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Author:
Jerry H.Hall

As we get older, both men and women experience some hair loss. It's a normal part of the aging process. Called Androgenetic Alopecia, it accounts for 95% of all hair loss. Androgentic Alopecia often runs in families and affects some people more than others. In men it is often referred to as Male Pattern Baldness. It is characterized by a receding hair line and baldness on the top of head. Women, on the other hand, don't go entirely bald even if their hair loss is severe. Instead, hair loss is spread out evenly over their entire scalp.

Hormones play the dominant role when talking about Androgenetic Alopecia. Simple put, both men and women produce testosterone. Testosterone can be converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) with the aid of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. DHT shrinks hair follicles causing the membranes in the scalp to thicken, become inelastic and restrict blood flow. This causes the hair follicles to atrophy. As a result, when a hair does fall out, it is not replaced.

Emotional stress, pregnancy, or surgery can also cause our hair to fall out and is usually not noticed until 3-4 months after the stressful event has taken place. Stress can cause a slowing of new hair growth because a larger number of hair follicles enter into the resting phase and no new hair growth is experienced.

Another way in which individuals experience hair loss is due to mechanical stressors on the hair and scalp. Wearing pigtails, cornrows or tight rollers that end up pull on the hair can scar the scalp and cause permanent hair loss. Hair products such as hot oil treatments and chemicals used for permanents can cause inflammation to the hair follicles which can also result in scarring and hair loss. If you are a women, have your female hormones tested. If they are imbalanced, talk to your health care provider about bio-identical hormone replacements.

About the Author :

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Article Source: www.iSnare.com

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A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Hair Loss... Female Hairloss Research shows that up to two thirds of women experience hair loss at some stage in their life and this can often be a very stressful time for women and is an integral part of their self image. The most common causes of hair loss in women is not related to inherited genes but usually associated with other factors such as pregnancy, stress, chemotherapy, certain diets, thyroid hormone deficiency, some drugs or infections. Unlike men the hair loss in this case is usually temporary and healthy re-growth can occur over time. Unlike men, women rarely go bald but may experience significant thinning and reduction of the hair shaft diameter around the forehead and crown of the scalp as they age. If you are one of the millions of women who suffer from hair loss the most important factor is to understand why you are losing your hair before you seek out a remedy or solution. Causes of hair loss: 1. Genetics: The most common cause of hair loss is rooted in your genes also known as androgenetic alopecia, hereditary hair loss can begin any time after puberty, but usually sets in before the age of forty and may accelerate around the time you reach menopause. 2. Pregnancy: A large amount of oestrogen is produced during pregnancy causing the hair follicles to go into their growth phase. Once the birth is over the hormonal balance is restored and the opposite happens with the hair follicles going into a hair loss phase. 3. Alopecia areata: The reasons for this are relatively unknown but research has shown that the cause is thought to be an auto immune disorder where the body mistakenly attacks the hair follicles. What follows is an inflammation of the follicles and surrounding hair structures. This causes the hair follicles to retreat into the deeper layers of skin shutting off...