Is Hair Loss Permanent?

There are many causes of hair loss, but there are also many factors involved as well as solutions. No one knows whether hair loss is permanent until they take a step back and assess their situation.

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.

Most of the things which cause hair loss are temporary, which means your hair will eventually grow back. It may not grow back right away, but it will grow back.

However, before you can solve the issue, you have to find out what the issue is.

In addition to the examples listed above, the following two situations may also apply to your hair loss:

Most commonly in women, but can occur in men, things like hair product, blow dryers, curling irons, hair straighteners, etc. can damage your hair and even the hair follicles.

A good way to think about your hair is as soil. If you apply harmful chemicals, overuse the land, or burn the grass on top of it, nothing will grow.

When you’re using all of those products, and appliances on your hair to create a certain hairstyle, you’re abusing and even killing it. Your hair needs things like it’s natural oils, and the ability to breathe so it can grow strong and treat itself.

If you think this may be the cause then it can be as simple as changing your daily hair routine.

There are two types of hair loss which are considered to be permanent: androgenetic alopecia and cicatricial alopecia.

Cicatricial alopecia occurs because of inflammation scarring, and androgenetic alopecia is commonly known as genetic pattern baldness which means it runs in your family.

It has been known that some temporary forms of hair loss can, and sometimes do, become the cause of cicatricial alopecia if you leave it untreated.

One of the first signs of male pattern baldness 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. It also looks like an M-shape.

This can happen to anyone really, but it’s most common in young men in their teens and even their early 20’s. This is usually alarming because it is a sign of permanent hair loss.

Men in their 30’s, however, are typically more common to develop this condition. Men who start losing their hair earlier on when they’re younger tend to lose more hair than those who it occurs to later in life.

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.

Even though this is occurring the front hairline will stay the way it is. Not to say that thinning on top doesn’t happen to men.

When a man’s hair starts to thin it usually thins around the crown of their head as well and the hair loss will progress. When it comes to the hair on the nape of the neck, it’s known that both men and women will continue to grow thick hair.

It’s very rare than women go bald, but the hair loss caused by androgenetic alopecia is a permanent condition. The hair won’t grow back on its own.

When it comes to a condition like cicatricial alopecia, there are many different variables when it comes to what’s caused it.

Things like inflammation caused by trauma, autoimmune disorders, lupus, genetics, infection, and follicle degeneration attack the stem cells which are lay at the base of your hair follicles.

The failure of stem cells makes it so that the follicles can’t produce new hair. The follicles are inflamed when hair loss occurs, and some people may experience itching and even pain with this condition.

The skin will appear smooth and once there are no more follicles than the inflammation will subside.

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.

Although, if in six months down the road you don’t see any signs of new hair growth then there’s a good chance it’s permanent.

After a year if there’s still no growth then, unfortunately, it’s been decided.

Skin without any new hair growth will look shiny and smooth, whereas new hair growth will look fuzzy. Even light hairs are a sign of new growth and the possibility of recovery.

There are a few different ways to tell if your hair loss may be permanent. For this easy tell, you’ll need either two mirrors or one mirror and your cellphone’s camera. Hold the mirror above your head and either take a picture of the reflection or use the other mirror to reflect it in a way which you can see.

Take pictures or check the front, back, and sides of your scalp. This needs to be a daily routine for at least a month which is why pictures work better for this as you’ll have something to refer too.

Compare the photos. If there is any thinning or balding occurring then you’ll be able to see it, and using the pictures, you may even be able to track the speed in which it’s happening.

Now before you start to panic, just remember that the average person will lose 50-100 strands of hair a day.

If your hair does seem to be thinning then, you might want to look into the possible causes and consult a physician or even a specialist. Sometimes it’s just genetics, but if it’s not then it’s most likely medical and needs to be addressed immediately.