the back and sides of the head and transplanted onto other areas of the scalp where they replace dead follicles. This treatment option typically takes from one to two years to be complete and can have mixed results. It is best to talk to and meet people treated by the doctor you are seeing so you can be sure the results are similar to your expectations before going through with the treatment.

Hairloss Info provides detailed information about the cause of male and female hair loss, as well as products, treatments, remedies, and more.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Hair Loss Treatment and Remedies
A healthy adult loses at least 100 hairs a day from his head, so only excessive hair loss above this level is abnormal, says Dr. Warwick Carter in his book The Complete Family Medical Guide. Hair may be lost in small patches (alopecia areata), large areas, or there may be diffuse loss of hair from all over the head. Read more…

Hair Loss Treatment
Solutions for hair loss, thinning and balding hair for men and women.

Hair Loss and Hair Loss Treatment
Hair loss treatment using combination medications; nonsurgical hair loss treatment.

Hair Club: Hair Loss and Hair Replacement
Provides proven hair loss solutions, including state-of-the art, non-surgical hair replacement; the gold standard in hair transplantation; and, hair therapy programs that incorporate FDA-approved hair re-growth agents.

The Causes of Hair Loss

Normally, about 10 percent of the hair on your head is resting (not growing). After a few months, the resting hair falls out and new hair begins to grow in its place. The growing phase can last from 2 to 6 years. While in the growing phase, hair will gain approximately 1 centimeter a month. It is normal to experience hair loss every day as part of this normal resting/growing cycle. Some people experience excessive hair loss from a variety of causes.

The cause of hair loss is multi-variable. Most people erroneously believe that hair loss is caused by things like bad circulation, stress, sweat and dirt on the scalp, or wearing hats. With the exception of stress, none of these factors has been proven as a cause of hair loss. Stress is also not very likely unless you have undergone extreme physical or psychological torture. This hair loss is also temporary.

The real cause of hair loss lies with hormonal problems. Hair loss occurs when male or female hormones (androgens and estrogens) are out of balance. An imbalance of hormones is usually a genetic trait that as of yet, cannot be cured. Male and female-pattern baldness is the most common form of hair loss. This is caused by a hormone called DHT, a naturally occurring hormone that helps in sexual development. After puberty, an increase in DHT causes an increase in binding at hair follicle protein receptor sites which throws the process of healthy hair growth off.

Other causes of hair loss may be medicine. Blood-thinners, medicines used in chemotherapy, an excess of vitamin A, birth control pills, and antidepressants have all been shown to promote hair loss in certain people. Infections of the scalp can cause hair loss as well as certain diseases like lupus and diabetes.