{"id":19761,"date":"2022-07-12T10:14:46","date_gmt":"2022-07-12T15:14:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thepapergown.zocdoc.com\/?p=19761"},"modified":"2023-03-20T12:47:09","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T17:47:09","slug":"can-you-fix-major-hair-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-fix-major-hair-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Fix Major Hair Loss?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everyone loses hair. It’s natural. But many lose more hair than they’d like. <\/span>About 80% of men<\/a> show signs of male pattern baldness by age 70, and more than 50% of women<\/a> will experience noticeable hair loss in their lifetimes. <\/span><\/p>\n

Although hair loss is real, thanks to modern medicine, there are actually many ways you can combat it.\u00a0<\/span>Read on to learn what causes hair loss and when it can be reversed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What causes hair loss?<\/h3>\n

Pick a head at random, and <\/span>it should hold about 100,000 hair follicles<\/span>. While the average person loses around 50 to 100 hairs per day, <\/span>as part of the normal hair growth cycle<\/span><\/a>, you typically don\u2019t see this loss due to new hair growth. If the hair growth cycle is disrupted, however, that new growth stops. That’s when you get noticeable hair loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Androgenetic alopecia, or pattern baldness, is the <\/span>most common cause<\/span><\/a> of hair loss in the U.S., affecting more than 50 million men and 30 million women. It\u2019s almost always hereditary, and occurs with aging.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pattern baldness tends to show up in predictable ways (hence the \u201cpattern\u201d part), explains Dr. <\/span>Nicole Ruth<\/span><\/a>, a Manhattan-based board-certified dermatologist. \u201cWomen present with a widened part and generalized thinning,\u201d she says. \u201cFor men, it\u2019s a receding hairline or hair loss at the crown of the head.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Stress or lifestyle factors can trigger conditions like <\/span>telogen effluvium<\/span><\/a> (TE), a temporary issue that causes people to shed more hair than usual. “This usually happens to postnatal women, or those who recently experienced intense emotional stress due to traumatic events,\u201d says Dr. Michael May, a London-based surgeon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other common causes of hair loss include<\/span>\u00a0medications, <\/span>such as<\/span><\/a> chemotherapy drugs, antidepressants, birth control pills and others, and alopecia areata<\/a>, a stress-induced autoimmune disorder that attacks hair follicles, causing patches of baldness.\u00a0<\/span>Harsh hair treatments or hairstyles can spur a type of hair loss called <\/span>traction alopecia<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Can you reverse hair loss?<\/h3>\n

You need to see a dermatologist<\/a> or hair restoration specialist for a clinical assessment to see what\u2019s possible. Some conditions respond well to treatment, while other times your hair might just grow back on its own. In some instances, <\/span>due to issues like traction alopecia,<\/span><\/a>\u00a0you\u2019ll suffer permanent damage and the best treatment is prevention.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While a primary care doctor may be able to help initially, hair loss diagnosis is best performed by a dermatologist<\/a>. Diagnosing the cause of hair loss usually involves a physical exam and questions about your diet, hair care routine and family medical history. It might also involve certain tests, <\/span>such as<\/span><\/a> a blood test and a scalp biopsy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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What treatments are used for hair loss?<\/h3>\n

There are a number of different ways you can either treat or prevent hair loss. These fall into three categories: medical procedures, medications and lifestyle changes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Medical procedures:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Currently, there are three main procedures done to reverse hair loss:<\/span><\/p>\n