Treatment of Hair Loss [ad#Ad-plus-sense]Hair thinning or loss (alopecia) roughly accounts for about 1% of all general practice consultation. The hair root below the skin is enclosed within a hair bulb at the base of which is the vascularized dermal papilla which contains receptors for male hormones or androgens. It is now known that the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is converted from testosterone by the enzyme 5 alpha reductase causes hair follicle to become progressively smaller and the hairs to become finer. In individuals genetically predisposed to androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness/female pattern baldness), concentrated level of 5 alpha reductase leads to increased DHT in the hair follicle which shrinks with each hair growth cycle consisting of the growth phase (anagen), the transitional phase (catagen) and the resting phase (telogen). Approximately 95% of all hair loss is due to androgenetic alopecia which can affect both men (Male Pattern Baldness) and women (Female Pattern Baldness). Affected man gradually develops a receding temporal hairline which is followed by thinning of the top of the head. Affected woman usually complains of diffuse hair loss. Other common causes of hair loss include alopecia areata, telogen effluvium (e.g. stress related hair loss), anagen effluvium (chemotherapy or radiation related hair loss), scarring alopecia (dermatoses, trauma, burns), self-induced hair loss and hair loss secondary to underlying diseases (e.g. thyroid dysfunction, fungus infection etc.). The clinical approach to hair loss consists of 1) history taking; 2) physical examination; 3) laboratory investigation and 4) treatment/counselling. 1. History Taking. [...]
Tags: androgenetic alopecia, hair loss treatments, stress related hair loss, thinning hair treatments, treatment of hair loss