What is Hair Loss?

For an average human being, about 90 percent of their hair is in its growth phase at any given time. The remaining hair is in its resting phase that lasts for two to four months. In a normal situation, the hair that is in its resting phase eventually falls out and gets replaced by a new hair. Hair loss begins to occur when the hair follicles sprout increasingly thinning hair until the hair stops re-growing completely and the follicles finally wither away.

Hair loss is different from normal shedding of hair that happens to most people on a daily basis. That is a part of the normal hair growth cycle that continues throughout the life. It is normal for the scalp to shed 50 to 100 hairs every day. However, when the hair shedding becomes more rapid and the hair replacement or re-growth does not happen at the same pace, it is an advanced condition of hair loss that needs medical attention.

Hair loss is a common problem with millions of people suffering from this condition across the world. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that about 40 million men and 20 million women suffer from an advanced condition of hair loss. Heredity is the leading cause of hair loss, but there may be a few other factors as well that can lead to serious hair loss. Very little was known to medical science about the underlying mechanisms that trigger the condition of hair loss, but in recent years, a considerable amount of new knowledge about hair loss has emerged.

Many people who suffer from hair loss tend to leave it untreated until it becomes a highly visible problem. In patients who face an aggressive form of hair loss, the problem can quickly progress to a bare scalp. People typically try to cover up their thinning hair with different hairstyles, make-up, caps, or scarves.

However, the best approach in the case of serious hair loss is to approach a hair loss specialist doctor to discuss the various treatment options available. The doctor will try to determine the cause of the problem and advise suitable treatment options.

Apart from genetic causes which are responsible for hair loss in about 95 percent of cases, the other key causes include mental stress, autoimmune responses and any chemical damage in the body. A hair transplant is one of the most effective solutions available for baldness today.