Health & beauty
Hair loss
Introduction
Hair loss treatments are a mix of traditional, alternative and high-tech. Some may work - but they aren't cheap.
Hair loss is commonly associated with men, but women aren’t immune and are showing signs of baldness at increasingly younger ages. Treatment includes laser therapy, transplants and hair-stimulating chemicals
We look at the treatment options and likely costs, and explain the questions to ask before you get started.
Hair loss facts
Male-pattern balding
The most common cause of hair loss in half of men by the age of 50 is male-pattern balding – aka androgenetic alopecia. As its name implies, it’s genetic and can be inherited from either side of the family. Male-pattern baldness is sensitivity to a type of testosterone called DHT – which is believed to shorten the growth of hair, resulting in smaller and thinner hairs that eventually fall out and aren’t replaced.
The first stages of this type of hair loss are a receding hairline and a thinning of hair around the temples and crown. New hair grows in these areas but is thin and downy – it eventually disappears to form an ever-expanding bald spot.
According to a UK study, only 6 percent of men seek treatment for hair loss. So either many men aren’t concerned about hair loss or can’t afford to do something about it. That’s surprising because hair loss has been linked to lower self-esteem and confidence, as well as depression in some men.
Female hair loss
Losing hair isn’t a male-only problem. The New Zealand Dermatological Society’s website, Dermnet, claims 40 percent of women have lost some hair by the age of 50. Many of these are cases of female-pattern hair loss, which seems to be genetically determined like most male balding.
It’s unclear if male sex hormones play a role in female hair loss, but it’s far more common after menopause. Other common causes of female hair loss include childbirth, severe illnesses and fevers that can cause hair to fall out several months later. Iron deficiency, changes in thyroid function, excess vitamin A, contraceptive pills, and cancer drugs can all cause hair loss as well.
Often treating the underlying condition – such as iron deficiency or a thyroid problem – will see the hair grow back within months.
Roy Plumridge from Clive Hair Clinics says around 50 percent of his clients are women – and they’re coming at younger ages. “These days we’re finding women are thinning out a lot earlier than what they used to, often in their twenties. Men can shave their hair off but women can’t do that.”
Simon Murphy from Advanced Hair Studio agrees: “We’ve seen probably a 200 to 300 percent increase in women coming in. I think things like diet, stress, alcohol, drugs, relationship break-ups and so on are triggers rather than causes, but they seem to start the hair loss process earlier or more rapidly than it normally would.”
Other types of hair loss
- Alopecia areata: Small circular bald patches appear suddenly, possibly caused by an autoimmune disorder. There’s no reliable treatment, but hair usually grows back within months.
- Anagen effluvium: Sudden hair loss that’s caused by chemotherapy, anti-cancer drugs and other therapies or medications that affect cell growth.
- Telogen effluvium: Rapid hair loss often caused by severe physical stress such as surgery, severe infection, malnutrition, medications and, in some cases, childbirth. Sometimes no cause is found, but hair grows back naturally.
- Other: Scalp infections, skin diseases, head trauma, iron or thyroid deficiencies, arsenic poisoning, and hair trauma caused by repetitive pulling in certain hairstyles can all cause bald areas.