All Aspects of Hair Loss
To understand hair loss, it is important to briefly discuss the hair cycle. The hair cycle is divided into three phases: anagen (growth phase), catagen (resting phase), and telogen (shedding phase). Each hair follicle goes through these stages independently and regularly. On average, about 10% of healthy hair is in the shedding phase, while 80% is in the anagen phase. Seasonal changes and the postpartum period can lead to what we call physiological increases in hair loss, with shedding rates around 10% during these times. This can be measured during examination using a pull test.
Telogen effluvium can occur due to various conditions outside of physiological reasons, such as anemia, vitamin deficiencies, nutritional disorders, sudden weight loss, thyroid diseases, and side effects from certain medications. This situation will be investigated by your dermatologist, who will direct your treatment accordingly.
Anagen effluvium presents a more severe picture, with causes including the use of chemotherapeutic drugs and radiotherapy.
If both types of hair loss are treated in a timely manner and effective treatment is provided, they can fully recover. However, if treatment is delayed, there may be increasing hair volume loss over the years.
Conditions that lead to permanent hair loss are referred to as scarring alopecia. Dermatological diseases that affect and destroy the hair follicles can cause scarring alopecia. Some of the causes include discoid lupus erythematosus, lichen planopilaris, folliculitis decalvans, dissecting folliculitis, and erosive pustular dermatosis.
Alopecia areata, also known as patchy hair loss, differs from other forms of hair loss. It is often seen as complete absence of hair in circular patches about the size of a coin. This condition is frequently associated with an autoimmune disease. It occurs when hairs in the anagen (growth) phase suddenly transition to the telogen phase. Depending on the severity of the disease, it can affect all body hair, leading us to discuss alopecia totalis.
Androgenetic alopecia is another cause of hair loss and baldness. It is one of the most common reasons people seek cosmetic and aesthetic treatments. Due to an individual's genetic predisposition, it occurs more frequently in men, but hormonal factors are also prominent in women. If medical treatment is delayed, this hair condition can yield beautiful results with hair transplantation.
In summary, as seen, hair loss is a skin condition that requires extensive investigation and examination. The type of treatment, which therapies to combine, the usage of home treatments, and the frequency and duration of treatment should all be determined on an individual basis. For effective results and proper prevention, consulting your dermatologist is sufficient.
Among the treatment options we offer in our clinic are platelet-rich plasma (PRP), hair mesotherapy, and autologous micrograft stem cell therapy.
