SKIN PROBLEMS

Other types of baldness may be associated with medical illnesses, emotional disturbances, the use of chemicals on the hair, drugs, and physical trauma such as excessive, compulsive and frequent combing through of the hair. Tight binding of hair around curlers or tight pulling with certain hair styles will produce temporary baldness, but if there is scarring of the scalp, permanent baldness may occur.

Irradiation therapy and chemotherapy for cancer can produce a temporary form of baldness. So can poisons.

Your doctor will be able to eliminate non-hormonal reasons for a temporary baldness and should be consulted.

Common baldness seen in men and women is due to inherited factors. A typical pattern of hair loss in men extending from the forehead will start to occur in the 20’s establish itself in the 30’s and will continue on in a typical pattern as seen in the older male generation of the particular family.

Emotional problems can arise in growing adults with a premature loss of hair. The condition will often be made worse over treatment using extreme brushing techniques, excessive use of blow dryers in an effort to conceal the balding process.

In women, balding may be seen as a more diffuse thinning of the hair over the entire scalp. It is also thought to be due to an inherited male hormone effect. In women, female hormones, interrupted courses of corticosteroids and attention to any iron deficiency which may be present may help to slow the process down or partially relieve the condition. The contraceptive pill in certain women genetically disposed to baldness may cause a thinning of the hair.

Highly emotional states in both sexes may be connected with a patchy balding or alopecia areata.

The treatment of common male type baldness consists of careful and gentle hair care using only high quality hair products. Excessive heat and trauma should be avoided, a good well balanced diet is essential. If there is an extreme emotional response to hair loss wigs can be worn and in certain cases, surgical hair transplants are a solution.

Recently a drug called minoxidil has been found in certain cases to exert an effect in the case of male baldness. It is supplied as a lotion which has to be applied regularly otherwise loss of hair will recur. It appears to exert its effect mainly on the top of the head rather than the frontal forehead region and only in early baldness. Its value in treating female baldness has not been confirmed and it is important to realise that minoxidil therapy will not restore a full head of hair.

For further information, consult your GP.