There are many diseases and conditions which can cause a dog to lose hair. Some of these may be considered normal, others can indicate a serious disease is present. Most of the conditions which result in hair loss are included in the table below, though some of them may be rare. This extensive list helps you understand why a quick diagnosis may be difficult to make, and various diagnostic tests may need to be performed.
Women have half the amount of 5-a reductase compared to men, but have higher levels of the enzyme aromatase, especially at their frontal hairline. Aromatase is responsible for the formation of the female hormones estrone and estradiol. It also decreases the formation of DHT. Its presence in women may help to explain why the presentation of female hair loss is so different than in males, particularly with respect to the preservation of the frontal hairline.
Causes of Hair Loss
Illnesses or medical conditions. Endocrine (hormonal) conditions, such as uncontrolled diabetes or thyroid disease, can interfere with hair production and cause hair loss. People with lupus can also lose hair. The hormone imbalance that occurs in polycystic ovary syndrome can cause hair loss in teen girls as well as adult women.
Hormonal imbalance in men and women: In men high concentration of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in hair follicles causes of hair loss. In women hormonal imbalances during pregnancy and after delivery cause hair fall.
Hormones have a profound effect on hair follicles and the quality of hair produced. There are many hormones which can influence hair loss such as estrogens, DHEA, and throxine. As already discussed in other articles, DHEA is often responsible for hair loss whereas estrogens have a protective effect to prevent hair loss. Besides these hormones both the underactivity and hyperactivtity thyroid hormones can also be responsible for hair loss, which can be together termed as tyroid hair loss.
Pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia). In male- and female-pattern baldness, the time of growth shortens, and the hairs are not as thick or sturdy. With each growth cycle, the hairs become rooted more superficially and more easily fall out. Heredity likely plays a key role. A history of androgenetic alopecia on either side of your family increases your risk of balding. Heredity also affects the age at which you begin to lose hair and the developmental speed, pattern and extent of your baldness.
After a proper diagnosis by the physician, the patient should go through a proper treatment. Often the patient is administered Rogaine. Aldactone is another medicine that can help many women, especially those having hair fall after menopause. However it takes months to have some effect on hair. Hair transplantation is a popular surgical method used in the case of female pattern baldness.
Experts say our tresses usually grow at the rate of about one-half inch per month -- with each hair having a growth phase of two to six years. At that point the hair "rests" for a period of time, then falls out -- and the follicle from which it sprang soon starts growing a new strand. And so the cycle continues, usually well into our senior years.
