Androgenic alopecia is one of the many forms of permanent hair loss. For people who are starting to lose their hair, one of the first questions they often ask is whether the hair loss is permanent. As most people know – especially when they look at a shower drain – some hair loss is normal and part of the hair growth cycle.
In a process that can last a decade or even longer, each hair strand goes through cycles. A growth cycle where cells divide and multiply rapidly is called the anagen phase. This phase can last up to 10 years. Growth is followed by a transition phase called catagen (which lasts less than a month) and then the telogen phase (lasting three to four months) when hairs are shed from the scalps.
Complicating the matter is that – unlike our pets – human shedding phases are not predictable and can vary from hair follicle to hair follicle. In fact, if every hair follicle enters the catagen or telogen phase at the same time then it’s time to see a doctor.
Typically, people shed between 50 and 100 hairs per day. When hair loss becomes more profound than the usual shedding, people generally ask why I am losing my hair and is it permanent.
What Types of Hair Loss Are Permanent?
Androgenic alopecia, alopecia areata, and anagen effluvium are all types of hair loss that might be permanent. Scarring alopecia – where the actual skin is damaged making it impossible for the hair follicle to produce hair – is another form of permanent hair loss. Each of these types of hair loss is considered permanent, but each has a different cause.
Is All Hair Loss Hereditary?
No, not all hair loss is hereditary. Although some forms, like androgenic alopecia (which accounts for as much as 50% of baldness in the world), are a genetic condition. The genes a person inherits determines how their body reacts to certain sex hormones, especially testosterone, and hair loss increases with aging.
But others are autoimmune conditions and there is no evidence they are linked to genetics. Alopecia areata is one such autoimmune condition.
Still others – like anagen effluvium – are linked to medications… specifically chemotherapy and radiation therapy. So, they might be tied to genetics. How? We know that some cancers have genetic markers, so women with a family history of breast cancer might be more likely to suffer from anagen effluvium because they are more likely to develop cancer.
Can Permanent Hair Loss Be Reversed?
How easily hair loss can be reversed depends on what caused it. Some people who suffer hair loss after radiation or chemotherapy find that their hair regrows once the treatments are completed, and the toxins are cleared from the system. Others can be years post-chemo and still have no hair regrowth.
When the hair loss is caused by androgenic alopecia (sometimes called male or female pattern baldness), reversing the hair loss is harder. Some topical medications, like minoxidil, can help regrow hair caused by pattern hair loss and may even prevent further hair loss or thinning. But, in many cases the hair follicles have essentially given up and the only reasonable treatment is hair replacement surgery.
Precision Hair Restoration Can Help Determine the Best Course of Treatment for Your Hair Loss
At our offices in Philadelphia, Precision Hair Restoration offers both surgical and non-surgical solutions to hair loss. Our hair loss experts will help you determine what is causing your hair loss and how best to stop it, treat it, and get back to being your best you. Let’s get in touch. After all, you can’t stop the hair loss until you find the cause. Call us today.