Studies found that within the cycle of growth your hair goes through, around 90% of your hair follicles are in the anagen phase (the phase of active growth). So how is it that hair loss still plagues so many adults?
Well, the problem is that hair loss stems from a variety of different conditions as opposed to one central issue. But what are these conditions, so you can know how to recognize and treat them?
Well, we’re here to help out with that through our guide on the different types of hair loss! So without further ado, let’s jump right into things!
Androgenetic Alopecia
One of the most common types of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, better known as male/female pattern baldness. This occurs naturally in the body due to aging, as the growth cycle for your follicles begins to slow and come to an end. Your chance of getting affected by this baldness also increases if you have a family history of baldness.
This usually results in baldness for men, while women usually contend with thinner hair. Thankfully, there now exists a myriad number of ways to reverse balding, from laser therapy (using lasers to kickstart growth in your hair follicles) to prescription drugs like Finasteride.
Anagen Effluvium and Telogen Effluvium
Anagen effluvium refers to hair loss caused by medical treatments like chemotherapy that are so powerful they end up stunting hair growth and causing living hair to fall out. Once the procedure ends, however, your hair will start to return.
Telogen effluvium is similar in that it’s also a hair loss condition prompted by a medical condition, though in this case, it’s instead due to hair getting locked in the telogen phase of the growth cycle (the phase of rest). This can happen as a side effect of intense surgery or pregnancy, and also has a history of appearing in patients with vitamin deficiencies. While telogen effluvium tends to go away after a couple of months, you can use similar treatments as used with pattern baldness to get your hair back.
The Rarer Types of Hair Loss
On the rarer end of the spectrum, we have tinea capitis, a fungal infection that grows on your scalp. Most common in children, the infection removes clumps of hair and turns the scalp underneath red and rash-covered. That said, countering this infection is as easy as taking oral medication made to fight it off.
Another rare form of hair loss is abnormalities in hair shafts. This tends to be due to trauma (the shafts getting pulled on with great force regularly) or loose anagen syndrome, where hair can’t get a good grip on the scalp.
There’s also hypertrichosis, a condition you’re born with that stunts your hair growth. Those with hypertrichosis will often be bald before they are 30, but hair restoration treatment can help stave off this outcome.
Preserving Your Glorious Locks
And there you have it! Now that you have this guide to the different types of hair loss, you’re ready to keep your glorious locks intact for years to come! And if you’re looking for more ways to keep your hair (and the rest of your body) healthy, make sure to check out the rest of the posts on our blog!
