Hair

What are the Different Kinds of Alopecia

Alopecia is a disease in which the body`s autoimmune system attacks the new cells forming in the hair follicles by mistake. Its main characteristic is hair loss that can be sudden and random, as well as recurrent in some cases. Alopecia can affect both men and women. There are several different kinds of alopecia, the affects of which depend on where the disease occurs in the body, and what has caused it.

The different kinds of alopecia are as follows:

1. Alopecia Areata. Alopecia areata is a kind of alopecia that refers to hair loss that occurs in rounded patches. These patches can appear anywhere on the body.

2. Alopecia Totalis. Alopecia totalis refers to the loss of hair on the scalp. As the name suggests, alopecia totalis is total baldness.

3. Alopecia Universalis. Alopecia universalis is a kind of alopecia where the affected person loses all the hair on his or her body.

4. Alopecia Barbae. Alopecia barbae happens only with men. It is the loss of hair on the beard area.

5. Alopecia Mucinosa. Alopecia mucinosa happens when the hair loss is accompanied by the appearance of scaly patches on the skin.

6. Anagen Effluvium. Anagen effluvium is hair loss that is commonly associated with chemotherapy and with taking certain kinds of medication. In anagen effluvium, the hair falls off in patches, although it grows back as soon as the chemotherapy or the consumption of certain drugs is stopped.

7. Telogen Effluvium. Telogen effluvium is also called temporary hair loss. It happens when the amount of hair being shed is more than normal and the hair visibly thins.

8. Androgenetic Alopecia. Androgenetic alopecia is the type of alopecia that is considered hereditary. It is also known as male pattern baldness, although it can also affect women. In androgenetic alopecia, the hair on the scalp turns nearly transparent before falling off.

9. Scarring Alopecia. Scarring alopecia happens when the hair shedding leaves the skin scarred.

10 Traction Alopecia. When a person is prone to pulling too much at his or her hair due to styling perhaps or personal habits, the excessive pulling can discourage the hair follicles to stop developing new cells for new hair. The shedding that occurs as a result is called traction alopecia.

There are many different causes for each type of alopecia,Your doctor,once able to isolate the cause will offer you a course of treatment.Early detection of Alopecia is paramount so visit your doctor at the earliest opportunity.
Article by Jayjeff www.gogethealthynow.com

© 2009-JayJeffers.all right reserved.to republish this post a link must be included

Laser Hair Removal Unwrapped

The laser has become a precision surgical instrument widely used for a variety of procedures. Most recently, lasers have been utilized for the quick, gentle removal of unwanted hairs. The laser works by sending a pulsating beam of light, of a particular wavelength to precise areas on the skin. The light passes directly through the skin, but is absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicle and shaft. Once absorbed by laser light, the follicles are impaired from future growth, and eventually die off. Laser hair removal has come a long way since the first laser for hair removal received FDA clearance in mid 1998. Older generation normal-mode ruby lasers were very slow, very painful and worked only on individuals with very dark hair and very light skin. Today, lasers can work on all skin colors and some lasers are even safe for treating tanned skin.

Lasers are not for everyone, and their proper use requires great skill, training and expertise. The laser technician at minimum must be a Certified Laser Specialist who has graduated from an accredited school for laser. Generally it is best to have a laser-trained dermatologist, or plastic surgeon perform the procedure, in case of complications. For the laser to be effective, the hair pigment must be darker than the surrounding skin pigment. If this is not the case, the treatment will not work and may have harmful complications. Additionally very darkly pigmented people absorb too much laser energy in their skin and are not ideal candidates. Tanned patients with light hair are not candidates either.

Light skin makes laser hair removal easier to perform. Fewer treatments are required, and better, faster results are obtained. People with darker skin can be treated, but results are slower, more sessions are required, and greater expertise is required on the part of the doctor. Coarse dark hair responds the best to laser treatment, light hair is more difficult to treat. Blonde or red hair is very difficult to treat, multiple treatment sessions are required, and results are variable. Laser hair removal must be individualized for each patient.

Although one laser session can produce impressive hair removal, generally, multiple treatment sessions are necessary to see optimal results. In large part this is due to the fact that laser hair removal is most effective for hair, which is in the growth phase. Since hair grows in cycles, not all of the hairs are in the growth phase at any given time. Additional sessions are necessary to catch all of the hairs when they are in this phase.

Any area, except adjacent to the eye, where there is excess hair can be treated. The most common areas requested are the face, upper lip, neck, chest, breast region, underarms, back, abdomen, bikini line, and legs.

The costs for a single laser hair removal treatment vary depending on the part of the country, and range from $300.00 to $500.00 per session. Consumers are advised, as with all forms of medical care, to seek the center of highest quality, rather than lowest cost. Laser hair removal requires a great deal of skill, individual attention, experience, and a trained, caring, professional staff.

After treatment, most patients have a mild sunburn-type sensation that fades in 2-3 hours. Moisturizers and/or cool compresses can help during this time. Small blister areas can be treated with topical antibiotic until resolved. Sun block should be used for up to 6 weeks after treatment if sun exposure is anticipated. No waxing, shaving, or dying should be performed for 2 weeks after treatment. Pretreatment restrictions are also applicable to the post treatment period.

It must be remembered that it is impossible to predict the exact result a patient will achieve with laser hair removal, especially with regard to how many sessions a given individual will require. The indication for laser hair removal is mostly subjective. A desire for hair removal is the only criterion for laser hair removal.

About the Author
Jay B Stockman is a contributing editor for Laser Hair Removal New York Resources Visit http://thelaser-hair-removal-new-york.com/ for more information.

Article source:
Laser Hair Removal Unwrapped

Innovations in Hair Transplant and Other Alternatives to Hair Loss

Although many people do not have visible hair loss, hair loss is a natural daily occurrence. Approximately 50 to 150 hairs are lost each day, but most hair regenerates because the hair follicle remains intact. If the follicles shrink due to heredity, hormones, stress, infection, certain prescription medication, illness, nutritional deficiency or age, the hair is not restored. When shedding significantly surpasses hair growth, baldness occurs. This Male Pattern Baldness usually begins at the forehead or on the top of the head, and progresses to the familiar horseshoe-shaped fringe of hair. Depending on your type of hair loss, treatments are available.

Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be properly treated. A doctor usually inspects the hair shafts, and may perform a biopsy of the skin. A biopsy helps determine if the hair follicles are normal; if they are not, the biopsy may indicate possible causes. If the doctor’s examination finds signs of irregularities or other serious illness, blood tests to identify those disorders may be required.

Assuming no diseases, or pathologies there are two medications that can treat baldness effectively. Minoxidil, originally used to treat hypertension, has been shown to stimulate hair growth in adult men and women with a certain type of baldness. The exact way that this medicine works is unknown. Hair growth usually occurs after the medicine has been used for several months and lasts only as long as the medicine continues to be used. Hair loss will begin again within a few months after Minoxidil treatment is stopped. Minoxidil is applied directly to the scalp on a daily basis. Minoxidil can be used for both men and women.

Proscar, a medication used for prostate enlargement, works by blocking the effects of male hormones on the hair follicles and is taken by mouth daily.
Individuals with increased levels of the hormone DHT in the scalp experience a shortening growth phase or thinning of the hair. Proscar lowers the level of this hormone, and contributes to the normalization of the hair growth cycle. Proscar may be used for men only.

Improvement may occur with either of these drugs when taken for several months. The most important effect of these drugs may be to prevent further hair loss. The effects last only as long as the drugs are taken. A more permanent solution is a hair transplant, in which hair follicles are removed from one part of the scalp and transplanted to the bald area. During this procedure, the surgeon removes a section of hair form the back of the head, near the base of the skull. This area of hair is genetically different because they do not have the gene for hair loss in their follicles. Only a small scar is left and unless one shaves the back of the scalp is it not noticeable. The donated follicles are then placed in saline solution, while small incisions are made in the areas of hair loss. Each individual donated follicle is placed creating an uneven ordinary hairline. After the hairline is formed, the remaining donor follicles are put where thinned or balding spots occur.

In the newer hair transplant technique, only one or two hairs are transplanted at a time. Although this technique is more tedious, and time consuming, it does not require removal of large plugs of skin and allows the implants to be oriented in the same direction as the natural hair.

If satisfactory treatments are not appropriate for your type of hair loss, you may consider trying different hairstyles, wigs, hair weaves, hairpieces, or artificial hair replacement, or very simply wear a hat.

About the Author
Jay B Stockman is a contributing editor for Affordable Hair Transplant Surgery Visit http://hair-transplantsite.com for more information.

Article source:
Innovations in Hair Transplant and Other Alternatives to Hair Loss