Hair Loss

Hair loss is a natural process in life, and it happens more often than you think. On average, people may lose 50-100 hair follicles every day - and most don’t even notice. Hair loss at a higher rate than 50-100 hairs per day is the point at which your hair follicles are beginning to shrink and eventually stop producing hair. Your hair then becomes thinner, you notice bald patches or your hairline begins to recede.

Hair loss can affect just your scalp or your entire body. It can be a result of hormonal changes, heredity, medications, and some health conditions. Hair loss is most common in men, but women can experience it too. 

From a medical point of view, natural hair loss is nothing to be too worried about, it has no other potentially negative effects on your body, however, it can impact the mental health of many men, leading to image issues and anxiety. In this instance, many men choose to treat their hair loss with medication, concealers, or surgery rather than letting it steer its natural course.

If you experience frequent and persistent hair loss, it can also indicate a medical issue. If you are struggling with abnormal hair loss, we offer a range of treatments that are available through our online pharmacy, such as Finasteride.

The most common cause for going bald is male pattern baldness. Male pattern baldness is a hereditary condition, which affects roughly 39.23% of men in the UK (12.2 million men) alone. 

It is referred to as “male pattern baldness” because it generally follows a similar pattern in all men, with the front thinning and receding, followed by the crown area. The hair at the back of the head tends to be resistant to the hormone responsible for male pattern baldness, meaning most men tend to retain that part. Hair loss professionals tend to refer to the Norwood Scale to judge what stage a person is currently at in terms of hair loss. 

Hair loss can also be caused by other factors such as alopecia, menopause, side effects of medications, and thyroid problems. In male-pattern baldness, however, the predominant reason the hair follicles shrink and stop the production of hair is due to their sensitivity to the male sex hormone, Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). As touched on previously, the hair on the back of the head is not as sensitive to this hormone.

Hair loss can sometimes be a sign of a medical issue. Therefore, it’s essential to speak to a doctor if you experience hair loss suddenly. They will be able to advise whether it is normal or an indication of another health problem.

Hair loss could also be due to stress, weight loss, chemotherapy or other cancer treatment, or an iron deficiency. If you experience sudden hair loss, bald patches, hair coming out in clumps or burns, and itches on your scalp, you should seek medical professional help.

Other problems can include:

• Emotional or physical shock 
• Trichotillomania 
• Diet and lifestyle choices
• Hormonal changes

Most instances of hair loss are either temporary or just a general part of aging. If you are losing hair because of a medical condition, we suggest seeking professional help to find the best course of action to prevent further hair loss. However, if you are suffering from male pattern baldness you may need to explore medications such as Finasteride to help stimulate hair growth.

Unfortunately, there is no ‘cure’ for male pattern baldness (MPB) as of yet, however, there are many medications available to treat hereditary male pattern baldness.

Minoxidil (Regaine) is a pain-free, over-the-counter (no prescription needed), topical application treatment for balding that can be used by both men and women. It comes as a foam preparation and can be rubbed into your scalp on a daily basis. 

Minoxidil helps to improve blood flow to the hair follicle, in doing so increases the size of the hair follicle. It may cause you to shed hair initially, but this is a good sign as it means it is stimulating hair follicles that were going dormant back to life again.

Finasteride (Propecia) is another option for treating hair loss. Finasteride is a prescription-only medication that is licensed for use in the UK for hair loss in men. Finasteride works by lowering the levels of DHT. 

If taken daily and patients are compliant with their dosing, the medication will stop the hair follicle from shrinking and has been shown to help regrow and thicken hair in the crown area in 86% of men who were compliant and took it daily.

Unfortunately, hair loss is a common side effect of many medications that are used today. This is because medications will damage the hair follicles, which causes a disruption of growth at different stages. The majority of medications only cause temporary hair loss that goes away once you’ve normalised or stopped taking the medicine.

These medications include:

• Chemotherapy, which is used to treat cancer
• Antidepressants
• Medication for high blood pressure
• Medicine for heart issues
• Arthritis medication
• Hormonal medications, such as the contraceptive pill

There are many types of hair loss so it’s important to seek a professional diagnosis before getting the treatment you need. These include:

• Alopecia areata: is an autoimmune condition that attacks the hair follicles and prevents hair from regrowing.
• Cicatricial alopecia: is a rare hair loss condition where inflammation means that hair follicles are destroyed and scar tissue replaces them.
• Cicatricial alopecia: is a rare hair loss condition where inflammation means that hair follicles are destroyed and scar tissue replaces them.
• Female pattern hair loss: usually causes hair to thin. This is especially common in older women. It rarely results in baldness.
• Androgenetic alopecia: which is the most common hair loss type. It is known as male pattern hair loss or female pattern hair loss. This is the type of hair loss that people may take medication for.
• Male pattern baldness: includes a receding hairline or a bald scalp. Male pattern hair loss often causes baldness in men.
• Telogen effluvium: is a type of hair loss that happens when one phase of the hair growth cycle doesn’t begin. It doesn’t usually result in total baldness. This is often triggered because of health conditions.
• Hypotrichosis: is a genetic illness that often affects babies. Most people who have this condition are bald by the time they are 25.
• Hypotrichosis: is a genetic illness that often affects babies. Most people who have this condition are bald by the time they are 25.
• Anagen effluvium: is a rapid hair loss condition that occurs due to medical treatment - usually chemotherapy which is used to treat cancer. When chemotherapy ends the hair will normally grow back without treatment; however, medication can be prescribed that will help hair to grow back.

There are several signs and symptoms of hair loss that could indicate one of the above conditions. The most apparent sign of hair loss is hair falling out. If you notice a receding hairline, baldness, or bald patches, you may have one of the hair loss disorders mentioned above. 

Male pattern baldness tends to be gradual and can start during adolescence. The gradual decline of hair tends to start at the temples or top of the scalp. The hairline will begin to push back as you progress through the stages of male pattern baldness. You can refer to the Norwood Scale to get a better understanding of what stage you are currently at. 

Itchy or painful skin followed by hair falling out could indicate a hair loss condition. Also, look out for the loosening of your hair. If you experience handfuls of your hair coming out while you are brushing or washing it, this could be a sign of a hair loss condition.

If you experience rapid hair loss, it is advisable to contact your doctor. They will be able to test you for conditions that could be causing it. 

However, if you are suffering from male pattern baldness, we suggest exploring a range of non-surgical treatments, such as Finasteride. If all other options have been exhausted, we recommend contacting a hair loss clinic to discuss your best course of action.