Alopecia+&+Gray+Hair


 * Alopecia & Gray Hair**

**//-Alopecia occurs when the hair falls out but a new hair does not grow in it's place.//**

 * **Signs and Symptoms**
 * male patterned hair loss and small balding spots
 * thinning or complete loss of hair at the hairline and top of the head
 * female diffuse hair loss- a gradual thinning of hair especially on the top of the head; hairline usually stays the same.[[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Alopecia.jpg width="528" height="400"]]

Image of the beginning stages of Alopecia on a male Image of Alopecia on a female =Causes= =Prevention & Treatment= =Alopecia Areata=
 * ====poor nutrition====
 * medications/medical treatments
 * disease (diabetes, lupus, etc.)
 * hormonal changes
 * hair treatments
 * scalp infections (ringworm)
 * trichotillomania- hair pulling disorder
 * genetics
 * physical and emotional stress
 * medications that promote hair growth
 * hair transplant surgery
 * eating a nutritionally balanced diet
 * avoid tight hairstyles (braids, buns, ponytails)
 * ======avoid compulsive twisting, rubbing or pulling of hair======
 * an autoimmune condition; occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue
 * a condition that causes round patches of hair loss
 * there are three kinds of alopecia:
 * 1) alopecia areata- patches of hair loss
 * 2) alopecia totalis- complete loss of scalp hair
 * 3) alopecia universalis- total loss of all body hair

Gray Hair

 * hair turns gray because as we get older, the pigment cells in our hair follicles gradually die
 * when there are fewer pigment cells in a hair follicle, that strand of hair will no longer contain as much melanin and becomes transparent in color
 * Every hair cell makes a little hydrogen peroxide, but over time he amount builds up. This buildup blocks he normal synthesis of melanin.
 * Gray hair is caused when the follicle is unable to add color to the hair or when there is a lack of melanin in the body

Causes
=Treatment=
 * stress
 * age
 * heredity
 * illness
 * medication
 * dyeing and coloring