Common Types of Hair Loss

Hair loss types are differentiated based on the causes of the hair loss and the spread of the hair loss.

Pattern Hair Loss

As the name implies, pattern hair loss follows a distinct pattern that occurs at a progressive pace over a period of time. There’s male pattern baldness, the most common type of pattern baldness. There are seven successive phases of balding under the Norwood Classification System for Male Pattern Baldness:

• Phase 1 is the barely noticed phase of hairline recession. During this time, the hairline slowly loses its grip on the front of the scalp. When you face the mirror, the hairline recession is not obvious. But when you look down at the floor and take pictures of the top of your head, you would notice that the hair near your opposite temples is already significantly reduced.

• Phase 2 is the advanced stage of phase 1. This phase marks the complete recession of the hairline and the formation of round or circular bald spots on the upper part of both sides of the temples.

• Phase 3 is the time when circular bald spots move to the center of the crown region of the scalp. It is in this phase that you would notice that a central part of the hair remains. For some, this whorl in the front would be all that remains of their former hair (a case in point would be the late-night talk show host, David Letterman).

• Phase 4 and Phase 5 are similar, only that the front part of the hair is completely gone in phase 5. In addition, the central part of the crown region begins to bald.

• Phase 6 and Phase 7 is the extreme stage of balding, where only the back part of hair is left and the crown region is completely bald.

The Role Of Stress In Hair Loss

Stress should not be taken lightly in relation to balding. According to medical science, balding can increase when extreme and prolonged stress takes place.

One documented case was a 39-year-old man who had lost his child to cancer. Within only a few months, the poor man had lost all his hair except for a bit near his ears. That kind of extreme stress can take a toll on the whole body and the body may decide to divert the nutrition and circulation to the scalp to other vital organs.

The Role Of The Environment

Your occupation and the immediate exposure to different metals and chemical compounds can also play a part in increasing the incidence of balding. In addition, uncontrollable circumstances such as high levels of heavy metals in the water and in livestock can also pre-empt alopecia.

One common cause of hair loss is selenium, which can be traced to both drinking water and food products. It should be noted that hair loss is just one consequence of selenium toxicity.

The following metals can also cause biological toxicity, which may also lead to hair loss in affected individuals:

• Lead

• Cadmium

• Mercury

• Iron

• Aluminum

• Copper

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