Other Types of Hair Loss

OTHER TYPES OF HAIR LOSS

ALOPECIA AREATA

Alopecia areata is an auto-immune disease that affects hair follicles anywhere in the body, appearing as a rounded patchy area of hair loss. Alopecia areata affect both men and women and could be seen almost anywhere on the skin.

ANAGEN EFFLUVIUM

Sudden hair loss due to the effect of chemicals or radiations such as hair loss following chemotherapy, radiation therapy or toxins is typical conditions called anagen effluvium. This condition is different from Telogen effluvium, in which hair enters the resting phase. In this condition, hair loss begins 1-3 weeks following exposure to the inducing factor. Some types of anagen effluvium such as hair loss after chemotherapy could be temporary and hair growth is back to normal once treatment is finished. The texture of hair could be somehow different after re-growth in some cases.

TRICHOTILLOMANIA

Trichotillomania is a self induced hair loss in which patient continuous pulling hairs cause hair loss in some areas. Emotional and psychological disorders such as anxiety are usually involved. It occurs most commonly among children and adolescents. Women are affected twice as men. It could also occur on the eyebrow, beard and body hair.

TRACTION ALOPECIA

Traction Alopecia is caused by continues pulling on the hair causing local hair loss in the affected area. Many factors could be responsible such as various hair styling, ponytails and tight braiding. The process of hair loss is gradual, but if it continues, hair loss could be permanent. Permanent types of traction alopecia could be easily treated with hair transplantation.

TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM

Sudden and usually stress related hair loss, which presents itself as general thinning throughout the scalp. Telogen Effluvium occurs after any sever and sudden stress. In Telogen effluvium a large number of hair follicles go to sleep phase at once causing hair loss or thinning all over or in a large area of scalp. In most cases the hair loss recovers spontaneously and completely. Telogen effluvium can be seen in patients who are prone to male or female patterned baldness and stress cause accelerate hair loss that may be not reversible due to underlying conditions. The most common form of telogen effluvium is seen after childbirth or pregnancy termination for other reasons in women.

SHOCK LOSS AFTER SURGERY

The stress and physical changes following major surgeries or procedures of head and scalp area can cause sudden hair loss in involved areas called shock loss. Hair transplant used to be one of the major causes of shock loss, but using the medication Propecia has reduced the rate of hair loss after hair transplant surgeries significantly.

MEDICATION INDUCED HAIR LOSS

Many medications have hair loss as one of their side effects, but here is a list of the most important ones:

  • Chemotherapy mediations
  • Alloppurinol
  • Coumarin
  • Clofibrate
  • Gemfibrozil
  • Heparin

SCARRING ALOPECIA

Scarring alopecia could be as result of gross scars such as surgical incisions or traumatic injuries or could happen at cellular level by inflammatory reactions such as skin infections destroying hair follicles “cicatricial alopecia” in which patient lose hair in part or all of his head or body due to destruction of hair follicles at cellular level. Cicatricial alopecia generally happens following a skin infection or inflammatory process.
Scarring alopecia as result of surgical incisions or trauma could be easily treated with hair transplantation or sometimes with simple excision of the scar.

INFECTIONS AND HAIR LOSS

Infection used to be one of the most common causes of hair loss in children in the past, is seen very rarely now thanks to the effective antibiotic and antifungal treatments that can cure scalp infectious diseases.

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