Friday, June 3, 2011

Causes Of Hair Loss In Women

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a derivative of testosterone, is the enemy of hair follicles on the head. In other words, under certain conditions, the follicles DHT wants them dead. This simple act is the cause of a wide range of hair loss, so we'll deal with first.

Androgenetic alopecia, commonly known as male pattern baldness or female, is only partially understood until recent decades. For many years, scientists thought that androgenetic alopecia is caused by the predominance of the male sex hormone testosterone, which women also have small amounts in normal conditions. While testosterone is at the heart of the process of baldness, DHT is believed to be the main culprit.

Testosterone is converted to DHT by the support of type II 5-alpha reductase enzyme, which is considered the oil glands in the hair follicle. The researchers believe that it is not the number of circulating testosterone is a problem, but the level of DHT binds to receptors on the follicles of the scalp. DHT shrinks hair follicles making it impossible for healthy hair to survive.
hormonal process of testosterone into DHT conversion, which in turn give the hair follicles occurs in both men and women.

Under normal circumstances, women have a fraction of the level of testosterone that men have, but still less can cause DHT-triggered hair loss in women. And certainly, when those who have brought the levels of DHT is an even bigger problem. These levels may increase, and yet what doctors consider "normal" is a blood test, even if they are high enough to cause problems. Does not proceed at all levels and still be a problem if you have a body chemistry is too sensitive, even on a regular basis at the level of chemicals such as hormones.

Since the hormones act the way healthier when they have a delicate balance between androgens, the male hormones are called, do not need to increase the trigger the problem. Their counterpart female hormones, when calculated, gives an advantage to these androgens such as DHT. Such an imbalance can also cause problems, such as hair loss.

Hormones are cyclical. Testosterone levels in men have fallen slightly from 10 percent every decade after thirty. Women's hormone levels drop at menopause approaches and drop sharply during menopause and beyond. The cyclical nature of both our hair and hormones hair loss may increase due in the short term, even when you encounter a long-term slowing of hair loss (and a long-term increase in hair growth) whereas a treatment that controls hair loss.

The following are the most common causes of hair loss in women:

Andogenetic alopecia
Most women with androgenic alopecia have diffuse thinning on all areas of the scalp. Men on the other hand, rarely have diffuse thinning but have more distinct patterns of baldness. Some women may have a combination of two types of profiles. Androgenetic alopecia in women is due to the effect of androgens, male hormones, which are normally present in small quantities.

Androgenetic alopecia can be caused by several factors related to the action of hormones, including ovarian cysts, removal of high pill androgen index birth control, pregnancy and menopause. Just as in men the hormone DHT appears to be at least partly to blame for the shrinking of hair follicles in women suffering from female pattern baldness. Heredity plays an important factor in the disease.

Telogen effluvium
When your body goes through something that traumatic birth, malnutrition, severe infection, major surgery or extreme stress, most of the 90 percent or more hairs in the anagen phase of the (growing) phase or catagen (resting) phase can move at once into the shedding (telogen) phase.

About six weeks to three months after the stressful event is usually when the phenomenon called telogen effluvium may begin. It is possible to lose some hair during the telogen effluvium full. For most individuals with TE complete remission is unlikely as severely stressful events can be avoided. For some women, however, telogen effluvium is a mysterious chronic illness can persist for months or even years without any real understanding of all the triggers or stress.

Anagen effluvium
Anagen effluvium occurs after an insult to the hair follicle which harms its mitotic or metabolic activity. This hair loss is usually associated with chemotherapy. Because chemotherapy targets your body's rapidly dividing cancer cells, body cells divide rapidly, such as hair follicles in growth phase (anagen) are also strongly affected. Shortly after starting chemotherapy in 90 percent or more of the hairs may fall during their stay in the anagen phase.

The typical result anagen effluvium is the tapered fracture of hair shafts. hair shaft narrows as a result of damage to the matrix. Finally, the shaft fractures at the site of narrowing and causes hair loss.

Traction alopecia
This condition is caused by trauma located in the hair follicles of tight hairstyles that pull your hair over time. If the condition is detected early, the hair will grow back. twisted braids, tight ponytails, and extensions are the causes of the most common style.

Related Stories: