Various Types of Hair Loss

Normal human hair grows in a cycle consists of 2 phases: growth phase and rest phase.

In growth phase (anagen) which lasts for 2-3 years, the hair grow about 1cm a month. After that, it enters rest phase (telogen) which lasts for 3-4 months. During rest phase, hairs stop to grow. At the end of rest phase, the hairs will fall and a new cycle of growth phase will begin. A person normally shed 50-100 hairs a day.

Causes of hair loss:

• aging
• 40% of men by 35 years old and 65% of men by 60 years old have noticeable hair loss
• 50% of women by 50 years old have noticeable hair loss

• genetic 
• more prone to develop hair loss if one of your immediate family has it

• poor nutrition
• iron, zinc or protein deficiency

• medication
• warfarin, fibrates, anti-acne, ACE-inhibitor, calcium-channels blockers, allopurinol, anti-thyroid drugs, epilepsy drugs, birth control pills etc

• male-pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia)
• hair loss at both temporal areas & the top
• treated with oral finasteride / topical minoxidil

• female-pattern baldness (androgenetic)
• hair thinning at the mid-line top
• treated with oral anti-androgen / topical minoxidil

• telogen effluvium 
• hair growth enters into telogen phase prematurely, triggered by body insult / stress such as: emotional/physical stress, surgery, starvation, high fever, serious illness, extreme diets, childbirth etc
• hair loss starts 3-4 months after the stress event
• reversible after the stress factors subside

• anagen effluvium
• caused by chemotherapy drugs where actively growing hairs at anagen phase are most affected

• tinea capitis (scalp fungal infection / ringworm)
• itchy red scaly scalp with patchy hair loss
• treated with topical anti-fungal 

• alopecia areata
• autoimmune disorder with exact cause unknown
• non-scarring patchy hair loss
• may regress (hair grow back), recur or progress to total baldness
• treated with topical steroids/minoxidil or monthly steroid injection

• cicatricial alopecia (scarring)
• caused by inflammation and damage to hair follicles
• patchy and permanent hair loss
• associated with SLE and lichen planus

• traction alopecia
• caused by regular use of hairstyles that tightly pulling the hair
• patchy hair loss and non-permanent hair loss

• hormonal changes
• hyper- or hypothyroid
• diabetes
• childbirth / menopause

• excessive hair styling
• chemicals used & over-styling

• trichotillomania
• a mental disorder with irresistible hair-pulling
• patchy bald areas