Genetic Factors in Hair Loss

Alopecia is known as male pattern baldness or spot baldness. It is usually hereditary because of a predisposed gene condition. There may be other reasons for alopecia to occur because there are different types of alopecia.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Areata is a persistent disease that is usually recognized by the formation of round or oval bald spots on the eyebrows, beard, head or any other parts of the body that have hair. This hair usually grows back over a period of six months to a year depending upon how acute the condition becomes.

It is believed that white blood cells in your body attack the hair follicles, which results in the hair loss. Topical solutions or certain types of steroids are used to treat Alopecia Areata.

Alopecia Areata Treatment

Many doctors recommend that you first observe the Alopecia Areata, which usually manifests itself in the form of small bald spots on your eyebrows or other areas where hair grows. If it does not disappear on its own then you can use topical steroids or injections of steroids. The last treatment for Alopecia Areata is PUVA or photochemotherapy. This treatment is very involved so you should speak with your doctor about it.

Alopecia and Stress

Stress can cause the hair follicles to take a prolonged period of rest – so they are not active and growing. The stress can come from any number of things happening in your life including stress from surgery, illness, dieting and emotional or physical stress from your day to day rigors.

Finasteride for Alopecia

Finasteride is the active ingredient in Propecia – a prescribed medication that is used for hair loss. Propecia comes in a pill form and it is recommended that you take it once a day. The main problem with using finasteride for alopecia is that this drug does have side effects, which include a lowering of the male libido, difficulty achieving an erection and a decrease in the amount of semen the male body produces.

Androgenic Alopecia

Androgenic alopecia can refer to male or female pattern baldness. Androgenic alopecia occurs due to genetics and family history. Androgenic alopecia happens slowly and builds until there are bald areas from the temples to the top of the head.

Those with a big budget can look into treating androgenic alopecia with hair transplant surgery. Androgenic alopecia is more simply and less expensively treated with a variety of medications, either over the counter or prescription.