There are many different types of hair loss. They range from some circumstantial, short-term types (traction alopecia) and more serious, autoimmune hair loss conditions like alopecia totalis. However, in some cases, these different types of hair loss could be working together to cause your hairline to recede or bald patches to appear on your head.
So, how do you know if you’re experiencing different types of hair loss at the same time?
Causes of Hair Loss
To answer this question, we first need to understand the different causes of alopecia. One of the most researched reasons we lose hair is genetics. Several studies have found the link between genetics and baldness, so it’s generally accepted that it plays an important role in predicting whether or not a person will experience hair loss during their lifetime.
Hormones are also an important factor for hair loss, with dihydrotestosterone often implied as the most important in studies on androgenic alopecia. However, some types of hair loss conditions have nothing to do with genetics or hormones. One of those is telogen effluvium – a condition when hair roots are pushed into the resting state prematurely, usually due to stress.
Diagnosis and Treatment
If you have a genetic predisposition for baldness, but you also engage in behaviors that could impede your hair growth, you might be experiencing two different types of hair loss at the same time. Depending on the causes of your baldness, there are different treatment options.
Conditions where your hair just needs a helping hand to return to its previous state (like traction alopecia and telogen effluvium) are usually treated with Minoxidil. But, if a hormonal imbalance causes your hair loss, your doctor may prescribe you Propecia – a drug that affects dihydrotestosterone.
Conclusion
To determine whether you’re experiencing two different types of hair loss at the same time, visit your doctor. He or she will find an underlining cause of your baldness and help you come up with a treatment plan.
