Is Hair Loss is Permanent? The answer is “NO”. Hair loss can be a temporary condition, but in many unfortunate cases it can be permanent. Whether your hair loss is temporary or permanent depends on a variety of factors, such as genetics, hormone levels, overall health, nutrition, and natural aging. Alopecia is the medical term used by doctors to classify hair loss
In what boils down to a fact of life, genetics plays a very big role in hair loss, and close to that are the basics such as good health, balanced diet, hair maintenance, and hormone levels. It is true that most people have slower hair growth as they age, due to the body’s overall growth and rejuvenation slowing down. If you have a family history of hair loss, mostly common in men, they can start losing their hair before they are 21 years and start balding by 25 years of age.
On average, a person’s scalp has approximately 100,000 hair follicles. This is where the strand of hair grows out of, and these follicles are located just below the skins surface. Normal hair growth looks like hair strands growing about 1cm a month over a 2-5-year period. Once this rate of growth stops, usually after 3 months, the hair strand falls out, and a new hair strand grows back in the follicle. It is normal to lose about 50-100 hairs per day from the scalp.
The Alopecia
If there has been some form of disruption to the hair growing normally, or if hair follicles have been damaged or changed in any way, they fall out earlier. Note that due to various circumstances, the hair follicle may not replace the old hair with a new strand of hair, as the composition of the hair’s follicles may have changed, and thus the follicle may close or remain undeveloped. Due to this, the hair starts to look thinner, and in some cases, partial or complete baldness may occur. The hair loss or alopecia may not just be isolated to a person’s scalp, it can also happen to other areas on the body.
As mentioned before, some of the reasons for hair loss are things like genetics, inflammation, infection, illness, poor nutrition, extreme hairstyles/treatments, physical or emotional stress, certain medications and medical treatments, such as chemo and radiation.
How to Determine Hair Loss if Permanent or Temporary?
To determine if hair loss is permanent or temporary, you need to be examined by a professional. Signs of more permanent hair loss includes:
- Your widow’s peak: One of the first signs of permanent hair loss is thinning at the top front sides of the hairline. When this occurs, it usually looks like a widow’s peak, which is where it got the name, as it looks like an M-shape. This is most common in men.
- Hair thinning: Permanent hair loss will affect women differently then it will affect men. Men will develop a receding hairline and then even a widow’s peak hairline whereas women’s hair will start to thin on the top of the head.
- Stress: When you lose your hair, it can sometimes be a traumatic process. Stress can also play a part in it when it comes to wondering whether or not it’s temporary or permanent. When you lose hair, it may take a few months to grow back. If in six months or so down the road you don’t see any signs of new hair growth then there’s a good chance it’s permanent.
To learn if your hair loss may be permanent or temporary, call MAXiM Hair Restoration! We have locations in New York, Long Island, Connecticut, Chicago, Dallas, and the Washington, DC area. Contact MAXiM today for a consultation.
