Dr Jennifer Martinick shares this interesting slide show on Hair Loss.

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Hair Loss
Natural shedding of hair accounts for normal
daily hair loss. Recent measurements
indicate that the average rate of hair loss is
closer to 35 to 40 hairs per day

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Alopecia
• Abnormal hair loss
• Most common types
– Androgenic alopecia
– Alopecia areata
– Postpartum alopecia
– Over 63 million people in our country suffer
from abnormal hair loss

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Emotional impact
• How perceived by others
– Recent study showed that compared to men
who had hair, bald men were PERCEIVED as
having a number of characteristics
• Less physically attractive – by both sexes
• Less assertive
• Less successful
• Less personably likable
• Older
– By about 5 years

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Emotional impact
• Men with severe hair loss
– Negative social and emotional effects
– More preoccupation with baldness
– Make effort to conceal or compensate for hair loss
• Women with hair loss
– Devastating- women try to hide it from everyone
including their doctor
– Causes anxiety – women feel helpless and less
attractive

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Androgenetic Alopecia
• CAUSE: a combination of heredity,
hormones and age causes progressive
shrinking or miniaturization of terminal
hair, converting it to vellus hair
• Known as male pattern baldness in men
• Affects 40 million men in U.S.
• Affects 20 million women in U.S.

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Androgenetic Alopecia
• Can begin as early as teens
• Frequently seen by age 40
• By age 35, almost 40 % of men & women
show some degree of loss
• Gene can be inherited from either side of
family

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Alopecia Areata
• Sudden loss of hair in round or irregular patches;
may occur on scalp or anywhere else on body. It’s
highly unpredictable; affects almost 5 million
people in the U.S.
• Immune system attacks hair follicles
• Begins with one or more small, bald patches
– Can progress to the total scalp hair loss (alopecia
totalis) or complete body hair loss (alopecia
universalis)

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Alopecia Areata
• Occurs in males and females of all ages and
races
– Can begin in childhood
• Scalp shows no sign of inflammation
• No obvious signs of skin disorder or disease

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Postpartum Alopecia
• Temporary hair loss at conclusion of
pregnancy
• Growth cycle generally returns to normal
within one year after the baby is delivered

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Hair Loss Treatments
• Minoxidil
– Topical medication applied to scalp twice daily; proven
to stimulate hair growth
– Sold over the counter in 2 strengths: 2% regular & 5%
extra strength; no known negative side effects
• Finasteride
– Oral prescription for men only
– Side effects include weight gain & loss of sexual
function

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Summary
• Genetics, age hormonal changes, and the
immune system are factor of abnormal hair
loss
• There are only 2 approved hair loss
treatments
Next lesson: disorders of the hair