There are many types of hair loss often caused by one, or more, different factors

If you are beginning to research your hair loss, or you are confused by the available information, the understanding of these facts is crucial to your possible success of prevention and hair regrowth.

Quick facts: 

• We all lose hair, both young and old, because hair follicles do not produce hair strands forever
• There many types of hair loss and therefore many causes and other possible contributing factors
• It is essential to know what type of hair loss one is experiencing before beginning any type of prevention or treatment
• Women especially should do their diligence in the identifying the type of hair loss before commencing treatments

Since all of us lose hair (called shedding) every day (some more and some less) as hair follicles do not grow the same hair forever, it is important to distinguish between the normal hair shedding, due to the hair growth cycles called Anagen, Catagen and Telogen, up to 120 strands per day, and excessive hair shedding, which usually occurs suddenly, within a few days, or weeks, of a trigger event.

However, the most common type of hair loss called pattern baldness, androgenic or androgenetic alopecia, that affects about 80% of men and 50% of women by age 80 in more developed lands, is not associated with excessive hair shedding. 

Pattern baldness usually develops slowly, over many months, or years, with a gradual hair thinning due to hair follicle miniaturization caused by hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Interestingly, the hair follicles located only in the horseshoe like shaped part at the top of the scalp are affected by DHT.[ 3 ]

The horseshoe shaped part of the scalp that is prone to pattern baldness is made of tendon,  where as the hair follicles just outside of the horseshoe area located where face and neck muscle tissues are.

This phenomenon points to the conclusion that pattern baldness can be a metabolic diseases related disorder [1]  and that the muscle tissue provides metabolic protection to the hair follicles located there.

Pattern Baldness

WHAT is Pattern Baldness? (Men and Women) 

Pattern baldness is the most common type of hair loss affecting the great majority of males and females. It is also called: Androgenetic Alopecia, Androgenic Alopecia, Pattern Hair Loss, Male Pattern Hair Loss, Female Pattern Hair Loss.

Pattern baldness is believed to be a hormonal disorder due to androgens, mainly the hormone DHT, considered to be the main cause of this type of hair loss in men and women.

WHY does pattern baldness develop?

While the main theory has been proposed that a combination of genetic susceptibility and higher concentrations of hormone DHT is the main cause of pattern baldness, it has become clear that environmental factors, such as a more Western diet and lifestyle, could affect both genetics (gene expressions) and the concentrations of androgens, including DHT.

This theory has been confirmed among both identical twins and among members of many isolated tribes known for low prevalence of hair loss disorders until they become exposed to more modern living.

WHEN does pattern baldness develop? 

In the great majority of cases pattern baldness develops slowly, over many months or years. In men, baldness can advance in many different ways - receding hairline, thinning of the crown and the top of the scalp, or a combination of the two or three.
However, the thinning hair never progresses beyond the horseshoe-like pattern area at the top of the scalp.
Most women develop pattern baldness in the horseshoe-like pattern but usually with less easily identifiable bald spots in comparison to men. Some women with pattern baldness may also experience thinning hair outside the horseshoe area on the top of the scalp but it is unclear whether this phenomenon is due to the hormone DHT, or some other factors, such as mineral deficiencies which often accompany women in the WEST along with hair loss disorders.

HOW can pattern baldness be treated?

Naturally - Diet and lifestyle improvements similar to isolated peoples of all races with low prevalence of baldness

Medicinally - Topical - Minoxidil, Pill - Propecia for men and postmenopausal women

Surgically - Hair transplant (it doesn’t stop the progression of pattern baldness)
 

Other laser therapy, supplements, hair systems..

Alopecia Areata - hair loss disorder attributed to various of causes and factors 

Alopecia Areata - is an autoimmune disorder leading to non-scarring type of hair loss with characteristic patches of bald spots on the scalp and other parts of the body.

Alopecia areata affects about 1-2% of population with geographical differences with less prevalence of this type of hair loss in undeveloped lands and isolated communities. 

This form of hair loss can progress to total loss of scalp hair (alopecia totalis) and body, including eyebrows, eyelashes and pubic hair (alopecia universalis).

Alopecia areata can be accompanied by rapid pigment changes of the hair shaft of the affected hair follicles leading to silver, gray or white patches of hair on the scalp often leading to bald spots.

In the great majority of alopecia areata cases the hair producing follicles are not permanently damaged. This means that if the “trigger” that causes the immune system to attack the hair follicle cells affecting hair growth is removed, or reduced, the affected hair follicles can gradually return to regular hair growth cycles and eventually produce normal thickness and pigmented hair shafts.

The most common known causes (triggers) of alopecia areata are: high levels of stress, environmental factors, allergies, including food and drink, exposure to chemicals.

Interestingly, there seems to be a link between alopecia areata, microbiota and diet. Geographical influences show a higher risk of developing alopecia areata in the lands where more Western diet is predominantly consumed versus more traditional diet.

For example, in Japan, in regions where more traditional diet is consumed, the probability of developing alopecia areata is less than 1% compared to the West, where the risk for alopecia areata is more than 1.7%. [ 4 ].

Commonly used treatments for alopecia areata are:commonly used treatments: corticosteroids (topical, intralesional, and systemic), topical sensitizers (diphenylcyclopropenone), psoralen and ultraviolet A phototherapy (PUVA), minoxidil and dithranol.[ 5 ]. Natural, unproved treatments include dietary and lifestyle improvements, topical herbal irritants containing stinging nettle extract (Urtica dioica) as well as various supplements to strengthen the immune system such as zinc oxide, amino-acids. [ 6 ]

Resources:

1.     Hyperinsulinemic diseases of civilization: more than just Syndrome X
   Loren Cordain 1, Michael R Eades, Mary D Eades
2.     Eleven pairs of Japanese male twins suggest the role of epigenetic differences in androgenetic alopeciaTaro Koyama, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Nagaoki Wakisaka, Nobuo Hirayama, Sawako Konishi, Takanori Hama, Katsuyuki Takeda, Yoshio Nakamizo, Masaya Kawakami
3.     An overview of herbal alternatives in androgenetic alopecia Maria Yusuf Dhariwala , Padmini Ravikumar
4.     Alopecia areata: A multifactorial autoimmune conditionTeontor Simakoua John P. Butcherb Stuart Reidc Fiona L.Henriquez 
5.     Alopecia areata: evidence-based treatments Seema Garg 1, Andrew G Messenger
6.    Stinging nettle use in treatment of alopecia

 Hair loss in women and men 

The first stages of patten baldness in women and men are very easily identifiable.  This type of hair loss usually begins with a gradual hair thinning at the top of the scalp in a horseshoe-like shaped area.

Even the most advanced pattern baldness in men and in most women (with accurate diagnosis) never advances beyond the horseshoe area.