Hair grows on all areas of the human body except the palms of our hands and the soles of our feet. Many hairs are so fine that they cannot be seen by the human eye. Hair is made from a protein called keratin, a substance which is produced in hair follicles and the outer layer of the skin. Growing hair is a string of dead keratin cells which are being pushed out through the surface of the skin as new hair cells are produced. Alopecia is an umbrella term for a cluster of hair loss conditions.
What is considered ‘normal’?
The average human head has around 100,000 to 150,000 hairs and we lose around 100 of them a day, naturally. Therefore, seeing a few stray hairs on your hairbrush each day is no real cause for alarm.
At any one time, around 90% of the hair on a person’s head is growing. There are three main phases of hair growth:
- Anagen – active hair growth which lasts around 2 to 6 years
- Catagen – transitional hair growth, lasting arounf 2 to 3 weeks
- Telogan – the resting period which lasts around 2 to 3 months after which the hair is shed and a new growth cycle of hair begins.
Telogen effluvium is a temporary condition effecting the growth cycle of the hair. Many hairs go into the resting phase at the same time, causing extensive shedding and hair thinning.
Alopecia
As we age, the rate at which our hair growth slows down and certain health or lifestyle factors can induce hair loss (alopecia).
Involutional alopecia is the natural degeneration of hair growth over time. More and more hairs go to the resting phase and the remaining hairs become shorter and fewer in number. Androgenic alopecia is a genetic condition that can affect both men and women. Men who suffer with this condition (male pattern baldness) can experience this in early teens or twenties and can experience a receding hairline and gradual depletion of hair on the frontal scalp area and the crown. Women tend to experience this condition – female pattern baldness – at a later age (around 40 onwards) and they are more likely to experience a general thinning over the entire scalp as well as extensive hair loss at the crown.
Alopecia areata can start very suddenly and can cause patches of hair loss in people of all ages. It can result in complete baldness but in most cases, the hair will return in a few years. Stress or illness can be the trigger for this condition.
Alopecia universalis is a condition where all body hair falls out, including the eyelashes, eyebrows and pubic hair. Although the cause is unknown, it is thought that AU is an autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles. At present, there is no known cure for AU but sometimes, even after many years, the hair can grow back.
Scarring alopecia results in permanent hair loss. Inflammatory conditions such as acne, folliculitis, cellulitis, lupus and lichen planus can result in scarring which can destroy the ability for the hair to regenerate. Hot combs and hair that is too tightly woven can also result in permanent hair loss.
Get diagnosed and treated with YourHairDoc
At YourHairDoc, we excel in diagnosing and treating a range of hair loss issues. We have a variety of surgical and non-surgical procedures to restore and revitalise your hair. We have effectively restored thousands of our patients’ confidence with our innovative and effective hair restoration techniques and are passionate about offering a first-class service and level of care to all who visit us.
If you would like to arrange a no obligation, confidential consultation with our hair transplant surgeon Dr. Somji, to discuss your individual concerns, contact us today on 0208 418 0362.
