"Why is my hair getting thinner and my hair loss getting worse?" Many people have this doubt in their lives. Due to lifestyle habits, dietary habits, stress, mental state, and other reasons, hair loss has become a major problem that plagues contemporary young people, and many people start experiencing hair loss at the age of 20. So what is considered hair loss? What are the causes of hair loss? And what are the misconceptions about preventing hair loss?
Experts explain that hair loss in clinical settings is mainly divided into alopecia areata, total baldness, universal alopecia, and seborrheic hair loss, which are common skin diseases in dermatology. Seborrheic hair loss is the most common, also known as androgenic alopecia, with a higher incidence rate in males than females, and it is related to excessive secretion of androgens and sebum in the body, usually with a family history of inheritance. Alopecia areata is a sudden occurrence of localized hair loss, often associated with mental stress, excessive fatigue, stress trauma, and autoimmune deficiencies.
It is generally believed that hair loss is related to genetic factors, improper diet, excessive stress, hormonal imbalances, external stimuli, chemical medication, and sleep problems (insomnia and vivid dreams, late nights), among other factors.
How much hair loss is considered hair loss?
Hair loss is a normal metabolic activity, just like leaves falling off a tree. All hair will automatically fall off after the end of a growth cycle. If you lose more than 100 hairs per day and this continues for more than a month, it is considered abnormal hair loss.
In real life, there is also a hair-pulling test that can help roughly assess hair loss: spread your five fingers into the roots of your hair, then close your fingers to grip the hair, gently pull it outwards, and repeat this process 5-6 times in different parts of your hair. If you find three or more hairs in between your fingers each time, it indicates hair loss.
Common misconceptions about treating hair loss
Due to the severe damage to one's image caused by hair loss, many people are eager to change the situation, resulting in many misconceptions about treatment.
Misconception 1: Hair loss does not require treatment if it is not painful or itchy
Many people believe that hair loss is caused by excessive mental stress or irregular daily routines and try to improve hair loss problems through self-regulation. However, some types of hair loss can recover on their own within a certain period of time. If there is no improvement after adjustments, it is still necessary to seek medical examination in a timely manner. Waiting until hair loss becomes severe will only consume more energy.
Misconception 2: Hair loss is caused by kidney deficiency
Some men believe that their hair loss is caused by kidney deficiency. However, from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, hair loss is also related to the functions of the liver, kidney, lungs, and other organs. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners throughout history believe that the pathogenesis of hair loss includes qi and blood deficiency, liver and kidney insufficiency, liver stagnation and blood deficiency, and dampness and heat erosion. Hair loss patients who blindly take large amounts of kidney-tonifying drugs in the early stage not only fail to control hair loss but also exacerbate the problem by promoting dampness and heat, leading to increased greasiness and hair loss.
Misconception 3: Increasing the frequency of shampooing blindly
Some people believe that hair loss is related to excessive sebum secretion on their scalp. They think that washing their hair more frequently can alleviate hair loss. In fact, the main cause of hair loss is hormonal imbalance in the body or the influence of psychological factors. Washing hair too frequently will actually promote sebum secretion and worsen hair loss symptoms.
Misconception 4: Hair transplantation provides a permanent solution
Hair transplantation surgery is relatively expensive. Generally speaking, the survival rate of hair follicles is over 90%, and the effect is immediate. However, hair transplantation surgery does not mean a permanent solution. In fact, hair transplantation does not increase the total amount of hair, but rather allows the hair at the back of the head to grow to the front. Often, in many cases, the transplanted area has more hair, but the hair at the back gradually decreases.
How to treat hair loss?
Hair loss is a stubborn disease, and it can be said that Western medicine has not yet found particularly effective drugs for it, especially for seborrheic hair loss, which has a longer and more difficult treatment process. Experts suggest that early treatment of hair loss is crucial, and the combination of Chinese and Western medicine has better results. In addition, hair loss treatment often takes a long time, requiring persistence for 3-6 months, and patients should adhere to the treatment.
