Alopecia hair loss is considered a normal hereditary condition or a result of different illnesses. The loss of hair varies from partial to total, and from sudden to gradual. It may also be premature or senile. Know more about this condition even more. Take a hand at its causes and indications. Look at how the condition can be diagnosed.
As an overview to this male hair loss problem, alopecia hair loss can be categorized as scarring or non-scarring alopecia. The scarring alopecia is a severe kind of hair loss because it is an external condition due to the damage of hair follicles. It causes the scalp to have a flattened surface, thus, resulting to the wiping out of follicular openings. On the other hand, the non-scarring alopecia is just a momentary hair loss. Even if the hair follicles are destroyed, it will not affect the follicular opening, thus, permitting forthcoming hair development.
Causes of Alopecia Hair Loss
There are various causes of Alopecia hair loss. You may already know the end-result of these causes. What you may not know, however, is what the causes are. Below is the list of some of the reasons of hair loss:
- Using particular drugs for chemotherapy is considered as one of the most common causes of alopecia.
- Alopecia may also occur due to other drug treatments or maybe due to radiation therapy.
- It may also be caused by some kinds of ailments like disorders occurring on your skin, connective tissue, and endocrine glands.
- It may also be due to nutritional and psychological syndromes.
- Alopecia may also occur if you have neoplasm, infection or you have been exposed to certain toxins.
- The other contributing factors to alopecia include aging, genetics and hormonal imbalance.
Indication of Alopecia Hair Loss
There are individuals who may not instantly single out alopecia, especially those who have thin and comparatively very little hair and are originally living in hot areas. Alopecia in men usually affects the temporal areas which extend into an M-shaped hairline. Alopecia can affect both male and female and it can also occur in areas like the trunk, pubic, axillae, arms, and legs.
Diagnosis and Assessment of Alopecia Hair Loss
The initial thing that a physician will do during diagnosis is to conduct an investigation of the medical history of the patient to be followed by physical examination. During the physical examination, the doctor will ask the following questions for the proper assessment of alopecia:
- Are you undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy sessions?
- When did you start noticing the hair loss or the thinning condition?
- Is the hair loss occurring only on the scalp or is it also happening in other hairy areas of your body?
- Is it accompanied by irritation and hives?
After these series of questions, the doctor will then evaluate the other indications that will be useful in determining the type of hair loss the patient is experiencing. After the initial questions the doctor will start the thorough physical examination on the rest of the skin of the patient. The physical examination is very important because it will help the doctor in determining the kind of medication to be recommended and to ensure that the medication will not cause any complication to the other medicines that the patient is currently taking.
When you are noticing symptoms of possible Alopecia hair loss, it is imperative that you see a professional for consultation. The questions above may also help you determine the cause of hair loss and may eventually aid in the treatment that you need. Do not be afraid or embarrassed. Preventing your hair loss is much better than not doing anything about it. This will also help you seek the right treatment for hair loss. As always said, it is better to take an ounce of prevention than resort to a pound of cure later on.
