Our hair is made of a type of protein called keratin. A single hair consists of a hair shaft (the part that shows), a root below the skin, and a follicle, from which the hair root grows. At the lower end of the follicle is the hair bulb, where the hair's color pigment, or melanin, is produced.
Alopecia areata
This condition generally causes coin-sized bald patches on the scalp or beard. Rarely, all body hair may be lost. The hair usually grows back in several months, except in people with widespread hair loss, for whom re-growth is unlikely (or other parts of the body). Scientists are not sure what causes alopecia areata. It is probably caused by a combination of factors including genetic predisposition, predisposition to allergy, immune and autoimmune system responses, and emotional stress.
Treatment
In approximately 50% of patients, hair will regrow within a year without any treatment. The longer the period of time of hair loss, the less likelihood that the hair will regrow. A variety of treatments can be tried. Steroid injections, creams, and shampoos (such as clobetasol or fluocinonide) for the scalp have been used for many years. Other medications include minoxidil, irritants (anthralin or topical coal tar), and topical immunotherapy (cyclosporine), each of which are sometimes used in different combinations.
Telogen Effluvium
When your body goes through something traumatic like child birth, malnutrition, a severe infection, major surgery, or extreme stress, it can impact your hair. Many of the 90% or so of hairs in the growing (anagen) or transitional (catagen) phases can actually shift all at once into the resting (telogen) phase.
About six weeks to three months after the stressful event, the shedding phenomenon called telogen effluvium may begin. It is possible to lose handfuls of hair at a time when in full-blown telogen effluvium.
Treatment
Telogen effluvium is self-correcting. It is really not influenced by any treatment that can be given. However, gentle handling of the hair, avoiding over-vigorous combing, brushing and any type of scalp massage are important.
You should also ensure a nutritious diet, with plenty of protein, fruit and vegetables.
The doctor may check your thyroid function, and levels of iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid, as any deficiency in these can slow hair growth.
Trichotillomania
A look at the causes and the psychology behind Trichotillomania, a condition characterized by incessant pulling or plucking of one's own hair. The name of a psychological condition which results in an obsession with plucking or pulling on one's own body or scalp hair. There are several problems that can result from this activity, and the psychology behind it can be confusing. Commonly treatable in children, adults with this condition rarely recover.
Treatment
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are effective in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder and are commonly used in the treatment of trichotillomania. Clomipramine treatment was shown to significantly improve symptoms when tested in a double-blind study.
Fluoxetine and other similar drugs have limited usefulness in treating TTM, and can often have significant side effects.According to F. Penzel, antidepressants can even increase the severity of the TTM.
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