If you're dealing with a temporary form of hair loss, your bald spot will likely grow back on its own. However, when bald spots or thinning are due to aging and genetics, that's not always the case. There are scientifically proven ingredients, such as minoxidil, that can help early hair loss.
After hair stops shedding, the hair will slowly grow back. This can take 6 to 8 months for all the hair to grow back. The whole cycle takes about 12 months. This type of hair loss is called telogen effluvium.
Regrowing hair on a bald spot is often possible. You may need to try more than one type of treatment to get the results you want. Be patient and consider all your options as you approach this very common concern.
In many cases, bald patches regrow by themselves without treatment. In particular, if there are just one or two small bald patches then many doctors would advise that you simply leave it alone at first. If the hair loss is not too bad then there is a good chance that your hair will regrow after several months.
The patches of hair loss can grow larger. Sometimes, the patches grow larger and become one large bald spot. Other signs that you may have alopecia areata include: Gray and white hairs often remain where you have hair loss.
Bald spots of the scalp, brow, or beard are commonly caused by a medical condition called alopecia areata. It is also commonly called spot baldness, and it is believed to be an autoimmune disorder that causes the body's immune system to mistake hair follicles for foreign invaders, and then, attack them as such.
In most people, new hair eventually grows back in the affected areas, although this process can take months. Approximately 50 percent of people with mild alopecia areata recover within a year; however, most people will experience more than one episode during their lifetime.
It usually takes two weeks to get your hair back after shaving. After then they grow at the pace of half an inch per month.
Lifestyle factors could include using certain hair products, wearing your hair up too tightly, experiencing high stress levels, or not getting enough of certain vitamins and minerals in your diet. People who have immune system deficiencies could also have thinning hair.
Alopecia areata affects people of all ages including young children. It produces circular patches of hair loss that appear overnight. More patches appear over time and eventually about 5% of people affected lose every hair on their body. This includes eyebrows, eyelashes and even nose hairs.
Make an appointment to see your doctor if: You suddenly develop a bald spot on your scalp. Your hair stylist tells you that your hair is thinning, or that you have small bald areas. You have lost your eyebrows or eyelashes, your beard is thinning, or you have noticeably less hair on your underarms or pubic area.
Sudden Loss of Patches of Hair
Bald spots may grow very slowly in one area or you may notice a patch or strip of hair loss that appears within just a day or two. In some cases, you may notice burning or stinging before sudden hair loss.
These patches may connect and then become more noticeable. The condition develops when your immune system attacks the hair follicles causing hair loss. This kind of hair loss is very common, affecting nearly 7 million people in the United States, according to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF).
Yes, stress and hair loss can be related. Three types of hair loss can be associated with high stress levels: Telogen effluvium. In telogen effluvium (TEL-o-jun uh-FLOO-vee-um), significant stress pushes large numbers of hair follicles into a resting phase.
A mild case of alopecia areata starts with one to two coin-size hairless patches. In many instances, it stops after that. Sometimes, the hair will grow back. However, there's no guarantee. The condition is unpredictable, and the cycle of hair loss and regrowth can repeat itself.
Sleep deprivation is a form of stress and stress is known to affect hair loss. It can cause temporary hair loss conditions such as telogen effluvium, and can also exacerbate hereditary hair loss in both men and women with a genetic predisposition to androgenic alopecia.
Wearing your hair too long will make it look thinner
"Ironically, with thinning hair it's important to make sure you get your hair cut regularly," says Julie Hensman, from Hensmans in Northampton. "Thinning hair can get out of shape more quickly, making it look more obvious".
FALSE: Cutting your hair only affects the shaft, but not the follicle, which is the part responsible for growth and premature loss. Getting your hair cut may mean you feel like it's falling out less as your split ends will have been removed and your hair will look healthier, but it has no impact on new growth or loss.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease. This means it's caused by the body's immune system attacking its own tissues. The immune system attacks the hair follicles. It causes hair to stop growing, and then break off and fall out.
When hair starts to regrow, it appears like fine “peach fuzz.” It is usually translucent and thinner than the rest of the hair on your scalp. If you recently underwent surgery or had a head injury and are worried about hair growth on the bald spot, the appearance of peach fuzz is a positive sign.
Keep in mind that rates of hair growth tend to decline after age 30.