Many times, the patient comes to the consultation and tells us that he does not know if his hair is falling out, but he does notice that it has less density, so he deduces that it is hair loss. But we do not always notice hair loss.
Why does hair fall appear? What causes alopecia?
Hair is a very sensitive living tissue, in such a way that any small event in our health, any stress or even many medications harm its growth.
Let's start from the basis that hair loss is normal. Bearing in mind that it is a living tissue, it will go through phases of growth, rest, fall and regeneration. For this reason we will have a constant loss of hair in greater quantity the more density of hair we have. Therefore, we say that for a person with an average density, it is normal to have a daily loss of no more than 20 hairs , which will be increased on the days that we wash our hair, since we will accelerate the loss of many of them that are at rest. Waiting for the day of fall.
We would then have to define what alopecia is. Alopecia is defined as the loss of the follicle more quickly or more slowly, so it is completely different from a fall or effluvium where only the stem is released, but the follicular unit remains alive.
What symptoms can I expect from hair loss?
Causes of hair loss are: restrictive diet, anemia, medications such as antihypertensives, those we take for cholesterol, anti-inflammatories among others, stress, infections, operations, after childbirth, etc.
Normally, the fall appears after several weeks because the hair that was growing stops growing and goes to rest until it ends up releasing the stem.
Scalp pain or discomfort
Some patients notice scalp pain or discomfort, especially when the fall is more massive, this is due to the small inflammatory process that occurs at the level of the follicle. But usually if the fall is softer and more progressive, no symptoms appear.
Finding hair on the pillow
Instead, it is normal for hair to appear on it due to rubbing with the pillow. If it is normal to find some hair, we can find more. It is important to count how many hairs we see on the pillow so that in consultation we can assess the degree of fall and we can act in a more forceful way if necessary.
Oily or dandruff hair
Diseases of the hair, such as grease or dermatitis, produce greater hair loss but do not produce alopecia. Let's see why it occurs.
The follicular units are accompanied by a sebaceous gland. This gland produces the sebum that will help the stem to come to the surface and, on the other hand, has the mission of creating an acid mantle layer that will prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi that cause diseases in our scalp.
An excess of fat is due to the fact that the sebaceous glands are larger and therefore consume more blood and more nutrients, blood and nutrients that rob the hair, therefore, in the absence of food, the hair falls out and becomes weaker.
Excessive hair loss after washing or handling hair
When we are facing an effluvium we will see how the hair falls out in greater numbers if we comb it, wash it or even if we pull it with a ponytail. This is a sign that will guide us about the seriousness of the problem we have.
How does hair loss begin in men? How does hair loss begin in women?
Both the fall in men and women are produced by the same causes. Logically, women go through different hormonal cycles, as in the case of childbirth, which cause important discharges, but with few exceptions, the causes that cause falls are the same. Today stress and lately infection by COVID 19 are the causes that precipitate a fall more frequently.
When is the time to go to a doctor or hair specialists?
Although we think that the hair belongs to the hairdresser, the hair is a delicate living tissue that must be taken care of by the doctor and, failing that, by the hair specialist. In the face of any change that worries us, we must go without wasting time since there are many diseases where time is crucial to be recovered.
Do not let hair loss continue its progress and put a quick remedy to avoid complete hair loss. An important part of ensuring a future with healthy and abundant hair is prevention. Request your first consultation completely free and without obligation with Just One and with Dr. Jyoti Patil.
