Bald spots, thinning of the hair, and severe breakage is usually something you can blame on your family tree, but there are several other possible reasons. They can also be the symptoms of a serious underlying health condition such as alopecia, lupus, cancer and other types of diseases that cause hair loss. So why does this happen and what can you do? In this article we’ll discuss certain diseases known to cause hair loss in men.
Understanding the Diseases That May Cause Hair Loss
Hair loss often occurs in patients suffering or recovering from a medical condition or illness. Amongst a growing list of issues and concerns, hair loss can then lead to additional stress and anxiety as the amount of hair loss becomes more prevalent and noticeable to others. Although there are a vast number of health issues that result in hair loss, some of the most common diseases we included below.
Alopecia Areata:
This is an autoimmune disease that affects the skin and scalp, causing hair to suddenly fall out.
Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss, and there are two main types: alopecia areata and androgenic alopecia. Alopecia may cause hair loss only on the scalp or all over the body. It may result in thinning hair, patches of hair loss, some balding, or total baldness. And the hair loss can be permanent or temporary.
Cancer:
Cancer such as Hodgkin’s lymphoma may cause hair loss but typically, chemotherapy is the primary cause.
One of the most significant concerns for patients following a diagnosis of cancer is the side effect of losing their hair during chemotherapy. For many, especially for those who have experienced a full, thick head of hair throughout their lifetime, the thought of losing it can be devastating.
Chemotherapy treatment owes its effectiveness to a variety of powerful medications which are designed to quickly attack the compromised, cancerous cells. Unfortunately, in addition to treating cancer, the medications also attack the roots of your hair. This can cause the hair to fall out very quickly, even in large clumps, or gradually over time.
Eating Disorders:
Hair growth is directly tied to the way we nourish our bodies. Eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia not only affect the body but also your hair. Many people who have an eating disorder are malnourished, which means they are not getting a well-balanced diet that the hair follicles need in order to continue to grow.
Medications:
Hair loss is a side effect of a number of medications taken for common health problems. Blood-thinning medications, oral contraceptives, drugs for depression, NSAIDs, and beta and calcium channel blockers can all lead to thinning hair or baldness. Too much vitamin A and vitamin A-based drugs called retinoids can cause hair loss as well.
Like we mentioned above, chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer are also known to cause total hair loss as they work to destroy cancer cells.
Burning Scalp Syndrome:
Burning scalp syndrome, also known as- Trichodynia, is a painful, burning sensation in the skin of the scalp or the scalp hair itself.
This syndrome affects women more than men as it has something to do with long hair. So men with long hair…Beware!
The burning, painful sensation that occurs in burning scalp syndrome can be quite stressful, especially if you don’t know why it’s happening. So, the stress itself can also make you lose hair.
Moreover, the itchiness accompanying it can make the person want to scratch their scalp like crazy and quite often. This can weaken the hair roots and cause them to enter the telogen phase.
Trichotillomania:
Trichotillomania is a compulsive hair pulling disorder where the individual has an irresistible urge to pull out healthy hairs from their head or other areas.
The repeated pulling out of hair has been shown to damage the hair follicles. And because trichotillomania is an obsessive repetitive disorder, this means that those with it often experience permanent hair follicle damage.
If enough hair is pulled out, these damaged hair follicles can affect hair regrowth causing the individual to be permanently bald in certain areas.
Lupus and Hair Loss:
Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s natural protection system attacks its own tissues, causing chronic inflammation.
When the immune system attacks the hair follicles within the skin, it can cause weakened, thinning hair. When this happens the hair follicles can no longer support hair, which leads to permanent hair loss.
Lupus can often result in a specific type of scarring called a discoid lesion. When this occurs, it can plug the follicles, inhibiting hair growth and causing atrophy of the surrounding tissues. This type of hair loss is typically permanent.
Male Pattern Baldness
For men, pattern baldness typically creates a receding hairline and thinning at the crown of the head. A receding hairline will slowly start to form an “M” shape as it moves backward across the scalp. As the hair on the sides of the head falls out, it will often result in baldness in a “U-shaped” formation.
In some cases, male pattern hair loss may progress to the point of total baldness. Androgenetic alopecia is most common in men over 50 years old, however, it may happen as early as the teenage years.
Hair Loss Solutions
As you’ve learned there are many diseases that are responsible for causing hair loss in men. The good news is, there are a good amount of solutions available for men that have undergone hair loss due to a medical condition. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are the best choice for treatment. Here’s why…
- Topical shampoos can be too harsh to use on a regular basis. They use forms of sulfates — like sodium lauryl sulfate — which can cause significant scalp irritation. Especially in people with sensitive skin or that have a medical condition. If the sulfates from the shampoo treatment causes enough irritation, it could contribute to more hair damage and hair thinning in some people.
- Hair transplant surgery is another option, but also a very expensive option. Also, surgery may not be a viable treatment due to the medications the individual may be taking or the sensitive condition of the scalp due to the current medical condition of the individual. There’s also the chance of side effects when having hair transplant surgery which include: infections. crust or pus drainage around the surgical sites. scalp pain, itching, swelling and inflammation of hair follicles
- A Toupee is another hair loss solution but it can look very unnatural. Most are made of synthetic fibers that often look too shiny, giving it a fake appearance Body oils also tend to build up under toupees giving bacteria a place to grow on the skin underneath. And lastly, there’s always the worry that a good gust of wind will cause the toupee to fly off and cause embarrassment.
Our Top Pick!
Thankfully, there is a hair loss solution for Jacksonville, Florida Men that does not require medication, harsh shampoos or surgery. We’re talking about the Man Hair, Hair Replacement System.
Not only is this a non-surgical solution that looks totally natural looking, (because it’s 100% human hair) but it’s also completely undetectable to the eye and to the touch.
Compare a hair transplant with our nonsurgical hair replacement system
Your Man Hair unit can be cut, colored and styled to your liking by one of our professional stylists. And you can sleep, shower, swim and be active with your Man Hair Replacement system- without ever having to worry about it coming off!
In fact, your unit can last as long as 6 months to a year depending on the individual’s lifestyle.
Get in touch with us!
Man Hair is proud to be the leading hair replacement solution in Jacksonville, Florida. If you have questions we have answers! Feel free to ask away by scheduling your free discovery call with us. Or contact us by clicking here to set up your FREE in-home consultation.
Our clients come to us to get their hair back. But, they also come to us for another reason: to get their lives back! Learn more about how we can help you get back to looking and feeling like you again.