Types of Hair Loss
Hair loss comes in many forms. Here are some of the most common.
Androgenic (Androgenetic) Alopecia - A common form of hair loss in both men and women. For men, it's also referred to as male pattern baldness, characterized by the thinning or loss of hair above the temples and/or the crown of the head. Often a horseshoe pattern of hair around the sides and back of the head may remain, or hair may continue to fall out resulting in total baldness over time.
Alopecia Universalis - The complete loss of all scalp and body hair.
Alopecia Totalis - The complete loss of all scalp hair.
Alopecia Areata - Generally caused by an abnormality in which the immune system attacks particular tissues of the body. In alopecia areata, for unknown reasons, the body's own immune system attacks the hair follicles and disrupts normal hair formation. Biopsies of affected skin show immune cells inside of the hair follicles where they are not normally present. What causes this is unknown. Alopecia areata is sometimes associated with other autoimmune conditions such as allergic disorders, thyroid disease, vitiligo, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. Sometimes, alopecia areata occurs within family members, suggesting a role of genes and heredity.
Marginal Alopecia - Another name for and regularly associated with Alopecia Areata.
Ophiasis - A form of alopecia areata involving in which hair loss occurs in a wave-like pattern encircling the head.
Traction Alopecia - A hair loss condition caused by damage to the papilla and hair follicle by constant pulling or tension over a long period. It often occurs in people who wear tight braids - especially "cornrows" - that lead to high tension, pulling and breakage of hair.
Chignon Alopecia - A form of Traction Alopecia in which hair loss occurs at the crown. It commonly occurs when hair is styled in a tight bun.
Hypotrichosis - A condition in which there is no hair growth. Unlike alopecia, which describes hair loss where formerly there was hair growth, hypotrichosis describes a situation where there wasn't any hair growth in the first place.
Telogen Effluvium - Hair loss happens when follicles are prematurely pushed into the "resting stage" of growth due to stress or illness.
Trichotillomania - A psychological disorder in which a person compulsively pulls out their own hair resulting in noticeable hair loss.
Lichen Planopilaris - A disease that generally affects the skin and mouth it can cause redness, irritation, and in some cases, permanent hair loss.
Trichorrhexis nodosa - A defect in the hair fiber, it's characterized by fraying and swelling nodes in particular spots along the length of the hair fiber due to the absence of a cuticle layer.
Hypertrichosis (Hirsutism) - Excessive growth of thick or dark hair in women in locations that are more typical of male hair patterns (for example, mustache, beard, central chest, shoulders, lower abdomen, back, and inner thighs). Hypertrichosis is an increase in hair growth anywhere on the body in men and women. Typically dues to an overproduction of male hormones because of tumors or the use of certain drugs, it may be accompanied by acne, a deepened voice, and male-pattern hair loss.
Folliculitis - A bacterial infection and irritation of the hair follicle, it's one of the most common of all skin infections. Although usually trivial, it can produce extensive disease. It may be superficial or deep, and it causes the formation of a pustule or inflammatory nodule surrounding the hair. The infected hairs may be easily removed.
