What is hair loss?
Hair loss, also known as alopecia, affects both men and women. Each case of hair loss is unique, resulting from a combination of several factors, so each case of hair loss needs to be diagnosed and treated as separate issues.
Doctors categorise hair loss based on whether it is localised (affecting only a few discrete areas on the scalp) or diffuse (spread across the scalp). They also distinguish between scarring and non-scarring patterns of hair loss. This distinction is crucial because scarring alopecia involves the destruction of hair follicles, leading to permanent hair loss.
It is not easy or even likely that a layman can determine whether he or she has scarring or non-scarring alopecia, so professional medical advice is needed. This is particularly important when dealing with a specific condition known as Telogen Effluvium which will be discussed below.
Hair growth cycles
In order to establish whether our hairfall is normal or not, we first need to understand the normal hair cycle.
Normal hair grows in cycles and goes through 3 stages:
A growing phase (Anagen)
A resting phase (Telogen)
A falling phase (Catagen)
Unlike some animals which shed their hair, human hair growth is asynchronous – this means that there are hairs in different stages of the cycle at any one time, and the effect of normal or physiological hairfall is therefore not too obvious, because about 80 to 90% of our scalp hairs are in the anagen phase.
Hair grows at a rate of 1 to 2cm a month. At any time, it is normal for a person to lose as many as 50 to 100 strands of hair daily and these usually show up on a comb/brush or on the bathroom floor, especially after washing your hair.
Types of hair loss
Here are some common types of hair loss.
Treatments for hair loss
Often, no specific treatment is required for telogen effluvium. We do occasionally prescribe supplements and in some cases topical therapy.
We generally advise patients to continue to use a gentle shampoo, and to minimise activities that might result in excessive hair loss, such as rough combing/ brushing of the hair, or tying it in very tight braids or buns.
To reduce excessive hair loss that is noted after combing the hair, use a wide-tooth comb and avoid brushes. It is perfectly fine to shampoo your hair daily and to keep your hairstyle short. Blow drying the hair is alright, but do not place the hair dryer too close to the scalp or hair, to reduce the heat build-up.
Having multiple symptoms described above?
Enquire now for more information, or make an appointment today with our dermatologist.
