Hair loss (alopecia) can affect just your scalp or your entire body, and it can be temporary or permanent. It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging. Hair loss that effect men, women and children. Baldness typically refers to excessive hair loss from your scalp. Hereditary hair loss with age is the most common cause of baldness. Some people prefer to let their hair loss run its course untreated and unhidden. Others may cover it up with hairstyles, makeup, hats or scarves. And still others choose one of the treatments available to prevent further hair loss or restore growth.
Normal human hairs can be classified according to cyclical phases of growth
- Anagen: Growth Phase
The hair all over the body grow in cycles. During the growth phage called Anagen. The hair grows at the rate of approximately 1cm per month. In young male the duration of anagen ranges from a few to several years for scalp hair. At the end of anagen phage the hair stops growing further.
- Catagen – Transitional phase
Enter in to a relatively short transitional phage called catagen and last approximately 3 weeks on human scalp.
- Telogen – Resting Phase
Catagen phage lead to resting phage is called telogen which lasts 3 months. At the end of the telogen phage, the old hair falls and replaced by new hair, which follows same cycle once again.
Different types of hair problems
- INVOLUTION ALOPECIA: It is a natural condition in which the hair gradually thin with age.
- ALOPECIA AREATA: Often start suddenly and causes falling of hair in patches in children and young adults.
- ALOPECIA TOTALIS: All hairs may disappear permanently or complete baldness.
- ANDROGENIC ALOPECIA: Male pattern baldness; suffer from hairs loss as early as their teens or early 20yr. It is characterized by a receding hairline and gradual disappearance of hair from the crown and frontal scalp.
- FEMALE PATTERN BALDNESS: Noticeable thinning until their 40 year. or later. It’s characterized by general thinning over the entire scalp, with the most extensive hair loss at the crown.
- ALOPECIA UNIVERSALIS: causes all body hair to fall out, including the eyebrows, eyelashes, and pubic hair.
- TRICHOTILLOMANIA: Seen most frequently in children, is a psychological disorder in which a person pulls out one’s own hair.
- TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM: It is a temporary hair thinning over the scalp that occurs because of changes in the growth cycle of hair.
- TRACTION ALOPECIA: The most common balding disorder among young women and girls with highly textured hair. Baldness occurs when the hair is pulled to tight meaning the hair is literally pulled out of the follicle, taking out the hair root and the bulb.
Common causes of hair loss
- Autoimmune diseases: Alopecia Areata, Lichen Planus
- Chemical: Hair shedding & breakage from styling, dyes etc.
- Drugs: Chemotherapy, gout medicines, birth control pills, excess of Vit. A, depressants
- Hormonal: Thyroid dysfunction & hormonal imbalances in men & women
- Infections: Fungal infections such as Tinea Capitis – causes hair loss in spots
- Post Major illness: May lead to sever hair loss
- Scalp diseases: Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis may lead to temporary, patchy loss
- Systemic: Diabetes, lupus etc.
Homeopathic treatment
ACETICUM FLUORICUMS
- Itching of the head and falling off the hair
- The new hair is dry and breaks off.
ALOES SOCOTRINE
- The hair comes out in lumps, leaving bare patches
- Eyelashes also fall out.
ARSENICUM ALBUM
- Touching the hair is painful
- Bald patches at or near the forehead all out.
BARYTA CARBONICUM
- Baldness, especially of the crown, in young people
- scalp very sensitive to touch, < from scratching.
CALCAREA CARBONICA
- Hair falls out, especially when combing
- sensation of coldness of outer head.
CANTHARIS VESICATORIA
- Hair falls out when combing, especially during confinement and lactation.
CARBO VEGETABILIS
- Falling out of hair after severe diseases or abuse of mercury and parturition.
- Hair falls out more on back of the head.
GRAPHITES
- Hair on the sides of the head falls out.
HEPAR SULPHURIS
- Hair falls out here and there, leaving bald spots.
LYCOPODIUM CLAVATUM
- Hair falls off after abdominal diseases with burning, scalding, itching of the scalp, especially on getting warm from exercise.
MANCINELLA
- Losing hair after severe acute diseases.
MERCURIUS
- Hair falls out, mostly on sides and temples.
NATRUM MURIATICUM
- Great falling of the hair at the climacteric or after chronic headache.
- Itching eruption at the margins of the hair on forehead, affects hair fall.
PHOSPHORIC ACID
- Falling of hair from head, eye- brows, eye- lashes and genitals and also due to general.
FERRUM PHOSPHORICUM
- Falling of hair in anaemic persons.
THUJA OCCIDENTALIS
- Falling of hair due to dry white scaly dandruff.