Understanding How Hair Loss Occurs

Hair is made up of keratin, a protein that also makes up the nails. Each strand is made up of three layers - the inner medulla, middle layer known as cortex, and an outer layer known as the cuticle. The hair root is found beneath the surface of the skin or scalp and this is enclosed within the follicle. At the base of the follicle is the dermal papilla which is essential for hair growth. It is in the dermal papilla where nourishment for the hair occurs and it contains the receptors for androgens. Androgens are hormones responsible for regulating growth of hair on the scalp. This hormone is the cause of most hair loss problems not only in men, but also in women.

To understand hair loss, let us begin with how hair grows. Hair growth starts in the hair follicles. As new hair is produced by the follicles, old cells are pushed out at the rate of around half an inch per month. The hair growth you see is actually a string of dead keratin cells. The hair follicle goes through three phases in its life cycle. These are anagen, catagen, and telogen phases or growth, transition, and resting phases, respectively.

Around 90% of hairs are in the growth phase while the remaining 10% are in the resting phase. The hair follicle remains dormant for one to four months during the telogen phase. After the resting phase is completed, the hair cycle begins again with the growth phase and the old hair strand is pushed up and shed to give way to a new growing strand.

However, the rate of growth slows down with ageing. This is why there is some degree of hair loss that naturally occurs with age. Also, the number of follicles in the body is fixed. The number of follicles in the scalp is around 100,000 and follicles are never added during life. When the rate of shedding exceeds the regrowth rate, then noticeable loss occurs.

There are many causes of temporary hair loss. The most common ones are due to hormonal imbalance, physical and emotional stress, certain medications, and irritation or damage to the follicles. Once the cause is addressed, then the hair resumes its normal growth.

Although gradual thinning is a normal part of ageing, pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia is an extremely common condition that affects both men and women. This is actually the most common type of balding in men. It is a genetically determined condition in which the hair follicle shrinks over time, resulting in shorter and finer hair. Eventually, the follicle may stop producing new growth. However, the follicle remains alive, which suggests that it is possible to regrow hair.

Hair loss treatment is not really necessary if you are comfortable with it. But if done early on, treatment of hair loss is more effective. If hair loss becomes excessive, there are hair loss treatments that can control this and can help regrow your hair.