HAIR LOSS AS AN AESTHETIC PROBLEM
Hair loss is an aesthetic problem that affects up to 75% of men, and up to 60% of women, at some point in their lives.
Hair loss is not a new phenomenon, since it has been a concern since the ancient times. Over the centuries, everything from lotions, ointments, dyes, hairstyles, wigs, and even magic potions have been used in an attempt to treat it.
In our time, medicine has come to provide the solution in scientific and clearly more reliable ways.
In recent years, the field of hair loss treatment has evolved to such an extent that we can successfully treat almost all cases.
In most cases, hair loss in men is due to hereditary, androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness), while in women it is due to hereditary predisposition.
THE CAUSES OF HAIR LOSS
More specifically, hair loss can be characterized depending on its cause, as:
Normal
The hairs that fall off (50-100 per day) are replaced by new ones, as part of the normal functioning of the scalp.
Seasonal
It usually occurs in women in autumn and spring and is not permanent.
It is an outbreak of normal hair loss and never creates a thinning problem.
Androgenetic alopecia
It occurs due to hereditary predisposition, and is related to the body’s androgens (male hormones). The classification of the androgenetic alopecia in men into stages, according to the Norwood classification, is described in the relevant photo.
Gyroid
Sudden and severe hair loss occurs, due to the immune system’s own reaction to the hair follicles. Gyroid hair loss is an autoimmune disorder, which is most often transient.
Diffuse
In general, diffuse alopecia is a disorder of the normal development of the life cycle of the hair, due to the influence of certain aggravating factors, which may include:
• Deficiencies in vitamins or other elements (e.g. iron)
• Severe mental stress (e.g. loss of a relative)
• Severe physical stress (e.g. surgery)
• Side effects from taking certain medication (e.g. chemotherapy)
• Hypothyroidism and certain other disorders, mainly related to the endocrine system
The transient or permanent nature of diffuse alopecia, if any, varies depending on the case.
Hair loss due to other causes
There are various other causes that can cause hair loss, such as trauma or burns, inflammation, various diseases, neoplasms, mental illness (trichotillomania), certain habits of the person (traction alopecia), etc.
With early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, hair loss can be successfully treated in the vast majority of cases.
HAIR FOLLICLES
The hair follicles are essentially the basic organ of hair creation: the indentations in the epidermis through which the hairs emerge. These can be either terminal (long and thick) or downy (vellus). Hair follicles are found on almost the entire surface of the body, except for the palms, feet, and some other small areas.
The scalp is covered with hair follicles, each of which contains from 1 to 4 hairs.
Approximately 10-12% are single, while the percentage of hair follicles with 4 hairs is smaller. The basis of hair growth is the two-hair follicles that cover 75-80% of the scalp. It has been estimated that for the Greeks (Indo-European race), the scalp is covered by approximately 60-75 hair follicles per square centimeter (cm²).
Hair has a specific life cycle and when there is no hair loss problem, the hair that completes its life cycle is replaced by a new one in a certain period of time (5-6 years for the scalp).
It is therefore basic knowledge that the hair on our head does not grow hair by hair.
THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE HAIR
The life cycle of the hair follicle is divided into 3 phases:
ANAGEN PHASE
During this phase, which lasts from 2 to 6 years, the hair grows approximately 1-1.5 cm per month. In this phase the hair follicles are located under the dermis, at the level of the subcutaneous fat.
CATAGEN PHASE
This phase is considered to be transitional and lasts about 2-3 weeks. The size of the hair follicles decreases, the lower follicle regresses and the outer layer of epithelium is lost.
TELOGEN PHASE
During the telogen phase, which lasts from 2 to 4 months, the life cycle of the hair is essentially completed. The hair follicles no longer grow and fall off (the hair “falls off”). When there is no hair loss problem, new hairs are shed in a relatively short time, which perform the same life cycle.
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