Hair diseases

All hair diseases can be divided into two broad categories:

• causal - these are those hair diseases that occur against the background of a specific condition or abnormality in the body.
• idiopathic - hair diseases, the cause of which is unknown or not properly examined.

There is a whole range of hair diseases, each of which can have its own specific cause and manifestations.

The most common among them are: alopecia, hyper- and hypochromia, hypertrichosis, trichoclasia, the problem of ingrown hair and fungal lesions.

The problem of hair loss is an extremely important issue today, as more and more people are turning to doctors, precisely in connection with alopecia. Not only adults and not only men are sick, but women and even children are affected with the same frequency. The reasons for hair loss can be very diverse, but the most common ones can be identified:

• psycho-emotional stress and overload,
• hormonal disorders (androgenic alopecia),
• chronic intoxication of the body due to existing chronic foci of infection (sick carious teeth, chronic tonsillitis),
• intracellular parasites, especially often in children (for example, toxoplasmosis),
• hematological diseases and conditions (for example, anemia),
• chemotherapy, in the treatment of oncological diseases.

Also, today there is a trend towards a pathological change in hair color, which in turn may be associated with genetic mutations and hereditary predisposition, or with metabolic disorders in the body. There is a distinction between hyperchromia - increased hair coloring and hypochromia - weakening of pigmentation and the appearance of "gray" hair.

Trichoclasia is a hair disease that is accompanied by excessive brittleness. Such conditions can be caused by improper hair care (for example, excessive drying with a hair dryer) or by violations of the trace element composition of the hair itself. Today, there are many medical trichological laboratories in which, with the help of specialized equipment, it is possible to easily and accurately determine the trace element composition of hair and its growth phase. That is why the appointment of any medicines aimed at correcting the trace element composition should take place only after obtaining laboratory data.

Quite often, the causes of hair breakage are gynecological diseases and conditions that are accompanied by a disruption of the menstrual cycle and prolongation of menstrual bleeding, which in turn leads to anemia with a significant loss of microelement iron.

Not only the problem of hair loss can be "painful" for the patient, hypertrichosis, or excessive hair growth - is manifested by excessive hair growth, often dark in color, in atypical areas in men and women (for example, facial hair growth in women, or the appearance of strong hair growth on the back in men). The cause of these conditions can also be genetic factors or hormonal disorders, which in turn requires the consultation of a qualified endocrinologist and a thorough laboratory examination.

Hair diseases in certain cases can cause not only aesthetic discomfort, but also be accompanied by unpleasant and sometimes painful sensations, such as in the case of ingrown hair. The cause of ingrown hair can be a hereditary or genetic factor, or mechanical damage to the hair shaft or follicle as a result of skin diseases accompanied by scarring (for example, in case of undermining folliculitis of the head), as well as due to the action of physical factors (excessive drying, cold). When the hair shaft exits the follicle on the surface of the skin, it twists or bends and directs its growth in the direction of the skin, which is accompanied by itching, paresthesias or painful sensations. In such conditions, short haircuts or shaving with a blade should be avoided.

Both hair and healthy skin can be affected by a fungal infection. The consequences of hair damage caused by a fungal infection can be significant hair breakage, discoloration, or alopecia.

Representatives of the genus Microsporum are especially dangerous, which mainly affect children and can cause a purulent-infiltrative lesion of the scalp (kerion), which, without proper treatment, ends with the formation of scar tissue after eight weeks and makes further hair growth impossible in these areas.

Hair problems in women in the climacteric period, which are accompanied by brittleness, thinning and color change, can be considered as a separate point. Most likely, this is caused by a lack of calcium in the body.

Therefore, hair diseases require thorough laboratory and physical examinations to prescribe the correct treatment. In many cases, consultation with related specialists (endocrinologist, gynecologist, therapist) is necessary. Timely consultation with a dermatologist is the main guarantee of achieving the desired result in the fight against hair diseases.