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Diffuse (symptomatic) alopecia
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Daily hair loss (up to 100) evenly over the entire surface of the scalp is a physiological process; The follicle, which has lost hair, re-enters the anagen phase and alopecia does not develop. However, under the influence of various external and internal factors, the asynchrony of the hair cycles inherent in a person is disrupted and an excessive (up to 1000 per day) hair loss occurs, which leads to diffuse alopecia. Diffuse hair loss is reversible; elimination of the cause of the disease contributes to the cessation of hair loss and the resumption of their growth.
Diffuse baldness can be one of the symptoms of endocrine diseases (hypo- and hyperthyroidism, hypophyseal function reduction, hypercorticism, etc.), can occur as a reaction to the administration of many medications (cytostatics, anticoagulants, D-penicillamine, thyreostatics, retinoids, antimalarial drugs, lithium carbonate, ibuprofen, butyrophenone, cholesterol lowering drugs, and many others), emotional and physical stress (childbirth, accidental or surgical trauma, fever); exogenous and metabolic hypoproteinemia, including with blood loss, fasting and strict diet; for professional or casual contact with certain chemicals (chloroprene, boric nafium, thallium, arsenic, mercury, etc.), deficiency of iron, zinc and other minerals, malignant neoplasms, etc.
The extraordinary variety of possible causes of symptomatic baldness suggests that the disease is equally common in both sexes, but since episodes of increased hair loss are transient, many patients, mostly men, do not consult a doctor, which makes it difficult to obtain reliable statistical data. The rarity of publications about diffuse baldness in men is explained not only by the reversibility of the disease, but also by traditionally less attention of the males to their appearance, and by a short haircut that makes hair loss less noticeable.
The bulk of patients who complain of increased hair loss are women. The imaginary perspective of "bald as a man" often causes depression in patients. It is possible and the opposite situation, when the existing depression makes it painful to experience the physiological loss of hair.
The most frequent reaction of follicles to various negative effects is telogenovoy hair loss, much more rare - anagenic fallout. Some medicines and chemicals (cytostatics, thallium, etc.) can cause a two-fold reaction of hair follicles: anagen precipitation - at high doses of substance and telogen - at low doses.
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