What Differentiates Normal To Excessive Hair Loss?

Experiencing hair loss for an average of 50-100 hairs a day is quite common for a normal person. The majority of these are prone to regrow due to the healthy and intact hair follicles. Seeing this as a viewpoint, a healthy adult scalp consisting of 150,000 follicles of hair does not need to undergo treatment for hair thinning. The amount of hair receding is greatly dependent on the person's hair volume, age and growth cycle.

It would take approximately 2-3 years for the normal cycle of regrowth. During this stage, a one centimeter growth of hair is experienced each month. Ninety percent of hair is regarded as growing and the remaining ten percent is in the resting stage. Resting ones fall out after 3-4 months and new ones grow to replace it.

There are certain instances that the normal process of baldness tends to increase, thus, showing more fallen hair than ever. The condition is known as male pattern baldness or Androgenetic Alopecia, wherein it is the usual cause of balding in men.

This trait is most probably genetic and may develop to extensive baldness if the condition started at an early age. The occurrence of male pattern baldness is usually distinguished by baldness on the crown of the head and a receding hair line.

The equivalent of the balding condition to women is the female pattern baldness, in which hair thinning takes place over the whole scalp. It might begin during the 30's or younger and may be visible following the menopausal period.

The following are the several factors that support the male pattern baldness condition:

• Hormonal changes- it is commonly the main cause of hair loss in aging men. Once the 5-alpha reductase enzyme (DHT) attacks the hair follicles on the scalp, hair miniaturization happens and causes it to thin, resulting to hair balding.

Changes in hormones usually occur to women after giving birth; this is known as postpartum hair loss. Also, birth control pills do account in triggering this condition.

• Illness or Disease - Scalp ringworms, Alopecia Areata, Thyroid diseases and Iron deficiency Anemia are just some of the disorders that contribute to hair loss. Alongside with these disorders, stress may also be included in this list.

• Medications and Treatments - When the process of dividing the hair cells is stopped caused by chemotherapies and radiation, hair shedding takes place. Hair treatments may also encourage hair loss due to chemical and hair styling, which weaken hair and causes it to break.

Always remember that a stress-free lifestyle, vitamin-rich diet and a daily exercise is effective in maintaining normal and healthy hair.