Types Of Hair Loss: Identifying Your Own – International Hair Institute

Hair loss affects most Americans at some point in their lives, but not all hair loss is the same. Dr. Carlos Puig, the director of the International Hair Institute in Chicago, has worked with patients with all different types of hair loss to find solutions for restoring or maintaining more hair. Identifying the type of hair loss you are experiencing ultimately dictates which treatment will be most effective. In this blog, Dr. Puig explains some of the most prevalent types of hair loss.

Androgenetic Alopecia

Better known as male (or female) pattern hair loss, androgenetic alopecia is the most common form of hair loss for people in the United States. For men, this hereditary condition starts taking hair from around the temples and slowly progresses back until only a ring of hair remains at the bottom of the scalp. For women, the hairline does not recede, but hair does get thinner all over the scalp.

Telogen Effluvium

This condition is often triggered a few months after a medical event (surgery, childbirth, abnormal thyroid levels) and blocks the next growth phase for your hair. As your older hair falls out, new hair does not grow in to replace it, causing your hair to look thinner. In many cases, hair growth resumes within six months, but for some people it can take a few years for hair to grow back.

Anagen Effluvium

This fast-acting hair loss is a response to serious medical treatment like chemotherapy. As the treatment destroys cancer cells, it can also stop hair follicle production. Fortunately, the hair should grow back once chemotherapy is complete.

Alopecia Areata

This autoimmune disease can cause sudden hair loss on the head and body. It may first strike in childhood or adulthood, usually without symptoms warning of its arrival. It typically results in patchy hair loss on the scalp, but may evolve to include the entire scalp, alopecia totalis, or even the entire body, alopecia universalis. This condition may improve spontaneously, but for some, may create long-term hair loss.

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

Women who experience a receding hairline (similar to male pattern baldness) most likely have frontal fibrosing alopecia. Although the exact cause is unknown, this condition usually strikes after menopause and may be related to hormonal fluctuations.

Schedule a Consultation

Dr. Puig is a hair loss expert with over 30 years’ experience performing hair transplantation. After examining your scalp and reviewing your medical history, he can recommend whether surgery, medication or simply waiting for hair growth to resume is your best solution to achieve your hair goals. To make an appointment, please call (312) 854-3898 today.