Temporary Hair Loss and Permanent Hair Loss: Causes and Remedies
Hair loss affects almost every man and woman. In some cases, hair loss may be a temporary illness, meaning hair growth may be regained after a period of time. In most other cases, hair loss becomes permanent, and in this case treatment options are limited. Here’s a glimpse at the different causes of hair loss and the options available to treat some of them.
Temporary Hair Loss: Hair loss may be temporary if it is caused due to fungal infections, thyroid problems, pregnancy or use of medications.
Fungal Infections: The most common type of fungal infection found on hair is ring worm disease. Hair loss due to fungal infections can be treated with anti-fungal medications.
Pregnancy/Child Birth: In most women, hair loss happens after child birth and during lactation. This is due to the hormonal changes occurring in the body during this period. In most cases, the condition is reversible. Within a period of one year after child birth, women regain normal hair growth.
Medications: Certain medications such as oral contraceptives, anti-depressants, NSAIDs, and beta and calcium channel blockers can cause hair loss. Vitamin supplements or drugs having too much Vitamin A also induce hair loss. Chemotherapy drugs are known to cause severe hair loss in cancer patients. However, hair loss induced by these drugs is mostly reversible. Hair grows back after you stop taking these drugs.
Thyroid diseases: Hair loss can occur either due to an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) or a hyperactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). Each condition causes a hormonal imbalance. This abnormal condition can be treated with the help of drugs that help the body supply right amount of hormones. As the patient recovers from these conditions, hair starts regrowing.
Alopecia areata: Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease. Diabetes and lupus are two autoimmune diseases that can result in hair loss of this type. This type of hair loss may not always be reversible, so patients suffering from this type of hair loss may have to turn to hair loss drugs or hair transplants.
Permanent Hair Loss: The most common type of permanent hair loss is androgenic alopecia, the common baldness found in men. In a typical androgenic alopecia, the hair is lost in a well-defined pattern starting from the temples. Hair may be lost from the crown too. In women hair becomes thinner in the entire scalp.
Medications such as finasteride and minoxidil are effective in treating androgenic alopecia, but they are also known to cause side effects such as sexual dysfunction in men. Hair transplants are the best ways to deal with androgenic alopecia as they don’t create any side effects. Follicular unit extraction (FUE) using advanced Neograft technique is gaining popularity. This hair transplant method does not create any surgical scar on the scalp, nor does it give you the “plugged” look. Rather, it creates a uniform and natural hairline matching your hairstyle.
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