When Life Decides to be a Hair Stylist

There are at least two times in life where your hair can bring up cringe worthy memories. The first is when a child’s parent gives them an embarrassing hair cut that doesn’t age well (throwback to young me with the bowl cut). The second, will be the topic of this post - when life decides to give hair styling a try.

The two most common types of non-scarring hair loss is diffuse hair thinning, or Telogen Effluvium, and male pattern baldness, or Androgenic Alopecia. Here is who is most often affected, the cause, and what can be done to help. 

Telogen Effluvium - Diffuse Hair Thinning

Most affected - Anyone of any age can be affected, but women age 30-60 are most common. 

What it is - There are three main life cycles of a hair follicle (growth, transformation, and rest). In the rest phase, the hair sheds to complete the life cycle. Usually only 10% of follicles are in this phase. However, in telogen effluvium, upwards of 35% of hair is in this phase, leading to excessive hair loss around the entire scalp.

Cause - The main cause is high physical or emotional stress. What causes this stress may be a major surgery, child birth, serious illness, or malnutrition. 

Treatment - In most cases, time heals and restores this kind of hair loss. It is always important to have a good support system to help during the stressful time of the stressor and of coping with the hair loss. Treating the underlying cause or waiting for the stressor to pass is usually all that is needed. In some cases, topical therapies are recommended or other cosmetic treatments can be offered. 

Outlook - In times where the cause is known and can be managed, patients typically have hair loss for 2-3 months and has significant cosmetic improvement within 6-12 months. 

Androgenic Alopecia - Male Pattern Baldnes 

Most affected - Men of course, and unfortunately the chance of a man having hair loss increases with age. In fact, about 50% of US men between 40-50 have male pattern baldness. 

What it is - This is the loss of terminal hair at the follicle in a characteristic pattern involving mainly the front and the top. 

Cause - The most common cause is genetics. Young men with a father who has male pattern baldness are 5 times more likely to have male pattern baldness. It is an X-linked gene and therefore the saying that a male child’s maternal grandfather will determine if the child will have male pattern baldness does have truth to it. 

Treatment - There are a lot of treatment options for male pattern baldness and also many different goals of treatment from maintenance, to reversal, or replacement. The most common treatment is an oral medication called finasteride. This alone or combined with a cream or ointment medication called minoxidil are the most common and successful treatment options to start. Other treatment options include light therapy, surgery with hair transplantation, and of course camafloucging agents! Toupes and wigs nowadays aren’t what they used to be. Before beginning any treatment, discussing your unique situation with a doctor is highly recommended. 

Outlook - Male pattern baldness isn’t an easy fix depending on the severity or age of onset. Again, a great support system is a must to help with the psychological effects and coping strategies. Overall, with the right treatment tools, most men can find a strategy that they are happy with… and for some men, shaving it all off has made them happier than when they were worrying about trying to keep it!

If you are concerned with hair loss and are wondering what type you have or what your treatment options may be, please let us at Caravel Health DPC know! There are many more types of hair loss and several different treatment options not mentioned here. An appointment with a doctor may give you some answers, ease your worry, or provide some hope. The two common types of treatment options discuss above are listed below for your price reference!

-Finasteride 1 mg 90 tablets - $8

-Topical Minoxidil 5% 6 fl oz (3- 2 floz bottles) - $30

*Both are 3 month supplies

Best in Health,

Dr. Landen B. Green

Caravel Health DPC