But hair is more than just aesthetic. It also has many important functions – preventing heat loss from the skin, for example, or (in the case of eyebrows) preventing sweat from dripping into the eyes.
Hair can also be a reflection of what is happening inside the body. Many diseases can alter the quality and appearance of hair. Paying attention to your appearance can give clues about your health status.
Some of the smallest organs in the body are the follicles that produce and nourish hair, meaning hair can only grow where there are follicles.
Many factors – from our genetics to our hormones to our age – can affect these follicles and their growth.
Excess hair growth
Hypertrichosis is a condition in which excessive hair grows all over the body. In most cases, this is a reaction to starting a new medication, such as phenytoin, used to treat epilepsy. But it can also be caused by diseases, such as anorexia and HIV.
Some conditions also cause hair to grow in places it shouldn’t. In newborns, tufts of hair near the base of the spine may indicate spina bifida occulta. This occurs when the lower vertebrae of the spine have not formed properly, leaving the delicate spinal cord covered only by skin.
Hirsutism is another condition in which hair grows excessively, but in a typically male pattern – on the face, lips, chest and arms. This is driven by androgen hormones, namely testosterone, which at high levels promotes hair growth in these regions.
hair loss
Hair may also begin to fall out in abnormal amounts, making it thinner or absent in certain regions of the body. The medical term for hair loss is alopecia and it can be localized or generalized. The causes of alopecia are multiple and include fungal infections, iron deficiency anemia, low thyroid hormone levels and medication use (including chemotherapy).
Age, sex and genetics are also to blame. Male pattern baldness occurs along the hairline and on the top of the head. It is influenced by the hormone testosterone, which shortens the hair growth phase and makes them thinner. Most men with male pattern baldness will start to notice hair loss around the age of 20-25.
Female pattern baldness, on the other hand, usually affects the frontal hairline first and causes thinning rather than complete loss. The role of testosterone is more debatable in women, but a hormonal cause is implicated, as weight loss is more common around and after menopause.
Hair loss can also occur as a result of pulling out hair. Styling your hair tightly can cause traction on the follicle and loss of hair integrity. Some people may also pull or pull out their hair out of habit. This is called trichotillomania.
Treat hair problems
Helping hair grow back can be as simple as treating the underlying condition that causes it. Another treatment to consider is the medication minoxidil – the active ingredient in Rogaine. It was initially developed as a treatment for high blood pressure, but it also promoted hair growth. This can occur through a direct effect on hair follicles or by improving blood flow to the scalp. These uncertainties may explain why some patients improve well and others do not.
Hair transplants are also a possibility, transferring pieces of hair to bald areas. There are two ways to perform them – you can relocate several small “perforated” grafts or a larger strip of skin. The grafts are taken from the hairy skin of the patient’s own body – this is an example of an autograft.
To get a better idea of your hair’s health, you can perform a simple test at home, known as a hair pull.
Select a group of 30 to 50 hairs (a small section) and run your fingers from the base of the hair on the scalp to the ends. There’s no need to pull hard – gentle traction is all that’s needed to dislodge hair loss. See how many you have withdrawn.
Typically, only one or two strands of hair come out with one pull – but this can vary between people. More than ten strands of hair and your scalp will likely lose more strands than normal. This could be suggestive of alopecia – although asking a dermatologist to do a closer inspection can help you know if your hair loss indicates a more serious problem.
