12 FAQs on Hair Loss on Google

Women and Men have been obsessed with HAIR since time immemorial. Why not? Hair was and still is synonymous with beauty. The society’s obsession with hair can be reflected by the sheer number of articles on hair loss and hair care on the internet.

The intensity of bombardment in digital and print media of advertisements claiming 100% guaranteed treatment for loss of hair is an indirect indicator of the importance hair has on the personal and professional life of modern generation. In fact, HAIR is one of the most googled health and beauty topics. Categorised below is the 12 most frequently searched topics on hair loss on Google

Causes or Reasons of Hair Loss

The cause of hair loss (alopecia) is numerous. Most hair problems seen by the trichologist / dermatologist are due to alteration in hair cycling. Other reasons for hair fall are loss of hair follicles or fracture of hair shaft.

Alteration in hair cycle with premature termination of growth is a feature of alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium and anagen effluvium.

Complete loss of hair follicle is present in scarring alopecia due to a number of acquired or congenital reasons.

Fungal infection of scalp is a common cause of hair shaft fracture.

Thyroid and Loss of Hair

Both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism cause diffuse hair loss. Except in long standing cases, loss of hair is reversible when the euthyroid state is restored. If there is no improvement then other reasons for loss of hair should be investigated for.

Stress and Hair Fall

Severe psychological stress or emotional trauma has been documented to cause diffuse loss of hair. Increased hair shedding is commonly seen in physiological stress such as severe illness. However, stress of everyday life might not be sufficient to induce hair fall problems.

Pregnancy and Hair Loss

Diffuse loss of hair is seen in significant number of women 1-4 months after child birth. Most cases recover within a year and hair growth usually returns to the pre-pregnancy state. However, some women may experience persistent episodic shedding of hair that may be diffused or localised.

Diet and Hair Fall

Crash diet with severe protein-calorie restriction can precipitate hair fall problems. Chronic starvation can cause diffuse hair loss accompanied by hair shaft abnormalities.

PCOS and Hair Loss

In Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome, hirsutism is a more common clinical feature. Alopecia (Loss of Hair) can be seen in up to 8 percent of women.

Dandruff and Hair Fall

Dandruff does not cause permanent hair loss. Scaling of the scalp is a more common feature of dandruff.

Treatment of Hair Loss

Treatment of hair loss depends on the cause of hair fall. Before a proper treatment plan can be worked out, evaluation and diagnosis of the cause of hair loss is important.

Minoxidil and Hair Fall

2% to 5% Minoxidil is a relatively safe therapy with minimal side effects for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and other conditions like telogen effluvium and alopecia areata.

Hair products and solutions

A number of hair loss products and solutions are available and advertised in print and electronic media and also on internet sites. These are usually advertised by profit driven cosmetic companies and hair loss clinics. The efficacy of these products and solutions are questionable and patients should rather seek advice of qualified medical practitioner who is fully aware of the treatment options.

Shampoo and Hair Fall

It is normal to lose up to 200-250 hair on the day of shampooing. If the hair is shampooed daily, the count should be less than 100.

Vitamins and Hair Fall

A number of minerals and vitamins are required by the body for normal growth of hair. However, it is uncommon for loss of hair to occur in a person with normal and regular dietary habits. Hypervitaminosis A due to prolonged parenteral nutrition or hypovitaminosis due to crash dieting, severe protein-calorie restriction, chronic starvation can be a reason for loss of hair.