Understanding the Different Types of Hair Loss

Typically, hair grows on the human skin everywhere except on the soles of our feet and on the palms. Many hairs tend to be extremely fine and virtually invisible. In addition to this, every follicle of hair on the human body has its own life cycle.

Anagen — This refers to the active hair growth stage that lasts about 2 to 6 years.

Catagen — This transitional hair growth lasts for about 2 to 3 weeks.

Telogen — This resting phase can last anywhere between 2 and 3 months at the end of which it sheds and new hair gets replaced, starting the cycle again.

In a healthy individual, 90% of the hair on his or her scalp is growing at any point of time. However, this figure may vary depending on age, disease and a few other factors. Furthermore, a healthy individual has up to 150,000 hairs on their head and can lose about 100 of them every single day. Again, these figures vary depending on age, condition of health and a few other factors.

Different Types of Hair Loss

Hair loss, often also known as alopecia, comes in different forms. Here are few of the commonly experienced ones:

· Involutional Alopecia

In this natural condition, the hair tends to gradually thin as an individual gets older. This means that more hair follicles now go into the resting phase while the remaining hair get scantier and shorter.

· Androgenic Alopecia

This genetic condition is known to affect both men as well as women. In men, it is commonly known as male pattern baldness and can begin to affect you even when you are in your teens or your early 20s. A typical male pattern baldness starts with a receding hairline and the gradual disappearance of hair from the frontal scalp and crown. In the case of women, it is known as female pattern baldness and is most often not noticeable until they reach their 40s or even later. In women, the thinning of the hair takes place over the entire scalp with more evident loss of hair at the crown. Today, it is possible to find potassium rich supplements for healthy hair growth that help minimize the effects of Androgenic Alopecia.

· Alopecia Areata

This condition often starts rather suddenly and can cause patchy loss of hair especially in children and young adults. In some cases, the condition may result in complete baldness, however, in 90% of the cases, the hair tends to come back within a few years.

· Alopecia Universalis

In this form of hair loss, one experiences falling out of hair all over the body. This may include eyelashes, eyebrows and pubic hair.

In addition to this, there is also telogen effluvium that results in temporary hair thinning over the scalp because of changes in the growth cycle of the hair. Scarring alopecias refer to permanent loss of hair because of inflammatory skin conditions or disorders that destroys the ability of hair to regenerate in that area. When looking for supplements for healthy hair growth, make sure you speak with your doctor to identify the type and cause of hair loss to find the best solutions.

If you are looking for the best treatment for hair loss, the author of this article recommends TRX2®.