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Alopecia in Women
Hair
loss in women can be transient (synonyms = temporary/telogen
effluvium/non-genetic) or permanent
(genetic/androgenetic alopecia).
Alopecia, or hair loss, can occur in any body area but is particularly
noticeable when it affects the scalp.
Hair loss can be temporary or permanent.
Alopecia is not always associated with ill health, but it may cause
embarrassment.
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Causes
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Alopecia in women may be attributed to three factors:
aging,
hormones, and
genetics.
Patchy
hair loss is usually due to alopecia areata, an autoimmune skin disease,
which causes bald patches to appear on the scalp. Areata is Latin for "round" or
"circumscribed", which means that people suddenly see bald spots here or there,
or little, tiny short hairs that are broken off.
In alopecia areata, the affected hair follicles are mistakenly attacked by a
person's own
immune system
(white blood cells), resulting in the arrest of the hair growth stage. Alopecia
areata usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth bald patches on the
scalp and can progress to total scalp hair loss (alopecia totalis) or complete
body hair loss (alopecia universalis).
If the
hair loss has any unusual features-suddenly a lot of hair is coming out, if
hair is coming out in a bizarre or unusual pattern, even if it's very
severe, premature general thinning of the scalp, see a dermatologist.
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Female Pattern Baldness
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Generalized hair loss is normal in elderly women as a result of
menopause.
After the hormonal changes of menopause, many women find that the
hair on the head is thinner, while facial hair is coarser. In women,
usually the degree of hair loss is not as extensive as it is in the
male population. The most common cause of alopecia in women is
oversensitivity to the hormone testosterone, producing a
characteristic pattern of hair loss. Women with older female family
members who endured thinning of the hair are more likely themselves
to be subjected to androgenetic alopecia. In the Jan. 30 Science
magazine, researchers revealed that the gene harbours a mutation in
family members afflicted with alopecia universalis.
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Treatment Options
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Women seeking treatment options for alopecia should stick to treatment options
approved by the established medical community. Consult a dermatologist who will
probably be able to diagnoses alopecia areata by the appearance of your scalp.
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One medication, which has been approved, by the United States Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) to treat female pattern baldness is
Minoxidil, used topically on the scalp. Minoxidil (Rogaine for women) has
been proven to show minimal improvements in 50 percent of women and moderate
improvements in 13 percent. Minoxidil requires a twice a day application of
either the 2-percent or 5 percent solutions. Any gain achieved with
Minoxidil will be lost if the patient stops using the product.
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Corticosteroids
Injected into the hairless patches may be effective in promoting
re-growth. If your scalp has patchy scarring, you may need a
skin biopsy to diagnose the underlying cause. Scarred areas may
be treated with topical corticosteroids or antifungal drugs, but
if the damage is severe and has affected the hair follicles, it
is unlikely that new hair will grow.
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Hair
weaving, hairpieces,
or change of hairstyle
Hair weaving, hairpieces, or change of hairstyle may disguise hair loss and
cosmetically improve your appearance. This is often the least expensive and
safest method of treating female pattern baldness.
Suturing of hairpieces to the scalp is not recommended as it can result in
scars, infections, and abscess of the scalp. The FDA because of the high rate of
infection has banned the use of hair implants made of artificial fibres.
At all costs, you must avoid hair loss treatment methods, such as shampoos or
pills that promise miracle cures for hair loss.
Stem Cell Treatment
According to a research published in Sept 2 (2011)
issue of the journal Cell, molecular signals send from stem
cells within the skin's fatty layer can spur hair growth( in
mice). "If we can get these fat cells in the skin to talk to the
dormant stem cells at the base of hair follicles, we might be
able to get hair to grow again," said Valerie Horsley, assistant
professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology and
senior author of the paper
ScienceDaily.
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WF Team
Dated 10 September 2011
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