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| HAIR LOSS DUE TO CHEMICALS AND STRESS |
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| Many people experience hair loss after undergoing a harsh chemical process such as a perm or color. While almost all chemical hair fallout is due to operator error, the chance of it occurring is multiplied even more when people perform chemical treatments on their hair at home. In many cases people use too strong of a chemical, and the process results in hair loss. However, most of the time these chemical treatments do not result in complete hair loss so protein treatments, hair conditioners, and a good hair cut will remove most of the damage. Cases of severe stress can literally cause handfuls of hair loss at a time. Some men and women who experience stressful conditions will experience hair loss represented by thinning all over the head or in spots called “alopecia areata”. Alopecia areata means to loose hair in spots or areas of the scalp resembling circular patches. While this type of hair loss is shocking, in most cases it is not permanent. After the stress is removed, most sufferers of this type of hair loss re-grow all of the hair that they lost. However, understand that it can take months for your hair to grow back even after the stressful situation has been removed. |
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| ALOPECIA OR MALE PATTERN BALDING |
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In men and women over forty-years-old hair loss or thinning of hair (pattern balding) technically known as “alopecia” is currently believed to be caused by the increase production of the hormone metabolite dihydrotestosterone (DHT) formed from the hormone testosterone in the prostate. Testosterone is converted to DHT by the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. The presence of high levels of DHT in the prostate in men results in a health condition known as “benign prostatic hyperplasia” or BPH. Ultimately, DHT leaks into the body’s circulation systems (blood, lymphatic) making its way to the scalp resulting in thinning of the hair and potential balding. Over time, the action of DHT causes the hair follicle to degrade and shortens the time when hair grows (anagen phase). Though the follicle is technically still alive the hair fibers it produces will grow smaller, thinner, and weaker. With a steadily shorter anagen growing cycle, more hairs are shed, the hairs becoming thinner and thinner until they are too fine to survive daily wear and tear. The consequence of DHT interaction on hair follicles is permanent hair loss.
Estradiol, a form of estrogen found in women but also in men over forty-years-old is now known to activate pathways similar to the androgen DHT in the development of BPH in men. As men age the levels of the estrogen type hormones like estradiol increases while the level of testosterone actually decreases. Estradiol is produced from testosterone by a process called aromatization, named after the enzyme aromatase. Like DHT estradiol leaks into the circulation system traveling to the scalp and exerts an inhibitory effect hair growth in both men and women. |
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