Alopecia (hair loss) is a common condition that many women have suffered from at some point in their lives, but with successful restoration of normal hair. Men, on the other hand, experience normal male pattern baldness that comes with age, commonly referred to as androgenic alopecia.
Many women have had an episode or two of hair loss in search of beauty. We have sat through harrowing experiences at the salon, silently gnashing our teeth as our rebelliously kinky African hair was pulled back in tight braids or cornrows to ensure it was tame enough to look presentable. After all the torture, a few weeks later, the braids came out and so did our hairline, much to our chagrin. This is when we come face to face with the ugly reality of traction alopecia and wonder why we just did not let the wild hair be. Uncombed hair never killed anyone! As if the salon horrors are not enough, pregnancy and childbirth comes with its own hair loss nightmares. Most mums incorrectly believe that breastfeeding makes their hair fall off. However, during pregnancy, the hormones foster rapid hair growth that makes the hair appear more voluminous. This growth is driven by high oestrogen levels. After delivery, the oestrogen levels fall rapidly, leading to the hair going into resting phase and shedding off. It will generally settle in about six months. Children do get affected by hair loss too. Malnutrition is the first culprit on the list. The hair gets really fine and brown and easily falls out. This is a direct result of inadequate vitamins and minerals that accompanies the overall inadequacy of nutrients in the developing body. However, it is worth noting that other chronic illnesses can also mess with hair growth cycle and lead to hair thinning. Medications are also implicated in hair loss. The hallmark of chemotherapy for cancer is complete or almost complete hair loss. Every time the hair starts to grow, the next round of chemotherapy wipes it all out. Spotting a bald look has become acceptable for most patients. It helps to be sensitive to patients with hair loss because you may be talking to someone who has bigger demons to slay.
