Excessive hair loss has been a problem that has plagued the people around the world for a very long time. It has robbed a lot of individuals’ self confidence and feeling of self-worth. Hair loss affects any color, any race, any age and attacks both men and women. To further validate, recent studies have revealed that twelve to about fifteen percent (12-15%) of each country in the world have individuals who seek the help of medical professionals just to find a solution to the hair loss problem scientifically called alopecia.

Alopecia got its name from the Greek word alopex which means fox. Foxes are usually less hairy than all other mammals. When mange, a skin disease strikes, the evidence is so obvious. For a classier ring to it, alopecia was used.

Hair Growth Cycle

Usually, hairs are found in almost every single nook and cranny of the body except for the palms and except for the soles of our feet. Each strand of hair undergoes the hair growth cycle’s three phases.

The anagen phase is the stage where the hair grows rapidly. The cells replicate which become a part of the hair shaft; this is also the stage where an unknown signal temporarily ceases active hair growth. The phase called catagen is where the hair usually sheds off. About 50 – 100 strands of hair shed on a daily basis. This is but normal as one can infer from the hairs found on one’s comb as well as in the bathroom. Do not fear about this type of hair loss because these hairs will eventually grow unless baldness really exists. For the last stage called telogen, about ten percent of the total amount of hair rests and gets ready for the next cycle of active growth.

These three stages of growing, shrinking and resting of hair happens for years. A strand could grow to as long as 10 centimeters. With this growth comes the shedding part. When your hairs shed, it is most likely normal. What can be counted as hair loss is when the balance between growth and falling off tips the scales. Therefore, to keep the two balanced, an individual must consider determining the problem with thiese factors in mind.

Male and Female Pattern

Excessive hair loss is also almost always associated with men but this is not always the case. Regrettably so, women also experience baldness but they are only able to acknowledge such later in life. When a woman looks in the mirror, it is likely that she does not see the progression of the condition. In time, when the results are obvious would she be aware of what has happened to her crowning glory.

There are two types, namely: male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness. For males, the front line is the sole surviving stretch of robust growing hair, all the rest gets thin. Usually, total hair loss follows this phases in just a very short span of time. On the other hand, females’ hairs shed from all over the scalp leaving the front part. Fortunately, this pattern does not progress to total hair loss.

Alopecia types

Additionally, alopecia is classified into focal or diffused and whether there is scarring or none. Focal alopecia is confined to specific places in the scalp while diffused is scattered all throughout. The scarring refers to the irritation in the scalp which happens as a result of the destruction of the hair follicles. For a number of individuals, the pattern of hair loss happens in two progressions; the early stages reveal non-scarring diffused alopecia which would gradually (in the cases of others) or abruptly lead to permanent hair loss.

To further address alopecia, a closer look at androgenetic / androgenic alopecia or alopecia androgenetica is laid out. This type of alopecia does not only involve men but also women; studies have concluded that one of every three women will lose hair. It is so called because the genes bear a significant role in the acquisition of this kind of hair loss; in short, it is hereditary. A woman can get the condition either in the paternal or maternal side of the family. Aside from the genes, about thirty three percent, or more than a quarter of women experience baldness that can be considered as androgenetic alopecia.

For all the classes of alopecia, there is still hope for hair regrowth as long as the hair follicle is there: either active or dormant. However, when the follicles die, the chances of being bald is high. However, with a dormant or sleeping hair follicle, the hairs can still grow and the possibility of reverse hair loss can be reversed.