Hello everyone,
As part of Alopecia Awareness Month here at Black Venus Beauty, we are raising awareness of the different forms of alopecia. We believe that more awareness should be raised so anyone suffering from alopecia does not feel ashamed and knows that help and various solutions are available.
As we mentioned before, we are not professional experts, so we advise you to contact a GP or professional expert if you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned below.
We cover many forms of alopecia over the past few days. We will now finish the week by talking about Androgenetic Alopecia.
Androgenetic Alopecia
Androgenetic Alopecia is the most common type of progressive hair loss affecting both men and women. Androgenetic is also known as female pattern hair loss, male pattern hair loss or common baldness.
Female Pattern Baldness
It is most common in women over the age of 65 with around 50% known to be affected. However, it can start in your early 30’s and 40’s.
How does it look like?
The hair loss typically starts at the crown of the scalp with complete or nearly complete preservation of the frontal hairline.
Male Pattern Baldness
Male pattern baldness affects around 50% of men over the age of 50.
How does it look like?
It starts as a receding hairline, with hair loss from the top and front of the head.
What are the causes?
All types of androgenetic alopecia are caused by a combination of genetic and hormonal factors. One hormone which affects the follicles on the scalp is called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
DHT changes the follicle size on the scalp resulting in the hair growing smaller in diameter, shorter in length and lighter in colour. Over time as the hair continues to reduce in size the follicle shrinks completely and can stop producing hair altogether.
How is it diagnosed?
The diagnosis is usually based on your pattern of hair loss and family history.
In most cases, the hair on your head can look normal and require further testing to be carried out.
How is it treated?
Steroid creams are mainly used to treat androgenetic alopecia. Minoxidil is a lotion that can help to slow down the progression of hair loss and encourage restoration in a small proportion of males and females.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, we recommend contacting your GP straight away. Please note we are not professional experts so there may be additional symptoms which are not listed above.
Here at Black Venus Beauty we pride ourselves on providing the best quality products for curly and afro hair. We want to unlock the potential of your hair and provide products specific to the needs of your hair, including preventing types of alopecia.
If you are interested in learning more about forms of alopecia check our previous posts
Source : British Association of Dermatologists
Blog post written in partnership Rachel from Selfless Sisters