Androgenetic Alopecia - Why Am I Losing My Hair?

The main reason for hair loss in both men and women is androgenetic alopecia, which is responsible for pattern baldness about 95% of the time. It usually happens as we get older and is known to develop in predictable stages over different lengths of time. Each of your follicles is genetically programmed to follow a predetermined growth cycle which causes some of your follicles to be active for a longer time than other follicles. This is what causes the pattern baldness that strikes so many people.

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This type of baldness doesn't just show up out of the blue. There are several things that must be present, such as:

First, male hormones must be present.

Second, you must have a genetic predisposition toward hair loss.

Third, aging. The first two factors must have time to take effect.

Both men and women produce testosterone and DHT. But the fact that men produce them in greater quantities than women is why men develop pattern baldness more often than women. Here is how these hormones affect the growth cycle of your hair:

1. Some of the cells of your hair follicles and sebaceous glands will have high levels of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase.

2. Testosterone is converted into DHT by the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme.

3. Thanks to the DHT, the terminal hairs will start to miniaturize.

4. This will cause short, soft vellus hair to grow which will not provide your scalp with adequate coverage.

5. Gradually, the growth phases will get shorter until even the vellus hair will quit growing leaving you with a bald spot.

It is believed that alopecia areata is a disorder of the immune system which leads hair follicles to quit producing hairs in some areas of the head. It can get bad enough that all the hair on the head disappears. This is called alopecia totalis. When all the hair on the body also falls out it is called alopecia universalis.

The majority of the time the hair will come back on its own, although anyone suffering from it knows how upsetting it can be, especially when you've been unable to figure out its cause. Anyone who feels they have this form of hair loss should consult a doctor who will conduct a physical exam and test your blood to determine the exact cause of the hair loss.

There is a type of hair loss known as telogen effluvium which is characterized by a shedding or thinning of the hair over several months and is usually found in people who have undergone a recent trauma such as major surgery, childbirth, chemotherapy, psychological stress or a severe illness.

Fortunately, the hair loss that comes with telogen effluvium is usually temporary and reversible.

There are other less common causes of hair loss that will need to be discounted before you or your doctor can choose the best course of treatment such as traction alopecia which is hair loss caused by constantly pulling it. This is usually caused by hair styling.

As you can see, figuring out the real cause of hair loss is not very easy or straightforward. But once you and your doctor have figured out the cause, you can start working on restoring your hair to what it once was.