Everyone loses hair every day.

It is normal to lose about 50-100 hairs every day. However, if you noticed increased shedding of hair after hair wash or combing or gradual thinning of the hair with some bald patches, you may be experiencing hair loss.

Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is an inherited condition that afffects both gender and may begin in early adulthood. Other names for this type of hair loss are male-pattern baldness/ female-pattern baldness.

In men, there is hair recession of frontal hairline and gradual balding of the top of the scalp(vertex) and complete baldness is possible. In women, usually the frontal hairline is less affected, but visible thinning over the top of the scalp. Common causes of hairloss in women include hormonal changes, increased shedding of hair is common during pregnancy and menopause. Other factors such as stress, iron deficiency, weight loss and inflammatory scalp disorders also result in reduction of hair density. Hairloss in women may affect the whole scalp, or limited to specific area of the scalp.

Patients who suffer from hair loss is recommended to take an active role to manage their condition as early as possible to slow down the rate of hair loss. Do meet your dermatologist to diagnose your hair loss and start the right treatment.

Alopecia areata (AA) can affect both children and adults, it is a immune mediated disorder that causes single or a few round patches of complete hairloss on the scalp. Alopecia Areta is an unpredictable and recurring condition with abrupt hairloss and hair shedding. In severe cases, whole scalp or even whole body hair loss may happen as any hair-bearing area can be affected, this condition will cause significant psychological impact to the patient. This type of hairloss might be associated with autoimmune diseases such as thyroid diseases. Treatment plans will depend on the extent of affected scalp and patient's age, include topical steroid cream and intralesional steroid injection into the affected patches.

Medical therapies are useful in the prevention and treatment of most male pattern hair loss cases, especially in earlier stages of the balding process.

 Oral Finasteride

Oral Finasteride is used to treat male pattern baldness (Androgenetic alopecia) at the crown and in the middle of the scalp, it promotes scalp hair growth and helps to prevent further hair loss in a significant proportion of men with male pattern hair loss. Side effects, drug interactions, dosage, storage, and safety information should be discussed with your doctor prior to taking this medication.

 Spironolactone

Spironolactone has anti-androgenic affects and thus it has been used in the treatment of hair loss in women. It is a weak competitive inhibitor of the binding of androgens to their cellular receptors and decreases the synthesis of testosterone. Studies showed that it can slow down hair loss in women and it has to be used under your dermatologist's supervision as it can elevate the blood levels of potassium.

 Topical Minoxidil solution/foam

Topical Minoxidil solution and foam are used to help hair growth in the treatment of both male and female pattern baldness. Since normal hair usually grows about 1/2 inch per month on average, hair regrowth with minoxidil solution will take some time. The improvement varies from person to person, it lasts only as long as the medicine continues to be used.

  Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)

Low-Level Laser Therapy is useful for hair loss in both men and in women whose hair is thinning. LLLT can be used safely in conjunction with other medications. These low-level laser devices appear to be safe and have been FDA approved for the treatment of androgenetic hair loss.