Print Article for : Hair Loss And Causes

Your Online Guide » Natural Beauty » Hair Care

[H13]Hair Loss And Causes

by Ron Mcneal, Ron

The word balding does not get used as much today but hair loss is primarily a genetic trait which members of the same family suffer although there are other factors involved, it may take quite a while for science to find a genetic cure to the problem. The primary cause of balding in men and women is that it is a genetic trait passed down by their parents but baldness can be cause by other conditions. If other men in your family suffer with hair loss in specific places on the head then there is a very good change that you will too as these hormonal imbalances seem to have greater effect as the person's age increases.
This is the real cause of hair loss and normally lies with hormonal problems and occurs when male or female hormones (androgens and estrogens) are out of balance. An imbalance of hormones is usually a genetic trait that as of yet, cannot be cured.
Male and female-pattern baldness is the most common form of hair loss and is caused by a hormone called DHT, a naturally occurring hormone that helps in sexual development but treatments are available. To control this problem there are shampoos like Rogaine and tablets that control the level of DHT in the hair follicles like Propecia. Of course hair replacement treatments like transplant surgery are generally successful as the hair from the areas where the DHT level is higher are replaced by hair from other areas of the head that are not as sensitive to the hormone.
At any point in a person's life about 10 percent of the hair on their head is resting (not growing) and after a few months, the resting hair falls out and new hair begins to grow in its place; this growing phase can last anywhere from 2 to 6 years. It must be noted that hair loss is quite normal and hair can grow over 1 centimeter each month during the growing phase but there are people that, owing to other reasons, will lose more than this per month.
Many reasons for hair loss are circulated like wearing a hat, stress, sweat or even poor circulation but these are all untrue. While it is possible to lose hair through stress, this has to be extreme like that caused by torture for example and not everyday stress and generally, when this occurs, the condition is reversible.
It is also possible to have a hair loss problem if you have been subject to chemotherapy, have taken pills to control depression or hormones, if you have a diabetes and even an excess of vitamin A can cause the condition along with infections of the scalp. A permanent solution to hair loss might take sometime and while many people wait anxiously for it, they will have to use what science has devised so far.

To understand what causes male pattern hair loss, it is important to first appreciate that it is substances in our bodies called hormones that are that are responsible for creating the differences we observe between men and women.

Basically, the main set of hormones that give men their masculine qualities - and therefore effectively sets them apart as 'men' is what are referred to as androgens, with the set of hormones responsible for giving women their feminine qualities being what are referred to as estrogens. Now for these hormones to manifest their effects, they work in conjunction with another set of substances in the body called enzymes. In the case of men, for instance, the androgens with which the men are endowed tend to be converted into testosterone (which is the active form of the androgens), through a process which is mainly accomplished with the aid of the enzymes. One such enzyme that is involved in work on androgens is an enzyme called 5 alpha reductase.

What has been noted about 5 alpha reductase, however, is that if it gets mixed with the androgens that have gotten converted into testosterone (as it is wont to do, given that it remains near the sites where this conversion takes place), then we now end up with a substance called dihydrotestosterone. What has been further noted about this dihydrotestosterone (which has to occur whenever testosterone is acted upon by5 alpha reductase) is that it tends to have an adverse effect on the hair follicles of people in whose bodies it is present. The adverse effect on hair follicles in question here is the disconnection of the said hair follicles from the lines through which they receive blood. Now given that the hair follicles depend on the blood to get their supply of nutrients, it follows that their being cut off from blood supply means that they cannot grow (and they are actually bound to die off), which is what leads to the loss of hair that is characteristic of baldness.

Talking of male pattern hair loss, it is also noteworthy to point out that the condition does also affect women, though of course not to the same degree as men. Having discussed the cause of the condition, one would be tempted to ask how this comes about, because we have said that the condition is caused by enzyme actions on male hormone testosterone. But as it turns out, while androgens like testosterone are the hormones that give men their masculine qualities, with estrogens giving women their feminine qualities, the truth of the matter is that the each gender still has some small levels of the other gender's sex hormones. Men therefore have some levels (albeit much lower, in ordinary cases) of estrogens, with women also having some levels of androgens like testosterone in their blood. So it is this relatively lower level of testosterone in women which is responsible for the relatively less severe cases of baldness in women.

Article Source : Pg. 15

About Author

Both Ron Mcneal & Codie Smith are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Ron Mcneal has sinced written about articles on various topics from Hair Care. Forget everything you thought you knew about causes of hair loss. This website shatters all the current myths and gives it. Ron Mcneal's top article generates over 1600 views. to your Favourites.

Codie Smith has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acne Treatment, Hair Care and Pregnancy Problems. You can find further information on and products for hair loss at http://www.hairlosstreatment-s.com. Codie Smith's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.