Hair falling out? Do not delay the visit to the dermatologist!

Hair loss not only forces many women to change their hairstyle, but also is a great psychological burden, generally impairing the quality of life. In the hope of preserving the remaining hair, women refuse to style and color their hair, and also resort to numerous means that, at best, have only a weakly pronounced effect. The best way out of the situation in this case is a visit to a qualified dermatologist who can identify the cause of hair loss and, in many cases, help in solving this problem and underlying hair loss more serious health disorders.

In her speech at the 68th Annual Congress of the American Academy of Dermatology, a well-known specialist in this field, Dr. Mary Gail Mercurio, discussed the most common variants of female baldness and existing methods of its treatment. She noted that if earlier women, as a rule, experienced this problem alone, recently they are increasingly seeking help from specialists, which is the only right solution, since early diagnosis and timely initiation of treatment increase the likelihood of stopping hair loss.

Female baldness is common and in many cases curableThe most common variant of the problem is female-type baldness, in the etiology of which, as a rule, there is a strong genetic component inherited by a woman from her mother or father.

Both men and women suffer from male-type baldness (androgenic alopecia), but in women it is usually manifested not by a change in the hairline and complete baldness of the upper part of the skull, but by a visible thinning of the hair around the crown and above the forehead with the preservation of the hairline. In addition, both sexes have thinning and increased fragility of hair, which, due to the shortening of the life cycle, fall out earlier than they reach their normal length. The first signs of androgenic alopecia may appear as early as the end of adolescence. Obviously, the earlier the hair loss begins, the worse the prognosis.

The only external remedy for the treatment of male pattern baldness that has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is minoxidil, a 2% solution of which is used to treat female pattern baldness, and a 5% solution for male pattern baldness. A 5% solution of minoxidil is very effective and with female-type baldness, however, its use in some cases can cause facial hair growth. 2% and 5% solutions of minoxidil, as well as its 5% preparation in the form of foam, can be purchased without a prescription in the free market. The result of using minoxidil is not the growth of new hair, but an increase in the life cycle of the hair, which leads to a visible increase in the density of the hairstyle. Dr. Mercurio also stressed that minoxidil treatment requires patience, since when the drug is applied to the scalp twice a day, visible results usually appear only after three to four months.

Usually, this type of baldness is not associated with hair structure disorders, therefore, the refusal of frequent washing, coloring and curling practiced by many women does not affect the rate of hair loss and the duration of their life cycle in any way.

In some cases, the cause of female baldness is an increase in the level of male sex hormones (androgens). One of the signs of the hormonal nature of the disease is male-type hair loss. For the treatment of hormonal imbalance, women are prescribed drugs such as spironolactone or hormonal contraceptives, but this can only be done by a doctor on the basis of an accurately established diagnosis.

Another option for the correction of female baldness is the transplantation of hair follicles isolated from other areas of the scalp into the affected areas. This surgical approach is very effective in many cases and provides a stable, natural-looking result.

Hyperandrogenism: causes and consequencesHyperandrogenism is a condition characterized by excessive production of male sex hormones, which can be the cause of hair loss in women.

The most common cause of this condition is functional ovarian hyperandrogenism or polycystic ovarian syndrome. In addition to hair loss, symptoms of hyperandrogenism, which is one of the main causes of female infertility, include obesity, acne and irregular menstruation. In some women, functional ovarian hyperandrogenism is associated with metabolic syndrome, a complex of metabolic disorders that increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In such cases, a visit to a dermatologist can reveal a serious problem, one of the first visible symptoms of which is hair loss.

Hair loss caused by hyperandrogenism is also treated with minoxidil, but the specifics of the course of treatment depend on other manifestations of the problem and the means used to treat them.

In addition to the imbalance of sex hormones, hair loss can signal other problems in the body, such as thyroid diseases or systemic autoimmune diseases. Therefore, early and competent diagnosis of hair loss is extremely important.

Scar alopecia: the main task is to prevent further hair lossCicatricial alopecia – hair loss accompanied by the destruction of hair follicles and the formation of scars on the scalp – occurs in both women and men.

This disease leads to the appearance of randomly located areas of baldness, which are usually characterized by redness and inflammation of the skin. The causes of scarring alopecia in women are unknown, but it often accompanies diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (a disease of the immune system) and lichen planus (an inflammatory skin disease).

Unfortunately, the restoration of lost hair in such cases is impossible, and the task of the doctor and the patient is to identify and stop the process at an early stage. Treatment of this condition depends on the severity of the process and should be carried out under the supervision of a dermatologist. Usually, anti-inflammatory drugs such as glucocorticoids and antimalarial drugs are used to treat scar alopecia. Minoxidil is ineffective in this case.

In conclusion of her speech, Dr. Mercurio once again noted the importance of the problem of hair loss for a huge number of women. She also said that specialists are actively working on new methods of treating female baldness using lasers and other light sources. Several experimental approaches have already successfully passed the preliminary testing stage and, perhaps, in the near future, will expand the capabilities of dermatologists involved in the treatment of female baldness.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru According to ScienceDaily: Dermatologists Can Help Women Win the Fight Against Common Forms of Hair Loss.

09.03.2010