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You recently noticed more than the usual few hair in the shower drain or in your comb. When you look in the mirror you see more than your hair, you see more of your scalp... |
You recently noticed more than the usual few hair in the shower drain or in your comb. When you look in the mirror you see more than your hair, you see more of your scalp than you want to. You may have relatives that also suffer from hair loss, or you may have taken medications that have contributed to your hair loss or you may have a condition or disease that could have caused your hair loss. You have some decisions to make such as how you will cope with your hair loss.
Coping with hair loss is an individual decision; some individuals embrace baldness and see it as something beautiful. Young athletes often shave their heads to make a statement, or to improve swimming times. Others are horrified by thinning hair or bald patches and desire cover-ups such as hats, makeup, wigs or hair extensions. There are volumes of books written on the subject of hair loss for a reason – because there are many individuals who are seeking advice about what to do now that they notice they have hair loss.
In between the cover-ups and the “bald is beautiful”, are those who want to get to the bottom of their hair loss by discovering why it is happening to them. What is the cause of their hair loss? A doctor can examine them, gather information about symptoms and other medical conditions and medications that you have taken recently and come up with possible causes for your hair loss. It may be possible to do some testing to rule out conditions and diseases that may contribute to hair loss such as lupus.
To determine the cause of your hair loss your doctor may ask for symptoms that you have noticed or the doctor may examine your scalp for symptoms.
Symptoms include hair loss on your scalp or other parts of your body, thinning of your hair, receding hairlines, itching, redness, or pain may also be present. Thinning and baldness occurs as we age but heredity can play a role in some hair loss. Sometimes physical or emotional shock can trigger hair loss such as a death in the family or having undergone major surgery. Certain conditions or illnesses can also lead to hair loss such as fungal infections. High fever and excessive weight loss can also lead to hair loss. Sometimes individuals can lose hair when they suffer from poor nutrition. If the individual treats the condition and the condition goes away, usually the hair will grow back.
Certain medications that are taken for conditions such as arthritis, depression, heart conditions or high blood pressure may also have an affect on the occurrence of hair loss.
Women may notice that at times of their life when they experience fluctuations in hormone levels such as menopause, pregnancy or when they take birth control pills they may also notice excessive hair loss.