Alopecia Hair Loss
Alopecia hair loss is something that both genders may have to deal with. This disease was a man’s disease for a long time but lately women have been plagued with loss of hair as well. While bald men are totally acceptable in today’s society balding women are thought of as being sickly. Women are supposed to have long beautiful hair and if they are not they are often thought of as less of a woman.
The male testosterone hormone is the one that was thought to be the cause of baldness. Since women also have a small amount of testosterone doctors thought that is what the cause of female pattern baldness was. They recently found that this is not true. DHT is a substance that is found in the oil glands of hair follicles and is made from converted testosterone. DHT tends to shrink follicles and prevents hair from growing.
Men bald in areas. It may be at the tip top of the head or near the hair line. Women bald different. They do not bald in one spot but all over. Their natural part may become very wide or the area at the front of the head at the bang line may widen. It may be that the scalp shines through the little hair they still have. There are some women that bald more at the top back of the head as well.
There are many causes for alopecia in women and some are ovarian cysts, pregnancy, menopause and taking birth control medication. The time right after a pregnancy is another time that can cause the problem before the hormones return to normal. Women who suffer with polycystic ovarian syndrome often fall prey for balding. If you are in a stressful situation for a very long period of time and your physical body is affected as well, you can get alopecia. If someone in your family is bald you can be too and it can be from either the maternal or paternal side of the family.
There are many women that have problems with hair loss. Nearly 20 million women have a form of alopecia and about 40 percent are below the age of 40. Having alopecia can cause some mental issues like low self-esteem and depression. Recently it was discovered that women have a few more treatments that they can take advantage of to stop hair loss. In men hair loss is almost always permanent but in women it is not.
Finding a doctor to treat alopecia is the number one thing to do. Usually gynecologists and family doctors can do little for this disease. Go to a dermatologist as they are the best doctor equipped to take care of this disease. Go to the American Academy of Dermatology website to find a doctor well versed in alopecia where you live. It is unfortunate that many health insurance do not allow payment for alopecia.
The doctor will ask you when the problem started and how it started. They will ask what other conditions you have such as thyroid disease or diabetes and they will ask all medications you take. They will want to know when you were last pregnant, went through a hysterectomy, or the year you experienced menopause.
Blood tests will be taken to find out the degree of the problem. This is how alopecia is diagnosed. Tests are done on many different things like thyroid, iron in the blood, blood count and hormones. With the results doctors will be able to decide what kind of treatment will work the best for you.
A medicated foam or shampoo that has been around for a long time is Minoxidil and that might work well for some women. Another over the counter substance is Tricomin Therapy Spray and it has tested will for working on women. A shampoo called Nizoral does not work for everyone, but using in tandem with other medications has proven to do some good. Antiandrogens seem to work for some women. These substances come in a foam that is applied to the head or in pill form. Antiandrogens need to be used along with some of the over the counter foams and shampoos for best results.
Find a support group for alopecia sufferers and you may get some good ideas on how to cope with the disease from others. It is important to remember that alopecia in women is reversible. Doctor’s can help you get a head start on getting a full head of hair or you can wait until it decides to come back itself after a long period of time. Explain the disease to people at work and the whole family so they will not think there is something vitally wrong with you and they will be more likely to accept the situation as well.
