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There are causes alopecia like drugs, genetical cause, systemic disease, primary cutaneous disorders etc. Some of the different causes and their descriptions are elaborated here. The most common causes of alopecia are telogen effluvium, androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata, tinea capitis, and traumatic alopecia.

Telogen effluvium:

In telogen effluvium generally there is diffuse shedding of normal hairs, which generally follows major stressful situations like high fever, severe systemic infection or a change in hormones as seen in post partum. Generally no treatment is required as this condition is reversible and discontinuation of offending drug if it is due to drug will cause reversal of the alopecia. Underlying metabolic disorders like hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism etc. should be excluded. The pathogenesis of telogen effluvium is synchronization of growth cycles of individual hairs due to stress (high fever, severe infection), which are normally asynchronous, which leads to large numbers of growing hairs (anagen phase) simultaneously entering dying or telogen phase.

Alopecia areata:

There are well-circumscribed, circular areas of hair loss, 2 to 5 cm in diameter. In severe cases there is merging of two or more such areas and/or hairless spots in other hair-bearing surfaces of the body. Pitting of nails can also be seen. Treatment of alopecia areata is by topical anthralin or glucocorticoids directly into the lesion, or topical contact sensitizers.

Androgenetic alopecia:

Androgenetic alopecia may be male pattern or female pattern. There is recession of the anterior scalp line in men (rarely in some women). There is miniaturization of hairs along the midline of the scalp. Treatment of androgenetic alopecia if no hyperandrogen state is found is with topical minoxidil, finasterid or hair transplant. Pathogenesis is due to increased sensitivity to the effects of testosterone in the affected hairs.

Tinea capitis:

Tinea capitis a fungal infection (commonly dermatophytes Trichophyton tonsurans is involved) of scalp can also cause alopecia. Clinical manifestation can vary from scaling with minimal hair loss to discrete patches with broken hairs to boggy plaque. The treatment is by oral griseofulvin or terbinafine plus 2.5% selenium sulfide or ketoconazole shampoo. Other members of the family should be examined and treated the same way if fond infected.

Traumatic alopecia:

The causes of traumatic alopecia are traction with curlers, rubber bands, braiding, trichotillomania (mechanical pulling), heat or chemical exposure as used for hair straighteners. The treatment is discontinuation of hairstyle, avoidance of heat or chemicals (if used) etc. Trichotillomania may require psychotherapy after confirming diagnosis with biopsy or hair clipping and observation of shaved hairs.

Human growth hormone is a polypeptide and the most abundant hormone of anterior pituitary. Growth hormone is secreted by approximately 50% of cells (somatotrope cells) of pituitary.

The pattern of growth hormone secretion in an individual can affect the response of tissues. For example growth hormone pulsatility (higher quantity of growth hormone secretion) observed in men in compare to women may be an important biologic determinant of linear growth patterns in women (height of women is less in compare to men in general).

The main function of growth hormone is stimulation of growth during childhood and adolescence and to maintain good health during adult life. Linear bone growth occurs as a result of complex hormonal and growth factor actions. Excess growth hormone during childhood or adolescence leads to more than normal linear length of bones which leads to increase in final height of the individual known as gigantism. Growth hormone induces protein synthesis (essential for maintenance of growth and development especially in growing children) and nitrogen retention and antagonize insulin action thereby impairs glucose tolerance. Growth hormone also cause increase breakdown of lipids or fats known as lipolysis, which cause increased circulating fatty acid levels, reduced abdominal fat mass, and increase lean body mass. The action of growth hormone on mineral metabolism is retention of potassium and sodium as well as inorganic phosphate which leads to increase of all these minerals in blood. Growth hormone also causes retention of water.

Kylie Robinson is a knowledgeable individual, skilled webmaster, and blogger that aspires to contribute their knowledge on the human growth hormone. As well as informative articles, Kylie also provides information regarding HGH products including GENF20 and HGH Energizer reviews, how to purchase HGH online, and how to find the best HGH.  

Alopecia is baldness or absence of hair from skin areas where hair is normally present. Male pattern alopecia is loss of hair in scalp which is genetically determined and androgen dependent, which generally begins with frontal recession and progresses symmetrically which ultimately leaves only sparse amount of hair in the head only peripherally.

Alopecia is generally divided into two major forms, namely scarring and non-scarring alopecia. Scarring form of alopecia is generally associated with inflammation, fibrosis and loss of hair follicles. Clinically a scarring alopecia presents with decreased number of follicular openings, (but in some cases the changes are seen only in biopsy specimens from the affected areas). Non-scarring alopecia is a reversible phenomenon as the hair follicles are preserved (from where hair can regrow) and only shaft of the hair is absent.

The causes of scarring alopecia are: drugs; systemic diseases (like lupus erythematosus, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, hypopituitarism, secondary syphilis, protein, iron, biotin, and zinc deficiency); certain cutaneous disorders (like telogen effluvium which is the commonest cause of scarring alopecia, tinea capitis, traumatic alopecia, alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia etc.).

The causes of non-scarring alopecia are: Systemic diseases (like sarcoidosis, lupus erythematosus, cutaneous metastases of certain malignancies etc.); primary cutaneous disorders (like discoid lupus erythematosus, folliculitis decalvans, lichen planus, central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia etc.).

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