Knowra Hair loss Hair loss Hair loss is the partial or complete loss of hair from the scalp or other body regions. It can result from genetic, hormonal, autoimmune, infectious, nutritional, or treatment-related causes.
Hair follicle : A skin structure that produces hair through cycles of growth, regression, and rest. Most persistent hair loss begins when follicles shrink, become inflamed, or stop producing hairs.
Alopecia : The medical term for hair loss or baldness from the scalp or other body sites. Hair loss is commonly described clinically as a form of alopecia.
Minoxidil : A medication applied to the scalp or taken orally to treat certain forms of hair loss. It can promote or maintain hair growth in patterned loss and some other conditions.
Hirsutism : Excessive coarse hair growth in women in androgen-sensitive areas such as the face and chest. It is excessive hair growth, the opposite clinical concern from unwanted hair loss.
Hair growth cycle : The repeating phases of hair growth, regression, and rest that govern follicle activity. Disruptions to this cycle can shift many hairs into shedding at once.
Hair shaft : The visible keratinized portion of a hair that extends above the skin surface. Breakage of the shaft can resemble shedding even when the follicle remains intact.
Finasteride : A medication that inhibits the enzyme converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. Reducing dihydrotestosterone can slow androgen-driven follicle miniaturization.
Hypertrichosis : Excessive hair growth in any body area, beyond the usual pattern for age, sex, or ancestry. It describes excess hair rather than a reduction in hair coverage.
Androgenetic alopecia : A patterned form of hair loss caused by inherited follicle sensitivity to androgens. Follicle miniaturization produces the familiar progressive scalp patterns in genetically susceptible people.
Anagen : The active growth phase of the hair follicle cycle. Treatments and diseases that injure actively growing follicles can cause abrupt hair loss.
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