Healthy Lifestyle

Hair loss can affect anyone, at any age ? so have it treated before it’s too late.

You could be just 12 or 13, and still have male or female-pattern hair loss.

This is no exaggeration ? some of the youngest patients Dr Joyce Lee, an associate consultant with the National Skin Centre, has encountered in her practice here have been of that age.

And she’s found that hair loss is a very common problem that affects both genders equally. The condition can start at any time after puberty and gradually progress with age.

Its causes are varied. It can be partly due to genes ? those whose parents or siblings experience hair loss problems might be prone to having the condition themselves.

It could also be due to hormonal factors.

In men, the male hormone, known as dihydrostesterone, causes some hair follicles to shrink. This leads to the miniaturisation of the hair, resulting in short, fine hairs in place of the long, thick hair that one might previously have had.

The hair-thinning process affects particularly the crown and frontal hairline. In advanced cases, the hair-thinning process can leave these areas completely bald.

In females, women with increased androgens (male hormones) in their bodies may also experience earlier, more severe thinning of their hair.

Said Dr Lee: “Some women may experience worsening hair loss after using oral contraceptives or around menopause.”

Medicative treatment

There are many causes of hair loss, with male-pattern hair loss being the most common.

According to Dr Lee, it is important to establish an accurate diagnosis for the person who has a hair-loss problem before treatment is prescribed, as “there is no single treatment that can treat all forms of hair loss”.

In males, assuming that the person has male-pattern hair loss, there are two FDA-approved methods of treatment currently available to treat the condition.

The first is a form of oral medication, finasteride.

“Taken once a day, it has been shown in clinical trials to halt the miniaturisation process of hair follicles in most patients,” said Dr Lee.

Another medication, minoxidil lotion, is available in various concentrations, ranging from two per cent to five per cent.

“Applied twice a day on a dry scalp, it has also been shown to halt the hair-loss process in a good proportion of patients, and improve hair regrowth in some,” said Dr Lee.

Not everyone will experience hair regrowth with these treatments, said Dr Lee ? although using them should allow most to maintain the amount of hair they have.

In women who look to be suffering from female-pattern hair loss, it is important once again to seek an accurate diagnosis of what type of hair loss they have first, as “patients with chronic illnesses, such as a lack of iron or thyroid diseases, may have hair loss that is indistinguishable from female-pattern hair loss”, according to Dr Lee.

Only minoxidil lotion is FDA-approved to treat female-pattern hair loss. It is used twice daily on a dry scalp.

Said Dr Lee: “A good proportion of women using minoxidil may notice reduced hair loss, with some having modest hair regrowth.”

Don’t fret

Both male and female-pattern hair loss will become permanent if left untreated. The earlier one starts treatment, the more hair one is likely to retain.

Hair weaving, hair transplantation or the use of wigs and hairpieces are possible alternatives for those with more advanced cases of hair loss.

So, solutions are available. While you may lose some of your crowning glory, you need not have to lose any sleep over it.

TREAT IT RIGHT: Female-pattern, above, and male-pattern hair loss, below, can be treated with minoxidil lotion.