When hair loss occurs, several factors should be taken into consideration. Alopecia, a term used to designate hair loss, is not automatically genetic, nor is it inevitable if hair loss is common in the family. Probability and prevention are key!
First off, if you suspect you’re losing a little too much hair, consult a hair and scalp health specialist as soon as possible. Avoid autodiagnostics and ask a professional that’s capable of pinpointing your problem. Why make sure you know what you’re dealing with? Well, there are many different types of hair loss. Some are normal and easy to contain, while others require immediate attention and expert care.
Yes, and in this case it’s called hereditary androgenetic alopecia. Affecting nearly 70% of men, it’s the most common form of hair loss and it usually ends in complete baldness, which is the final stage of alopecia. Hereditary hair loss is due to a hormonal disorder, a pathology transmitted through the genes, that triggers progressive hair loss on different parts of the head. Depending on the individual, it will evolve at different speeds. Even though, it mostly affects men, women can also suffer from this ailment.
The Norwood Hamilton scale classifies levels of baldness from 1 to 7. While first signs can emerge prior to adulthood, they’ll normally manifest between 30 and 40 years old, while 80% of men over 70 will deal with advanced alopecia. *
There are several types of hair loss that are not related to genes and the root causes are varied. Ingesting certain medication, an abundance of stress, pregnancy, chemotherapy and other factors may affect your hair and scalp health, eventually causing progressive, accelerated, temporary or permanent hair loss. Even in the case of a hormonal disorder, it’s not always necessarily hereditary. It can be caused by other biological or chemical factors.
It’s important to note that once the process has begun, it’s irreversible, though you can slow down its progression. A dead hair can’t grow back, however prevention treatments can keep hair follicles active and prolong their life expectancy, through adequate stimulation. Results vary from one individual to the next, depending on receptivity and overall condition of the patient. Other varying factors are the treatment applied, methods used and the moment the process was launched.
Baldness in itself is not fatal, but it’s also not something we have to live with indefinitely. Permanent solutions exist and new technologies make it impossible to tell the difference between natural hair and prostheses. Whether natural or synthetic, for several years now, extensions, volumizers, prostheses or wigs are created with materials and placement techniques that offer natural looking hair that’s perfectly adapted to an individual’s style.
*Reference : Chauve qui peut! , Jean-Benoît Nadeau, L’Actualité, april 2017.
