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From a medical perspective, hair loss can be divided into several categories and causes.
Alopecia areata - Literally ‘baldness in spots’, this is a form of hair loss from areas of the body, usually the scalp. Because it causes baldness on the head, especially in the first stages, it is called ‘spot baldness’, though hair loss can also extend to eyebrows, eyelashes and facial and nasal hair and create more bald areas elsewhere on the body.
Hereditary Pattern Baldness, or Androgenic Alopecia - This is the most common form of hair loss and follows a typical male pattern of a receding hair line at the front and temples.
Tinea Capitis - This is a fungal infection of the scalp. This form of patchy hair loss happens when certain types of fungi infect the scalp.
Telogen Effluvium - This is a very common form of hair loss and occurs a few months after a major illness or stress on the body, such as surgery or a major infection.
Other reasons for hair loss
- Drug side effects – for example lithium, beta blockers, warfarin, heparin, amphetamines and levadopa. Also cancer chemotherapy can influence the health of follicles and cause hair loss. Usually as soon as the drug is discontinued hair grows back.
- Symptoms of a medical illness – such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, or lupus), syphilis, a thyroid disorder, a hormone imbalance, or a serious nutritional problem.
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