Causes and Treatments of Hair Fall

Hi, I am Dr Sunakshi. I am a dermatologist and hair transplant surgeon. Today I will be talking on hairfall.

Hairfall as we all know is a natural phenomenon. Up to hundred strands of hairfall in a day is called normal. But more than 100 strands in a day is alarming. We should start looking for the cause of hairfall.
So, first I will discuss the various causes of hairfall. The most common form that we see in our population is pattern baldness. It is present s male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness.

In the male pattern, the hairline recedes and there is thinning of hair over the front and crown area which is progressive. There is grading for this pattern which progresses from grade 1 to grade 7. We decide the treatment according to the severity of the baldness. So, it starts as thinning of the hair root and it progresses to the stage where the hair root is lost.

In female pattern baldness, there is widening of the hair partition area and there is thinning of hair over the crown area. Male pattern baldness is basically because of the male hormone testosterone which acts at the receptors, DHT present on the hair follicle. For this hormones basically, cause hairfall in the front and crown area. The hair on the back and the side area of the head are resistant to the hormone because they do not have DHT receptor. When the baldness is mild and when there is only thinning, it can be corrected with medical treatment which comes in the form of minoxidil lotions, various supplements which come in the combination of various vitamins and minerals available for hair growth.
The other medical treatments are PRP (platelet rich plasma). It is extracted from the blood of the patient and it is injected into the area of thinning. PRP contains various growth factors which are helpful in hair regrowth. The severe stage of baldness when the hair root diminishes is a stage when hair transplant is done. In this hair is taken, the roots are extracted from the donor area as I mentioned in the back and the side area, the follicles are extracted and then they are implanted in the recipient area.

General care should also be done for hair fall. Like frequent wash is important. If there is a problem of dandruff, anti-dandruff shampoos should be started to control hair fall. Diet should be supplemented. It should be rich basic vitamins and minerals which are present in green leafy vegetables. Proteins should be taken I the fo0rm of eggs and fruits.

Treatment of hair fall are medical and surgical. We decide the treatment according to the severity of the baldness. When the stage is mild and there is thinning over the front and crown area, medical treatment is recommended. Supplements are started which comes in the combination of vitamins and minerals which help in hair regrowth. There are lotions available like monoxidal lotions as a combination of nutrient which help in hair regrowth. Supplements are given which comes in oral tablets which are combination of vitamins and minerals which help in hair regrowth. The other medical treatments are PRP (platelet rich plasma). It is extracted from blood of the patient and it is injected into the area of thinning to combat hair thinning and hair regrowth.

The severe stage of baldness when the hair root diminishes is a stage when hair transplant is done. In this hair is taken, the hair follicles are extracted from the donor area as I mentioned in the back and the side area, the follicle are extracted and then they are implanted on the recipient area.
 

Other treatments available is general care like care of dandruff, anti-dandruff shampoos for twice a week.Frequent washing should be done in monsoon seasons specially. Diet should be supplemented, junk foods and unhealthy foods should be avoided to decrease the oil secretion which can further enhance the dandruff problem.
Now coming to female pattern hairloss, it is mostly nutritional or hormonal. A thorough check-up has to be done for hormonal causes and for nutritional the most common cause is iron deficiency. There are other causes of hairfall, present in different forms. There are auto-immune disorders like alopecia areata which presents as patchy hairloss over the head. It can be present in other areas of your body like armpits, beard eyebrows. Coming to other causes, there are fungal and bacterial infections which have to be treated to treat hairfall.
These days, trauma that is traction alopecia is seen to be increasing. Tight ponytails and chemical treatments like rebonding causes pressure on the roots especially on the front and side area which causes a pattern of hairloss which is traction alopecia.
There are various myths regarding hairfall. So to clarify, to clear and to treat hairfall you should consultant a dermatologist or a specialist in the field to know the specific cause of hairfall and treat it accordingly.

To connect with me, you can connect me through Lybrate by video call or text messages.

Thank you.