Hair Loss Glossary

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Alopecia

Alopecia is a generalised term for the different forms of the hair loss disease Alopecia. Alopecia causes baldness in area's of the body that should naturally contain hair such as the head or certain areas of the body such as the legs or in males the chest.
Also See: Alopecia Androgenetic, Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis, Alopecia Universalis, Alopecia Senilis
Related Pages: Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Adnata

Baldness occuring at birth or shortly after.

Alopecia Androgenetic

Alopecia Androgenetic is a common hair loss problem in both male and females, it's more reguarly known as pattern baldness. The symptons of this disease are balding above the temples and the crown of the head in males and in females all over thinning of the hair. Although in males, Alopecia Androgenetic if left untreated can result in complete all-over baldness, it very rarely has the same effect in women. The most commonly agreed causes of Alopecia Androgenetic in males can be coronary heart disease and enlargement of the prostate and in females PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome which is a hormonal imbalance.
Also See: Female Pattern Baldness, Male Pattern Baldness

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Areata is a hair loss condition that creates one or more bald patches, usually round in shape, on the scalp and occasionally on the body. These patches are quick to develop and are usually cause by an auto-immune disease which treats normal parts of your anatomy as foreign bodies. This disease effects both men and women and is not to be confused with male or female pattern balding as it's path is less targetted. Alopecia Areata has multiple different ways it can develop, in many cases the hair grows back like normal although temporary hair discolouration can occur. It can also merge together to form larger areas of baldness and other area's of hair can start losing hair such as the eyelashes or beard.
Also See: Alopecia
Related Pages: Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Senilis

The loss of hair caused by aging.

Alopecia Totalis

Total Loss of all hair on the scalp, this is triggered by an Auto-immune disease or disorder.
Also See: Alopecia, Alopecia Universalis
Related Pages: Alopecia

Alopecia Universalis

Alopecia Universalis is a rapid loss of all hair of the body. This is caused by an auto-immune disease or disorder.
Also See: Alopecia, Alopecia Totalis
Related Pages: Alopecia

Amino Acid

Amino Acid is a protein producing chemical which is present in both humans, animals and plants and supplies the required protien needed to nurish the hair so it can grow.

Anagen Phase

The Anagen hair growth phase is when the hair actively grows from the root, this phase lasts up to 6 years growing the hair 1 cm every 28 days. The length this phase lasts depends on the genetic coding of the person themselves. The following phase is the Catagen phase.
Also See: Catagen Phase, Telogen Phase

Asymmetrical Hair Loss

This is when one side of your hairline starts to bald but the other doesn't. This usually fixes itself and the other side catches up but in some rare cases it simply continues until one side of the hair line is entirely bald and the other remains.

B

C

Catagen Phase

This is hair growth phase after the Anagen Phase, this phase only lasts for a couple weeks and is where the hair stops growing to form what is known as a club hair.
Also See: Club Hair, Anagen Phase, Telogen Phase

Chemotherapy Related Hair Loss

One of the most well known side-effects of chemotherapy is that a persons hair falls out, this can either be a simple thinning of the hair all the way up to Alopecia Totalis (all scalp hair falls out). In most cases this hair will grow back once the therapy is over but in some cases it is required to have after-care such as a hair transplantation in order to return the hair to it's usual state although in many cases the hair can grow back in a different colour.
Also See: Radiotherapy

Club Hair

This is when the hair stops its blood flow and hair production cells and essentially prevents the hair from growing any further, this is a natural process which occurs during the Catagen Phase.
Also See: Telogen Phase, Anagen Phase

D

Dermatologist

A dermatologist is a doctor that specialises in treating all kinds of skin disorders and diseases including the ones that are related to hair. A dermatologist can help you make the right decision on how to manage hair loss and the method to achieve the best results.

Dermatology

The medical practice of treating skin related disorders along with hair, sweat glands, nails and so on.

Discoid Lupus Erythematosus

A chronic skin condition affecting most area's of the body with red crusty legions commonly resulting in scarring of the head and patchy hair loss.
Related Pages: Other Forms Of Hair Loss

E

Etiopathogenesis

The development of a disease or condition.

F

F.P.H.L.

F.P.H.L. is a common abbreviation of female pattern hair loss.
Also See: Female Pattern Hair Loss

Female Pattern Hair Loss

Female Pattern Hair Loss is a genetically inherited condition when a woman's hair starts to thin all over the head, this is different from Male Pattern Hair Loss which focusses mainly on the centre of the head.
Also See: Alopecia Androgenetic
Related Pages: Female Pattern Hair Loss

Finasteride (Propecia)

Propecia is a treatment for hair loss which comes in 1mg pill form. The chemicals in the pill lowers the levels of hormones that are designed to shed hair from the scalp causing baldness. This treatment has been debated a lot as, although trials have shown that more than half the people that where treated with this drug showed hair growth after approximatly 6 months, it is required that the treatment is kept up constantly (one pill every day) or the scalp will return to it's original state. Thus it is a very temporary treatment.

Flap Surgery

Flap surgery can be used in very light hair loss situations to move areas of non-bald skin over the area's that have lost hair. This is generally a temporary treatment as most hair conditions will eventually spread across the scalp and further surgery would be required.

Follicle

A follicle is the base area of the skin where the hair is joined to the skin.
Also See: Hair Follicle

Fullmore

Fullmore is a product that you match with your hair which thickens and fills in bald patches on the scalp. This reduces the appearance of baldness and adding volume to your lasting hair.
Also See: Scalp Makeup, Nanogen
Related Pages: Hair Loss Products

G

General Practitioner

A general practitioner is a doctor that has a broad knowledge of illnesses and can help you choose the correct treatment for your hair loss, tailored to your own physical needs. These medical professionals also deal with prescriptions and placing what form of hair loss you may have.

G.P.

An abbreviation of General Practitioner, a doctor of wide medical knowledge.

H

Hair Follicle

The Hair follicle is part of the skin that's purpose is essentially to grow cells and group them together to create hair. These are present all over the body apart from the lips, palms and the soles of your feet.

Hair Loss Management

This is the term used for the method you are using to tackle your hair loss. There are many different forms this can take including the Intralace system™, or Medi Connections™ amongst others.

Hair Pulling

Hair Pulling is the central symptom of Trichotillomania, a condition brought on by numerous reasons most commonly stress. The sufferer has the uncontrollable urge to pull out their own hair.

Hair Replacement

Hair replacement is a general term for the replacement or hiding the appearance of fallen-out hair. Whether this by through a simple wig, a surgical procedure or medical treatment which stimulates the hair follicles to start growing hair again.

Hair Transplantation

Hair Transplantation is the process of moving skin from healthy hair-bearing area's of the scalp to area's that have stopped growing hair, this way spreading the existing hair evenly across the scalp.

I

Intralace System™

The Intralace System™ is a system that meshes a thin Intralace Panel™ in between the existing hair and skin, this panel contains additional human hair that will fill in the gaps making it appear naturally full and healthy.
Related Pages: Managing Female Hair Loss

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M

M.P.H.L.

M.P.H.L. is an abbreviation of Male Pattern Hair Loss which is a condition that causes the hair to fall out in a particular pattern spreading from the top of the head.
Also See: Male Pattern Hair Loss

Male Pattern Hair Loss

Male Pattern Hair Loss is a genetic condition that generally affects men from the age of 24 to thirty, Male Pattern Hair Loss or M.P.H.L. Causes the hair to shed from above both temples and the top of the head. Spreading until what could be described as an M shape is created. M.P.H.L. is different from F.P.H.L. as the latter affects the whole head at the same time, rather than a particular spot on the head.
Also See: Alopecia Androgenetic

Medi Connect

Medi Connect can be used to cover up area's of the scalp where hair loss is not so great that it requires the Intralace system™. This method utilises a hair-extension like treatment which thickens hair where it has begun to thin, the result of which is a more full head of hair.

Micropigmentation

Micropigmentation is a method that has multiple uses including fixing cleft lips, tattoo's and hair restoration. This is done by the insertion of pigment into the dermal layer of the persons skin.
Also See: Hair Transplantation, Hair Replacement

N

Nanogen

Nanogen is a popular and effective fibreous scalp make-up whose hair-like spray can cover balding areas to give a natural fuller look. It comes in a variety of colours to suit a certain persons hair, this product can be used on light area's of baldness to reduce the appearance of baldness but is not always suitable for everyone. Some Nanogen products also promote hair growth and fill out bald patches naturally with your own hair.
Also See: Scalp Makeup
Related Pages: Nanogen Products, Before and After Nanogen

O

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, commonly referred to as OCD, is a mental disorder that inhibits an individuals ability to control their compulsions. This can take many forms such as excessive hand washing, scratching and hair pulling. The hair pulling kind is referred specifically to as Trichotillomania and is similar but not entirely the same as other forms of OCD.
Also See: Trichotillomania

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Q

R

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is a method of treating diseases such as cancer through the use of high powered X-rays amongst other specialised rays, because of the resulting radiation this can damage healthy cells and combined with Chemotherapy can result in baldness.
Also See: Chemotherapy Related Hair Loss

S

Scalp Makeup

Scalp Makeup is a product that can reduce the appearance of bald patches on the scalp by applying a spray such a Nanogen in the correct colour to a persons head. This can be used for mild hair loss but is not so effective on moderate to excessive hair loss. Also See: Nanogen

Scalp Reduction

This method of surgical hair loss treatment involves removing bald area's of scalp and stretching healthy hair bearing pieces of skin over the remaining area. The patient in question must have thick hair on the stretched hair in order for this to work as unhealthy hair will fall out and the treatment will be ineffective.

Synthetic Hair

Synthetic Hair is fiberous plastic hair that can be used to weave into real hair to create the appearance of a fuller head of hair. This is generally used in wigs and hair extensions, you can also get human hair extensions which as the name describes are made from cuttings of treated human hair.

T

Telogen Effluvium

Telogen Effluvium is a form of alopecia that is caused either by a hormonal imbalance or certain medications. It's symptons are that your scalp sheds more hairs than it normally should, this is basically anything above 100 shed hairs a day. This is usually recovered from quickly and the hair starts to grow back on its own, if this is not the case treatment to restore your hairs regular growth may be required.
Related Pages: Telogen Effluvium

Telogen Phase

The Telogen phase of hair growth is the stage when the hair follicle rests and stops growing. The hairs will stay attached to the head for up to 100 days, shedding at the average rate of 100 hairs a day.
Also See: Anagen Phase, Categen Phase

Trichologist

A scientist who researches in the field of Trichology.

Trichology

The field of science that studies hair, it's conditions and researches possible treatments for hair loss. This study can also identify alot about the person whose hair is being studied. Forensics in crime investigations often use Trichology to determine characteristics such as body mass, age, skin tone and so on.

Trichotillomania (Trich)

A phycological condition that give the victim the unavoidable urge to pull the hair from ones scalp, nose, facial hair or other body hair. The condition has been closely compared to OCD although classification of the condition is regularly disputed. The causes of Trichtillomania are also disputed but the most agreed prevailant cause is stress and pressure.
Also See: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Related Pages: Trichotillomania Facts

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