Hair Loss Causes
Since 1997, Bauman Medical has been dedicated to providing every hair loss patient the highest quality results and personalized patient-care in the field of hair restoration. We measure our success by helping you, our patients, successfully achieve and maintain your goals. Dr. Bauman and his staff take pride in providing advanced treatments and procedures, accurate information and, most importantly, a professional yet personalized approach.
Hair loss and other changes affect different people in different ways. If you are suffering from hair loss or hair thinning and want to do something about it, I urge you to do your research, ask us questions, and then take action. When you are ready, we are here to help you restore and maintain a great looking head of hair. Find out why nearly half of our patients travel in from out-of-town for Dr. Alan J. Bauman’s treatments and procedures.
At Bauman Medical, we specialize in treating men and women who are looking to enhance, maintain or restore their hair.
In general, the vast majority of patients we treat are experiencing mild, moderate or severe hereditary hair loss–also known as male or female pattern hair loss–which is the most common type of hair loss. We also have medical solutions for other types of alopecia (hair loss). If you are experiencing thinning or receding hair, we encourage you to browse our website and learn about what you can do to address your hair loss concerns. Dr. Bauman is available to help you by designing a results-oriented treatment program.
- Male Pattern Hair Loss (Hereditary Androgenetic Alopecia)
- Female Pattern Hair Loss
- Plastic Surgery-Related Hair Loss (browlift/facelift scars)
- Traumatic Scars from Injury or Burns
- Eyebrow Loss
- Eyelash Loss / Weak Eyelashes (eyelash hypotrichosis)
- Hereditary High Hairline
- Hair Loss due to Medications, Nutritional Deficiencies, Stress, Hormone Imbalances
- Hair Loss due to Hair Breakage
- Hair Loss due to Scalp Inflammation
- Scarring or Cicatricial Alopecias
- Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA)
- Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis, Alopecia Universalis
- Traction Alopecia from hair extensions, braids, weaves or wigs
- Chemotherapy-Related Hair Loss
- Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA)
- Lichen Planus (LP) or Lichen Planopilaris (LPP)
- “Lately, I am noticing more scalp shining through…”
- “I’m finding a lot of hair on my pillow…”
- “I’m seeing my hairline recede slightly…”
- “I’m seeing more hair than usual in the drain…”
For many of our patients—and, tens of millions of men and women—these signs are typically the first indicators of hair loss. It may surprise you to learn how frequently we also hear patients tell us, “I woke up one day with less hair,” “It just happened suddenly,” or “I saw myself with hair loss in a photo or video and I was shocked!”
In other cases, patients may observe a slow, but progressive thinning or receding of the hairline. Initially, they want to believe that the loss is not significant. Then, seemingly “overnight,” the amount of hair lost is too obvious to deny anymore. For others, initial changes in their hair volume and density are actually so gradual, that they may only be detectable with the help of a microscope or scientific tool like a HairCheck trichometer. For these patients, their hair loss appears to be quite sudden because it does not become noticeable to the eye until the hair density dips below a definite threshold. For other patients, it might have been a photo, video or a mirror that showed the results of a progressive hair loss that they didn’t realize was occurring.
Before we elaborate on the types and causes of hair loss, it is beneficial to review basic information about how hair grows. The hair follicle, which appears as a tiny opening in the skin, is the base from which each hair grows. Each hair’s root resides within the follicle where it receives nourishment from the body’s blood supply. The hair follicle which produces the hair is an incredibly tiny, yet complicated micro-organ in the skin. It is connected to our blood circulation and nerves as well as oil (sebaceous) glands. Each follicle is also connected to a small muscle (that causes your hair to stand up on the back of your neck or your arm!) Hair follicles communicate within themselves and with other nearby follicles with small protein molecules and are also responsive to changes in your body’s hormones, stress level, medications you may take, food you may eat and many other influences.
Every hair follicle produces hair in a three-stage cycle that repeats over time. The first stage of this cycle is active growth, known as the ANAGEN phase. The intermediate stage is the CATAGEN phase. And, the third stage is the resting TELOGEN phase. Each hair follicle continually undergoes and repeats the cycle of hair growth, independently. And, at any given point in time, most of the hair on your head, is in the active growing Anagen phase, which lasts on average from two to six years. While the active stage of hair growth is the longest in duration, the Catagen intermediate phase is the shortest, lasting approximately two to three weeks. Finally, it is during the resting third of the cycle, the Telogen phase when a new Anagen hair pushes out the hair currently in the follicle. This phase typically has a duration of three to four months. It is the Telogen hairs that you see when they come off into your brush or comb.
When an average, healthy individual reaches physical maturity, at or around the end of adolescence, he or she will have between 100,000 to 150,000 hairs on the head. Under normal conditions, the average person will “lose” or shed approximately 100 Telogen hairs per day and grow 100 Anagen hairs per day. Baldness or hair thinning occurs as the normal growth stage slows. As most individuals get older, the percentage of hairs in the resting stage (Telogen phase) increases, while less hair remains in the active growth Anagen phase. Hair follicles may also produce a thinner, less pigmented hair over time.
For many years, researchers told us that hair loss resulted from the genetics inherited from the mother’s side of the family. Now, advances in medical science offer proof that “baldness” genes do not discriminate by the sex of the parent. In fact, the related genes can be passed down from both sides of the family tree. We also know that this inherited trait can appear to skip generations and even affect siblings differently. There are over 200 genes that regulate hair characteristics, including the onset and speed of hair thinning and baldness.
Once you understand the cause of your hair loss, you need to determine the best way to stop losing more hair, enhance the hair you have and restore the hair you’ve lost. For the most patients, this means using a combination, or ‘multi-therapy,’ approach: non-invasive treatments to protect the hair you have and hair transplantation to restore the hair you’ve lost. Some patients might accomplish their goals using ONLY non-invasive treatments.
The sooner we treat your hair thinning and loss, the more hair we can save. When you are ready to put an end to your hair loss—and get back what’s been lost—be sure to consult with Dr. Alan Bauman. Getting started with you hair restoration regimen is simple. A preliminary evaluation of your hair loss status and factors that are affecting your hair loss can be done easily. Click below to start your consultation with Dr. Bauman.
