What Is Hair Made Of?



Your hair is made of keratin (KER-uh-tin), the same protein that makes up your nails and the outer layer of your skin. The part you see and style is called the hair shaft. It's actually dead tissue made by your hair follicles tiny bulb-like structures beneath your scalp's surface.

How Much Hair Do We Have?

The average head has about 100,000 hairs. Your hair grows and is shed regularly. You usually lose 50 to 100 strands each day. If you have a normal head of hair, you probably don't notice this small loss. However, if you notice that you are losing more hair than normal, then it is time that you take note, how much hair are you actually losing!

Hair Loss And Menopause

Menopause does not cause grey hair; taking hormones doesn't stop it. Greying, thinning hair is a normal part of aging. Women whose menopause is induced in their 20s and 30s do not suddenly go grey.

Mid Life Hair Loss

Thinning hair at mid-life (androgenic alopecia) is more strongly linked to genes than diet or lifestyle. Those of European origins are far more likely to experience it than Asians, Native Americans, Africans, or African-Americans. Thinning hair starts earlier and becomes more extreme on men's heads, but just as many women deal with receding hairlines and balding pates. Roughly half of all women experience some thinning hair during their menopausal years. Two-thirds of post-menopausal women deal with thinning hair or bald spots. And no one likes it. Americans spend a billion dollars a year trying to regrow their hair! There are already quite a number of very effective hair loss products on the market such as Propecia and the highly popular Rogaine.

Rogaine and Thinning Hair

Treatment often starts with Rogaine (topical minoxidil 2%). Rogaine is the only FDA approved medication currently available for female pattern thinning hair. The other thinning hair medication, Propecia, just doesn't work in women at all. Aldactone (spironolactone) pills help many women, especially whose thinning hair starts before menopause but takes many months.

HRT and Hair Loss

Hormone replacement pills, such as Prempro, plus Aldactone are better after menopause. Experienced hair transplant surgeons can often achieve excellent results in women with the new follicular unit and minigraft techniques. You have to be a qualified candidate and have realistic expectations. As with any type of medication, it will take months before you see any results, you will not have hair growth the very next day!

What Causes Baldness

Baldness is not usually caused by a disease, but is related to aging, heredity, and testosterone. In addition to the common male and female patterns from a combination of these factors, other possible causes of thinning hair, especially if in an unusual pattern, include:

1. Hormonal changes (for example, thyroid disease, childbirth, or use of the birth control pill)

2. A serious illness (like a tumor of the ovary or adrenal glands) or fever

3. Medication such as cancer chemotherapy

4. Excessive shampooing and blow-drying

5. Emotional or physical stress

6. Nervous habits such as continual hair pulling or scalp rubbing

7. Burns or radiation therapy

8. Alopecia areata -- bald patches that develop on the scalp, beard, and, possibly, eyebrows. Eyelashes may fall out as well. This is thought to be an immune disorder.

9. Tinea capitis (ringworm of the scalp)

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