Balding hair loss

Balding hair loss can cut a man's ego in half and totally destroy a woman's. It is a common problem that occurs with great frequency and there are many different types of treatments depending on the cause of the balding.

Some balding or hair loss occurs after stressful situations. The body goes into a fight or flight mode and only the most necessary organs and functions operate at that time. It's meant as a survival mode. Since hair growth isn't necessary, some hair loss occurs.

Another cause of Balding hair loss is hormone imbalance. There are also mechanical methods, which cause your hair follicles to drop out rapidly. These include pulling the hair too tight into a ponytail, braid or cornrows or the use of tight rollers. When these pull the hairs out by the bulb, scarring can occur and no hair grows in that area. The most prevalent type of hair loss comes from male-pattern balding.

Is Baldness Hereditary?

Most baldness occurs as either male pattern baldness or in women, androgenetic alopecia. While everyone loses hair as aging occurs, male-pattern baldness is more prevalent and starts earlier. This is a genetic condition, which affects about 40 percent of men and women. Research into male balding patterns finds that a form of testosterone is abundant in the people with this type of balding pattern. The testosterone changes the growth cycle of the hair so it is shorter and creates thinner shafts of hair. Eventually the hair quits growing in certain areas. Most people think that it is from the genes on the mother's side, but that's not true. Both parents must have the gene for the pattern to appear.

Frontal Baldness

In male-pattern baldness and androgenetic alopecia or female pattern baldness,the patterns are specific. In male pattern baldness, the pattern of hair loss starts at the temples and on the crown of the head. It forms an M of hair and eventually the horseshoe shape of baldness. Women with androgenetic alopecia have hair falls from the top of the head and down the middle. Frontal baldness may be from this cause but there are also other possibilities like Alopecia Areata from stress factors that cause patches of hair to disappear. Bassoe syndrome and sertoli-leydig cell tumors are two possibilities that are more rare.

Does Rogaine Work on Frontal Baldness?

Rogaine's active ingredient is minoxidil and originally it was made for treatment of high blood pressure. It had an unusual side effect and that was that it grew hair. It was later tested and found effective for treatment when applied topically. It works by increasing the size of the hair follicles and aids the hair in extending the growing phase.

The Rogaine needs to be applied twice a day to be effective. It can't grow back hair on those completely bald and it isn't effective for those with male-pattern balding. This doesn't mean that it won't work on frontal balding if the cause isn't male-pattern balding. Women tend to find that it's more effective on their balding problems than it is for men.

Rogaine is one answer for balding hair loss that may not work in every situation. The most important thing to do before you try any over the counter remedy is to make certain that you don't have an underlying medical condition causing the balding, particularly if it's sudden and extensive. Check with your primary health care giver.

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