Baldness treatments

Everything you wanted to know about hair loss,

Baldness, and how to get your hair back!

What can you do if you are going Bald?

Baldness is something that many people, male and female, dread. For males, in particular, it can cause anxiety, embarrassment, stress and various psychological problems. Distress increases under extensive hair loss. It becomes very hard emotionally when baldness begins at an early age. Studies regularly show men who experience balding characteristically exhibit a lower body image. Only among certain celebrity types do people consider baldness sexy. The Yul Bryners, Sean Connerys and Patrick Stewarts are bold and bald exceptions to the male definition of manly. Most men want to keep their hair. They fight desperately to maintain a full head of hair. In the United States, alone, men spend significantly more than $1.3 billion annually to fight baldness.

Male pattern baldness or Androgenic alopecia (alopecia) is the most common form of baldness. The result of a sex hormone – DHT, it is a condition common among adult men (and other primates) in which the hair “thins out” in a progressive fashion. The extent of hair loss varies from person to person. Alopecia areata indicates some hair loss, generally, bald patches build up on the scalp, beard, and, perhaps, eyebrows. Eyelashes may also fall out. Alopecia totalis, on the other hand, involves total baldness. An individual lacks any hair on the top of his or her head. An extreme form, alopecia universalis induces the worst possible scenario. Anyone with this type of baldness loses all body hair.

A particular variety of baldness, traction alopecia, is usually characteristic of people with ponytails or cornrows. The weight of the beads, the constant tugging and the unnatural positioning of hair can result in this type of baldness. In this instance, personal habits and hair care exasperates any hormonal or hereditary causal factor.
The hair during the process of male pattern baldness recedes from the sides of the forehead creating what is referred to as a “receding hairline “ or receding brow.” In addition, a central bald patch may develop on the top of your head. A localized or spot baldness as well as diffuse hair loss may occur in various types of alopecia including cicatricial alopecia (lupus erythematosus, lichen plano pilaris, folliculitis decalvans, central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia, etc.).

Baldness is also the product of other events or medical conditions. Chemotherapy causes temporary baldness as can burns or radiation therapy. Baldness as well results from some forms of major surgery. A tumor on the ovaries or adrenal glands can also produce baldness. 
A severe fever, various poisons, severe emotional or physical stress even Tinea capitis (ringworm of the scalp) may leave a person without hair. Various mycotic infections and hormonal changes such as hypothyroidism and childbirth can too result in thinning or massive hair loss. Tumors and skin outgrowths also induce localized baldness (sebaceous nevus, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma).

In addition, there are other causal factors. The over use or misuse of hair products such as straighteners, hair dyes, tints etc. over shampooing and combing, excessive blow drying as well as specific hairstyles can create the possibility for baldness. Nervous habits such as continual hair pulling or scalp rubbing are not good for someone prone to baldness.

There is no miracle cure for baldness. In temporary baldness, hair will grow back. Alternatives used to address the problem are weaves, wigs, toupees and being bald and proud.