Facts on What Causes Hair Loss in Men and Women

Both men and women can actually suffer from hair loss because of the same genetic condition. Androgenic alopecia is a medical affliction in which some of the hair on the patient's head is susceptible to early shedding. This condition is also called male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss. If you are noticing extra hairs falling out in the shower, or if you are noticing thin spots any where on your head you may be seeing the early signs of this problem. For men, about 95% of the cases of hair loss are directly attributed to androgenic alopecia. The percentages are almost as high for women.

To understand how this causes the hair to fall out we have to understand a little about how hair grows. The hair follicles, what most people call the roots, are the bulbous areas at the base of the hair shaft that actually create the hair shaft material. This material, called keratin, is mostly protein. The hair actually grows like a grass from the roots up instead of like a tree from the top. As new keratin is manufactured, the base of the hair shaft is pushed up and out of the scalp. The hair does not grow continuously though as it goes through normal growth and rest periods.

When a man or woman carries the genes for this form of alopecia, or hair loss, some of the hair follicles are actually covered with receptor sites that will bond with a hormonal metabolite called DHT or dihydrotestosterone. When DHT bonds at the receptor cites it slowly decreases the length of time for the growth phase of the follicle. This causes the hair shaft to become thinner and thinner until it finally breaks off at the scalp. By this time the follicles can no longer support hair growth and it becomes useless.

There are other possible causes of hair loss. Many people who practice severely restricted weight loss diets may be low in certain nutrients, or could have protein deficiency, which can result in hair-loss. The person's body will try to save vital protein by lowering hair growth. A person with dietary problems could see major hair-loss within two months of the deficiency. Often times this affected hair can then be removed from the follicles very easily, even just by brushing. This horrible condition could be reversed and any hair loss eliminated by eating the right quantity of vital protein and, when you are dieting, maintaining sufficient vital nutrients.

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