Causes of hair loss and the developments in hair rejuvenation

Abstract

Hair is considered to be a major component of an individual's general appearance. The psychological impact of hair loss results in a measurably detrimental change in self-esteem and is associated with images of reduced worth. It is not surprising that both men and women find hair loss a stressful experience. Genetic hair loss is the major problem affecting men and by the age of 50, up to 50% will be affected. Initial attempts to regenerate the lost hair have centred on applying a topical solution of between 2% to 5% minoxidil; however, the results proved disappointing. Recently, finasteride, a type II 5alpha reductase inhibitor has been found to regrow a noticeable amount of hair in about 40% of balding men. Further developments in treatments have lead to the use of a dual type I and type II inhibitor where 90% of those treated regrow a noticeable amount of hair. In women the major cause of hair loss before the age of 50 is nutritional, with 30% affected. Increased and persistent hair shedding (chronic telogen effluvium) and reduced hair volume are the principle changes occurring. The main cause appears to be depleted iron stores, compromised by a suboptimal intake of the essential amino acid l-lysine. Correction of these imbalances stops the excessive hair loss and returns the hair back to its former glory. However, it can take many months to redress the situation.

Etiological Role of Ferritin and Vitamin D in Patients with Telogen Effluvium

“…This finding was in agreement with: many studies [16][17][18][19][20][21][22] who examined the relationship between iron deficiency and hair loss On the contrary Bregy and Trueb found no statistically significant difference in the telogen rate between the two groups. The group with serum ferritin less than or equal to 10 ng/mL was too small to draw statistical significance [23].…”

Androgenetic Alopecia: A Chronic or Pubertal Onset Disease Retarded by Blood Donation

“…iron deficiency leads to certain kinds of hair loss e.g. female pattern hair loss, telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, alopecia universal [12][13][14][15][16][17], however some researchers denied such claims [18][19][20][21][22]. Clinically iron deficiency is defined either as an increase in total iron binding capacity tion of ferritin under 40 ng/mL [23][24][25].…”

Hemoglobin, ferritin and thyroid profile in women with chronic telogen effluvium

“…This is in line with the studies by Rushton and Kantor et al showing a statistically significant decrease in serum hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels in patients with CTE. 3,4 Similarly, Obaidat et al have reported a significant association between serum ferritin levels and CTE, in their study on potential relation between TE and Iron deficiency in women. 2 On the other hand, there are also studies where anemia of iron deficiency does not seem to play a role in manifestation of CTE.…”

“…Studies by Obaidat, Rushton, and Kantor et al, have shown a statistically significant decrease in serum hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels in CTE patients, and a significant improvement in hair loss after supplementing with iron in these patients. [2][3][4] The only drawback of the study was the small number of patients which may not reflect the true picture. There are mixed and conflicting results regarding the high prevalence of thyroid levels as a causing of CTE.…”