Hair, which is made up of dead cells filled with keratin grows from small pits in the dermis. The pits, which are called hair follicles, cover most of the body, with certain areas having a heavier concentration than others. For example, the scalp has many hair follicles, while the soles of the feet have none.

HUMAN HAIR GROWTH CYCLE - In every individual, hair growth in hair follicle occurs in a cycle. There are three main phases of hair growth cycle.

ANAGEN is the active growth phase wherein hair fiber is produced. 85- 90% of follicles on normal human scalp are in this active phase at any given time and length of this phase is 2-6 years.

CATAGEN is the second phase. In this phase there are chemical and structural changes in the hair follicle and the hair stops growing. The stage lasts for only 2 -3 weeks.

TELOGEN phase, ultimately the hair follicle enters this phase. Here the follicle is in so-called resting state, which lasts for 30-90 days. Thereafter, it falls out only to be replaced by the next budding hair.

Three types of hair grow on the human body.

• The first postnatal hair is vellus hair, soft, usually unpigmented, remains on the hairless regions of the body like forehead.

• At puberty, the vellus hair in some areas is replaced by terminal hair, which are long hair that grow on the head and in many people on the body, arms and legs too. Body hair continues to develop long after puberty, stimulated by male hormones that paradoxically, also cause terminal hair to be replaced by vellus hair when balding begins.

• Lanugo hair - This is the hair that develops on an unborn baby.

Hair loss usually develops gradually and may be patchy or diffused (all over). Roughly 100 hair are lost from the head every day. The average scalp contains about 100,000 hair. Each individual hair survives for an average of 4½ years, during which time it grows about half an inch a month. Usually in its 5th year, the hair falls out and is replaced within 6 months by a new one. Genetic baldness is caused by the body’s failure to produce new hair and not by excessive hair loss.

By far, the most common form of hair loss is determined by our genes and hormones, also known as androgen-dependent, androgenic, or genetic hair loss. It is the largest single type of recognizable alopecia to affect both men and women.

Hair problems may be due to cosmetic causes, such as use of harsh shampoos and blow-drying, or due to underlying diseases, such as thyroid problems but the inherent cause is Allergy.

CONCEPT OF ALLERGY

Allergy (Greek: allos, other + ergon, work = altered reaction) is an abnormal and individual hypersensitivity to substances that are ordinarily harmless and which result in various types of reactions. Pollens, for example, are generally harmless, yet many people are acutely sensitive or allergic to their presence.

WHY DOES A PERSON DEVELOP ALLERGY?

Normally, a person’s immune system clearly distinguishes between harmful and harmless foreign bodies and it reacts only to harmful bodies like various pathogenic bacteria and virus. When immune system fails to recognize harmless bodies as ”harmless” it reacts to it and produces various symptoms in the form of allergic manifestations.

MECHANISM OF ALLERGIC RESPONSE

When an allergen enters our body, the IgE and the allergen forms a complex. This complex then binds to the mast cell. As a result, the mast cell bursts and releases histamine. This histamine produces the allergic symptoms such as redness, swelling, heat, itching etc.

TYPES OF ALLERGY

Exogenic allergy is caused by various external allergens like industrial wastes, chemicals, insecticides, pesticides etc. Eventually, all allergens seem to cause gradual changes in the genetic make up and subsequently the allergy becomes Endogenic. The body tissues get ’sensitized’ to various allergens and this leads to hypersensitivity reactions. These ’sensitized’ response characteristics are passed on to the succeeding generations.

The fundamental cause of all allergies, therefore, is endogenic and in most cases it runs in the family tree of the patient.

Often allergy remains dormant in the patient’s body system until a situation arises when the patient’s immune system is at low guard and his resistance is highly compromised. ’Physical stress states’ such as surgery, infections, serious diseases, pregnancy, old age etc. are some of the conditions because of which body gets predisposed to attacks by allergens.

Some of the commonest allergic diseases alternate in a patient’s life. A patient suffering from eczema in childhood may suffer from Bronchial Asthma in adulthood. Usually there would be a history of Hay fever, Urticaria, Eczema, Asthma, Arthritis etc. in the family. Similarly hair problems, an allergic manifestation of skin, also have a genetic base and present with an inflammatory response as elucidated below.

Core Pathology in Hair loss - Inflammation: After puberty, Testosterone typically increases in the overall blood supply of most males. When DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) and the Androgen receptors are in normal abundance, binding at normal rates, hair growth regulation is also normal. Hair grows and falls, as it should. The overabundance however, throws the whole process off the track.

The process described above initiates what is called an autoimmune response. Follicles experiencing this are suddenly considered foreign objects in the body, and the degradation is a direct result of the body rejecting them from the system. This is really what Male Pattern Baldness is all about.

One of the biggest signs of the autoimmune response is tingling, itching, redness, and inflammation of the scalp. Not all men losing hair experience this, but a vast majority does. Inflammation is considered as one of the other major factors, which exacerbate the hair loss process. This further consolidates the concept of Allergy.

OTHER PRECIPITATING CAUSES OF HAIR LOSS

• Hormonal changes (for example, thyroid disease, childbirth, or use of the birth control pill)
• A serious illness (like a tumor of the ovary or adrenal glands) or fever
• Medications such as cancer chemotherapy
• Emotional or physical stress
• Burns or radiation therapy
• Alopecia areata -- bald patches that develop on the scalp, beard, and possibly, eyebrows. Eyelashes may fall out as well.
• Tinea capitis (ringworm of the scalp)

Nutritional deficiencies can contribute to increased hair shedding by weakening hair shafts that cause breakage of the hair and slow re-growth which can be corrected by a proper diet. Principal nutrients that are involved include vitamin A, certain B vitamins, the vitamin biotin, vitamin C, copper, iron, zinc, protein, and water.

ALOPECIA AREATA is thought to be an autoimmune disease of the hair, initially appearing as a rounded bare patch about an inch across. Alopecia areata affects both men and women equally and is often experienced first in childhood.

There are three types of Alopecia areata, which are named according to their severity.

Alopecia areata is mild patchy hair loss on the scalp.

Alopecia totalis is the loss of all scalp hair.

Alopecia universalis is the loss of scalp and all body hair.

ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA accounts for 95% of all hair loss. It can affect both men and women although men experience a much greater degree of loss.

1. Male Pattern Baldness (MPB)

• Receding hairline
• Moderate to extensive loss of hair, especially on the crown

2. Female Pattern Baldness (FPB)

• General thinning of hair all over the head
• Moderate loss of hair on the crown or at hairline

MECHANISM OF BALDING

The rate of hair shedding in androgenic alopecia is speeded up by three forces: advancing age, an inherited tendency to bald early, and an over-abundance of the male hormone Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) within the hair follicle. Women generally have a diffuse thinning (less hair all over) & often maintain their frontal hairline. Hair loss in women is very gradual, often cyclical with seasonal variation, with the rate accelerating during pregnancy and at menopause being easily affected by hormonal changes, medical conditions, and external factors. In contrast, men frequently have a ”patterned” type (hair loss that spares the back and sides), characteristically losing a significant amount of hair in the front part of their scalp from the very beginning.

DANDRUFF

The shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp is normal within the growing process of the cells. Scalp renews constantly, just like the rest of the skin. When it happens at an excessive rate however, we call it dandruff. It can happen at any age. Dandruff that falls to the shoulders can be a real pain and many (50% of all adults according to certain studies) are affected. There are several possible causes for dandruff: stress, bad nutrition, lack of rest, frequent use of gels and hair sprays, excessive use of hot curling irons. At times dandruff may even herald the onset of Psoriasis. Dandruff is worst during cold winters and less severe during summers.

PRE-MATURE GRAYING OF HAIR

Hair turns gray as we age because the follicles at the base of the hair shaft cease to produce melanin. Each follicle contains a finite number of pigment cells. These pigment cells produce melanin, a chemical that gives the hair shaft (the visible strands) its colour (black, brown, blonde, red, and all shades in between). The darkness or lightness of the hair depends on how much melanin each strand contains. Melanin is the same pigment that makes skin tan upon exposure to the sun.

With age, the pigment cells in the follicle gradually die off. As they do so, that strand will no longer contain as much color and will show up as silver, gray, or white as it grows. Eventually, all the pigment cells die and the hair becomes completely gray.

The genes determine the age at which one develops gray hairs. Some people develop them at a young age, as early as high school whereas some may not develop before their forties or fifties.

While genetics is the most common cause of pre-mature gray hair, other things can contribute to graying too. Lack of B vitamins (particularly pantothenic acid, poor nutrition, anemia (lack of iron in the blood), thyroid problems, certain treatments such as cancer, or AIDS and even smoking can contribute to graying. Smokers are believed to develop gray hairs at an earlier age because smoking depletes oxygen in the body’s tissues.

• Hair on most people is genetically programmed to grow an average maximum of 6 inches a year. ”Dust” split ends every 8-10 weeks.
• Never sleep in a tight braid or ponytail. This practice may cause hair breakage and loss over time.
• Always carefully remove tangles from hair with a pick or brush before shampooing.
• Avoid getting hair creams, lotions, styling gels and sprays directly on the scalp as this can clog hair follicles.
• After swimming in a pool, shampoo hair as soon as possible to remove any chlorine residue.
• Avoid over-exposing your hair and scalp to the wind and sun.
• Avoid ”crash and fad” diets. Proper nutritious meals along with vitamin and mineral supplements are a key factor for healthy hair and skin.

Homoeopathy presents a definite, concrete and understandable approach to the problem of disease treatment. It is always more effective, where the common practice is powerless. The medicaments, if skillfully administered, cure the greater portion of the ills to which mankind is exposed.

As a system of medicine, it not only cures an array of acute and chronic diseases but also improves the resistance and strengthens the immunity of the patient thus building up stronger generations.

Homoeopathy is safe, does not have side effects, is non-addictive and treats diseases holistically including hair problems.