What is Baldness? Main Causes and Possible Treatments

Baldness is the loss of hair over time and it is a problem that affects both men and women. Therefore, it is one of the main aesthetic concerns for men and women. In many cases, when they have baldness, they get carried away by worry, acquiring low self-esteem.

In addition, it can be caused by exogenous and endogenous factors. That is, it can be caused by factors external to the body or the organism itself.

However, the genetic causes are not yet well known, but theories do exist. In addition, this hair loss has the scientific name androgenetic alopecia. And it affects men and women.

However, the prevalence in females is much lower than in males. Finally, it does not cause health risks, and it has some types of treatments.

What is Baldness?

This is excessive hair loss and it is a condition that affects men the most. Because hair loss is related to the presence of testosterone, the male sex hormones.

However, women also produce this hormone in small amounts, and in rare cases, baldness occurs in them. In addition, doctors refer to it as androgenetic alopecia and generally, the fall affects the frontoparietal part or the upper region of the head forming an M.

Causes of Baldness

However, there are some theories. Therefore, the oldest is an autosomal inheritance that varies between men and women. Thus, in men it behaved as an autosomal dominant, and in women as an autosomal recessive. But after several studies, it was concluded that it is a polygenic inheritance, but without knowing which genes are really involved.

On the other hand, baldness is influenced by testosterone. Therefore, when it reaches the scalp of people with genetic predisposition, it undergoes the action of 5-alpha-reductose and converts it to dihydrotestosterone.

This is responsible for the gradual thinning of the threads, which become short, clear and thin over time. But it can also be caused by excess oil, excessive application of chemicals, poor diet, lack of vitamins, thyroid disorders and stress.

Symptoms in men

The first signs of baldness in men can appear between 17 and 23 years old. First, capillary failures appear close to the forehead, at the known entrances. Then there is a circle with no hair on top of the head.

It usually takes part of the entire upper area of the head, with only strands left on the sidebands and behind the head.

However, when the signs appear around the age of 25 or 26, hair loss is slower, allowing for better results with some treatment. On the other hand, what signals the disease is not only hair loss but its miniaturization. That is, they become thin and fragile threads.

Symptoms in women

Until menopause women have the protection given by female hormones. However, when estrogen levels decrease, protection disappears, and genetic predisposition can arise, causing hair loss.

However, the front hair remains differently from men, but the strands are thin especially on the top of the head. Therefore, stress and anxiety factors, in addition to the excess of dyeing and straightening chemicals, contribute negatively to hair loss.

When to seek help and how is the diagnosis made?

Experts say that those who have a history of baldness in the family, regardless of the degree of kinship, should seek help at the end of puberty. For, between 15 and 18 years old it is possible to identify the beginning of the process.

However, if there is no history of baldness in the family, when you notice that there is a pattern of thinning and thinning of the strands, you should seek medical help from a dermatologist.

At the time of the consultation, the doctor will analyze your reports, family health history and do a physical examination and he will look for signs of miniaturization in the wires.

In addition, the doctor will still need several tests. For example, blood count, iron and ferritin levels, thyroid hormone and vitamins such as zinc, selenium and vitamin B12. Finally, the dermatologist will analyze everything and give the diagnosis, in addition to possible forms of treatment.

Baldness Treatment – How to treat baldness

There are some types of treatments that can be effective against baldness. For example:

1 – Adequacy of hormone levels

One of the determining reasons for baldness is hormonal changes. Therefore, one of the forms of treatment is the oral or topical use of drugs that inhibit the action of testosterone on the follicles. Therefore, they aim to reverse the thinning and miniaturization process of the wires.

2 – Nutritional supplementation

Deficiency of nutrients, such as proteins, minerals and vitamins, is closely related to hair loss. Therefore, the use of vitamin capsules and other substances is part of one of the effective treatments.

3 – Electrical stimulation

It is a technology that stimulates the scalp through a low-power laser. Therefore, it allows the infusion of medications, without the injection of substances. In addition, it also increases local circulation, facilitating the supply of nutrients and oxygen from the blood to the affected site. In short, the expected results are the reversal of baldness or its delay.

4 – Hair transplant

The transplant capillary consists of one of the latter cases when other treatments are not effective. In summary, it consists of removing hair strands and their respective follicles from the back of the neck and transplanting it to the affected area. Finally, the strands grow in a natural and healthy way.

5 – Hair prostheses

People who cannot undergo transplant surgery opt for hair prostheses. In this way, the prostheses are made with natural threads and can be placed or removed at any time, without causing damage. However, there are also fixed prostheses, which are glued or interwoven into the hair, but many experts do not recommend these.

Foods that help in the treatment of baldness

Healthy eating contributes to the proper functioning of the body. So it would be no different when it comes to treating excessive hair loss. Therefore, some foods contribute to the treatment of baldness. For example:

Protein-rich foods: Meats, nuts, seeds, soybeans and beans.
Rich in minerals: Meats, nuts, almonds, vegetables, fish, whole grains and liver.
Foods rich in vitamins: Milk and dairy products, citrus fruits, soybeans, legumes and whole grains.

However, high sugar, processed foods, caffeine and alcohol should be avoided. Well, they contribute negatively to the advancement of baldness.