Confirming What Kind of Hair Loss You Suffer from

The normal level of "hair fall" in the average person is 70 to 140 hairs a day. We all lose this much, probably with out noticing.

During its growth (anagen) phase, hair grows approximately half an inch a month. This phase lasts up to six years with a short resting - or telogen - phase of about three months when the hair is shed. Normally about 85 per cent of hair is in anagen and 15 per cent in telogen. Apart from the two main types of hair loss discussed earlier, there are a few other syndromes which can cause hair thinning or loss:

  • Telogen effluvium: Sometimes a traumatic event such as childbirth, surgery or severe illness can throw the normal hair cycle temporarily "out of sync" so that more hair than usual goes into the resting phase and is shed. The resultant excessive thinning occurs as a kind of "human moult" and can also happen as the result of sudden shock, either emotional or physical.
  • Scarring (cicatricial) alopecia: This is where the hair has been damaged through an accident and skin/hair follicles have suffered permanently. If the follicles have suffered permanent damage there is no hope of regrowth, but the patient can encourage healthy growth in the rest of the hair so that the problem can be disguised.
  • Hereditary /congenital alopecia: this is associated with rare syndromes passed down in families.
  • Traction or friction alopecia: This happens when hair braids are pulled too tightly for pony tails and chignons. It happens frequently in the Caribbean where women love tightly braided styles. It also occurs if rollers are pulled too tightly. A common culprit is the elastic pony-tail band which cuts into the hair.
  • Hair loss caused by medical treatment: The drugs used in chemotherapy treatment for cancer often cause loss of hair. But health professionals who once regarded this as unimportant have now realized that patients think that keeping their hair is important.