Types of Hair Loss

Doctors group hair loss by pattern and by whether follicles are damaged permanently.

Non-scarring types

• Androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss): gradual thinning driven by genes and hormones. In women the parting widens and the crown thins. In men the hairline recedes and the crown thins.
• Telogen effluvium: diffuse shedding after a trigger such as fever, childbirth, surgery, crash dieting or stress. It often settles in 3 to 6 months once the trigger is removed.
• Anagen effluvium: rapid loss during chemotherapy or radiation. Hair usually regrows after treatment.
• Alopecia areata: autoimmune patchy loss. It can progress to the whole scalp (totalis) or body (universalis).
• Traction alopecia: loss along the hairline from tight braids, buns or extensions.
• Tinea capitis: fungal scalp infection, mainly in children, with scaly patches and broken hair.
• Trichotillomania: loss from repeated pulling.

Scarring (cicatricial) types

Lichen planopilaris, frontal fibrosing alopecia, discoid lupus and folliculitis decalvans destroy follicles. These need a dermatologist and sometimes a scalp biopsy, because delay can cause permanent loss.

Ayurvedic names

Ayurveda uses terms such as khalitya (diffuse thinning), palitya (greying) and indralupta (patchy loss). These map loosely, not exactly, to modern diagnoses.

Key point

The type decides the treatment, so naming it correctly matters more than the product you choose.

Before your appointment

Note when shedding began, how much you lose, and any recent illness, fever, surgery, crash diet, new medicine or stress. Bring recent blood reports such as ferritin, thyroid, B12 and vitamin D, a list of the products you use, and monthly photos of your parting. Mention any family history of hair loss or autoimmune disease.