It’s time to solve problems
In the to-do list for the next month, do not forget to mark the super-important item – “make an appointment with the trichologist” if you lose more than 100 hairs per day every day. And with stress, poor ecology, poor diet and lifestyle, you are definitely losing more than normal, despite good genes and expensive shampoo.
Hair loss is a serious cause for concern, not only in matters of beauty, but most importantly, health.
“Hair is a filamentous appendage of the skin that contains keratin, lipids, trace elements and water. Hair protects the human body from hypothermia, overheating, mechanical injuries, ”says an expert.
ALOPECIA IS
“A disease characterized by abnormal persistent or temporary hair loss on the skin where it normally grows is called alopecia. It can be total or focal. In the first case, a person loses hair all over the body, and in the second – only on the head. “
A FEW NUMBERS
Hair loss is a physiological process that depends on the gender and age of a person. The average lifespan of a hair is two to three years for men, and four to six years for women.
30 thousand hairs is the average amount of hair that grows on a person’s head at a rate of 0.4 millimeters per day.
From one hair follicle in the course of a person’s life, about twenty hairs consistently grow.
According to the norm, a healthy person loses up to hundreds of hairs per day, otherwise we are talking about the risk of developing baldness and pathology.
It is worth noting that this problem has both individual and seasonal characteristics. For example, in the fall and winter, people are more likely to experience increased hair loss than during the warmer months. If you notice that you are losing more than 100 hairs per day (all over your body) and the process has been going on for several weeks, you should contact a trichologist.
The life cycle of hair development is asynchronous and can be disrupted at any stage. There are three stages of hair growth, which are constantly repeated:
Active growth (anagen) – about 80-90% of hair volume is in this phase every day. It lasts from two to six years. The duration of anagen is determined by individual characteristics: for eyebrows, for example, this period lasts only four months.
Inhibition of growth and atrophy of the hair follicle (catagen) – 50 to 100 hair follicles are in this stage every day. It lasts no more than 3 weeks.
Rest (telogen) – the stage lasts from two to four months, after which the hair is separated from the root. In this phase, less than 1% of hairs are found on the scalp every day.
The most common type of alopecia is diffuse, in which hair falls out over the entire surface of the head or evenly in certain areas for a long time.
Speaking of diffuse alopecia, it is worth mentioning separately androgen-dependent alopecia, which ranks first in medical practice in terms of the number of visits. Among androgen-dependent alopecia, androgenetic alopecia is most common: in 95% of patients. It is a progressive hair loss that is inherited and manifests itself gradually – over time, the hair becomes thinner, until it stops growing at all. Androgenetic alopecia is stimulated by the action of androgens on the hair follicles, which leads to their suppression. Despite the fact that cases of hair loss of androgenetic origin are observed in both men and women, in the former this type of baldness is significantly prevalent: about 25% of men under the age of 30 suffer from it and from 40% – over the age of 30 years. In 12% of women, androgenetic alopecia occurs before the age of 30 and in 25% – before the age of 50.
WHAT IS TRICHOSCOPY
Trichoscopy is one of the main modern methods of examining the condition of the skin and hair, which does not require long preparation and has no contraindications. Trichoscopy allows you to make a correct diagnosis of the patient and effectively monitor the condition of the scalp and hair without biopsy.
The term “trichoscopy” was introduced by the Polish-American dermatologist Lidia Rudnicka in 2004, and since that time, the approaches and equipment used for the procedure have continued to improve.
Trichoscopy standards:
- The examination is carried out two to three days after shampooing;
- In two days it is necessary to cancel the use of styling products and hair dye;
- Patients with severe peeling need to first peel the scalp, use keratolytic agents (dermatological peels).
A common problem at a trichologist’s appointment is the differential diagnosis of diffuse hair loss and androgenetic alopecia. Recall that androgenetic alopecia is a typical form of persistent hair loss due to the miniaturization of hair follicles, in which the frontotemporal angles suffer and the amount of hair in the parietal zone decreases. Unlike this pathology, diffuse hair loss is manifested only by a violation of the duration of the hair growth stages (anagen and telogen) and does not lead to atrophy of the hair follicles. That is why it is very important to diagnose androgenetic alopecia in the early stages and to start systemic therapy in a timely manner.
FIRST CONSULTATION WITH A TRICHOLOGIST
The primary reception of a trichologist begins with an examination of the scalp and scalp. The examination is necessary in order to exclude common diseases that can negatively affect the condition of the hair – hormonal dysfunction, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and other internal organs. To determine the type of hair loss, a trichogram is performed – a computer diagnostics that allows to determine the condition of the hair and scalp under high magnification.
You should not postpone a visit to a dermatologist-trichologist even if there are other problems with the hair: increased oiliness of the scalp, hair has become thinner, drier and grows slower, the appearance of dandruff and itching in the scalp. You should not try to solve the problem of hair loss on your own with the help of cosmetic or cosmeceutical products. Do not forget that you are dealing with a serious illness, and only a doctor can competently select for you a course of treatment, care products.
