Archive for August, 2009

Facts About Hair Loss

Monday, August 31st, 2009

What is “Baldness?” I realize that it is hair loss, but do you really have to have exposed patches of skin to be considered “balding”? No.

Gradual Loss

When I was a kid, my hair was so thick that my mom could not get a rubber band around the end of my braid.  I don’t have that problem now.  I had never really considered if some hair loss is to be expected as we get older.

Why we feel the way we do

Why do some people pursue hair loss remedies and some people choose to accept their balding as it comes? Does it come down to how we want to present ourselves?  Is our hair WHO we are?

Receding Line

Maybe we need to take a step back and talk with our loved ones and our doctor before we decide on a treatment to stop or reverse hair loss. Obviously, hair loss is a big thing that affects how we feel about ourselves. We will have a terrible time being objective about the steps to take and when to say we have tried enough.

Accepting

While you are pursuing hair loss treatment, remember that you are not your hair loss! Your loss does not reflect on who you are as a person, nor does it determine how others see you as a person.

Is There A Cure For Hair Loss

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

Is there a cure for hair loss? In some cases, yes!  Your doctor may be able to help you figure out if your hair loss is reversible.

Is it genetic?

Baldness seems to be the classic example used when explaining genetics in biology class.  Do you remember the “B” and “b” in the Punnett squares?  How many of use figured out we had a 75% chance of becoming bald that day?

Is your baldness caused by infection?

Is your scalp red and inflamed? There are some infections of the scalp that can contribute to baldness. Most of these infections are treatable.  Your hair growth may resume after treatment if your baldness is caused by a skin infection.

Are your medications causing you to lose your hair?

This is a question worth having answered. Don’t pull your hair out finding it, though. Your doctor or pharmacist should be able to help you know which medications have this possible side effect and see if there is a suitable substitute.

Stimulus package for hair growth

There are topical medications that can help stimulate your hair to grow again. These also are worth looking into. Check with your doctor to make sure none of your current medications will effect or be affected by a topical hair growth preparation.