hEALTH mATTerS: I WHIP MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH!

A celebrity is any well-known TV or movie star who looks like he spends more than two hours working on his hair.

~Steve Martin

Did you know that the bone marrow is the only part of the body that grows faster than the hair? Women consider their hair as their crowning glory and men likewise. The human skin is covered with hair except the soles, palms ,the lips, the eyeballs and the nails. Human hair grows for about 6years after which it falls off and new hair grows in its place. Men's hair grow faster than that of women but the woman's hair is denser.

Due to advancing age and some other factors, one can gradually start to lose his/her hair and half of the hair has to be lost before baldness can be visible to other people. Alopecia is one of the common hair concerns and this is defined as "loss of hair in areas of the body where hair would ordinarily be found". This can be the non scarring or the scarring.

Alopecia areata (alopecia- "baldness"; areata- "patchy) is "common baldness and this is due to advancing age, a reduction in androgen production and possible genetic predisposition. This also known as male in men or female pattern baldness in women.

The male pattern baldness occurs in a "M" shaped manner while female pattern characteristically begins at the vertex of the head and this spread out to the sides of the scalp.

Telogen effluvium (telogen- "resting phase during hair growth"; effluvium- "shedding off") can lead to alopecia and this is characterised by sudden and extensive hair loss during stressful situations like pregnancy, surgery, acute febrile illness, acute psychiatric illness, or severe emotional or physical trauma.

Infections e.g. dermatophytosis; chemicals and drugs e.g.chemotherapeutic compounds and diseases e.g. thyroid dysfunctions, SLE are other causes of hair loss. There's also self-induced physical trauma e.g. trichotillomania (hair loss from compulsive hair pulling), short-term hair traction.


Hair loss can negatively affect an individual's self image and this can affect one's attitude to life. Some preventive measures include taking adequate amounts of vitamins, mineral and water as this would go a long way maintaining the healthy hair. Frequent shampooing also helps. Hair products like hair dyes, relaxers etc. should be used in moderation and according to the manufacturer's specification. All scalp infections should be checked out by a doctor.

In case of unavoidable hair loss, the following can be done:

a. if hair loss is due to a chronic disease condition or chemotherapy, wigs can be used in the interim and other treatment options for alopecia should be discussed with one's physician before commencement.

b. treatment options for common baldness include minoxidil although termination of treatment is associated with worse hair loss and there is also hair transplantation. To have a successful hair transplant, learn about the best transplant procedure that is available, consult with a good hair restoration physician and research on the leading hair transplant surgeons.

And who explains this phrase better than the crown prince himself: "The hair does not make a man, Kate does".

Mazel tov!