Hair Loss in India: Interesting Statistics on Causes and Treatments

Hair loss, whether it is hair loss in men or hair loss in women, is a common biological problem all over the world, not just in India. The importance of hair in enhancing the overall personality of a human being cannot be overestimated.

Hair is the first thing that people notice about you. A great hairstyle can give you the personality boost you require in doing well in both personal and professional fronts.

Hair loss, on the other hand, can prove to be a real disadvantage for many people. Many young boys and girls start losing their hair early in life. Caused by a variety of genetic, environmental and systemic factors, hair fall can affect everyone, regardless of their country of origin. Thankfully, effective hair treatment can control and even reverse the hair loss process.

Taking care of hair is crucial to having long-lasting hair. However, to understand the importance of hair we need to understand the anatomy of hair so as to demystify the process of hair loss and hair fall.

To begin with, hair is not considered living cells. In fact, they are mostly composed of protein cells called Keratin. The hair has two components - the long shaft and the thicker root that forms part of the hair follicle.

The hair follicle is made up of living cells that help in the growth of hair. An average human has about 100,000 to 150,000 hair strands on the scalp. The human hair grows at a rate of 0.5 inches in a month.

Apart from the scalp, the human hair is found in all other parts of the body except lips, the palm of the hand and sole of the feet.

Human hair goes through various stages of development. First, the fetal hair (also known as lanugo hair) forms on the baby’s head inside the womb. It falls off after a few months.

This hair is replaced by downy hair, which is again replaced by mature or terminal hair, when a boy or a girl reaches puberty. This mature hair stays with human beings for the rest of their lives. This is the type of hair that is prone to damage and disease.

Also Read : Understanding Receding Hairline and Potential Treatment

Hair Loss in India

Despite the fact that hair loss is a universal phenomenon, India presents us with a unique set of challenges and problems, when it comes to hair loss. For instance, a couple of years ago, western countries used to dominate the hair transplant industry.

However, countries like India and Turkey are emerging as the hotspots for all kinds of hair fall and hair loss treatments in the present times.

Youth in their early 20s have been reported to have initial signs of hair fall. Similarly premature graying and baldness have also become common problems confronting both men and women. Hair loss through auto-immune diseases has also become very common in India. The high pollution levels also take a toll on the hair in metropolitans.

Premature graying is common both in men and women. This article looks at various interesting statistics on the causes and treatments related to hair loss. We start by looking at the various aspects of hair loss in both men and women and try to analyze the unique aspects of hair problems in India.

Also Read : Signs of New Hair Growth

Hair Fall and Hair Loss Among Women and Men

Stress is perhaps the most common cause of hair loss or hair fall. Stress can lead to a variety of diseases such as:

Stress

• Telogen effluvium:In this disease, long standing illness, dietary deficiency and physiological stress levels push hair follicles to a resting phase. No hair growth takes place during this period and the existing hair is more prone to hair fall during head wash and simply combing the hair.
• Trichotillomania: A psychological disease that can force stressed out people to pull out their own hair little by little during periods of excess stress. Victims can pull out strands of hair from eyebrows, scalp and other parts of the human body. This process can be dangerous and can even lead to injuries. This condition needs immediate medical attention not just for the hair but the wellbeing of the patient itself.

Auto-immune diseases

Our immune system is like a fortress. It protects us against foreign invaders like pathogens, germs etc. As soon as a pathogen, like a virus or a bacteria or a parasite, enters our body, the immune system creates antibodies to fight the pathogen.

Sometimes, however, the immunity cells start attacking their own body cells. Scientists call this phenomenon an auto-immune disease.

No one knows as to why the body behaves like this. However, it can cause serious damage to the body. As far as hair is concerned it can manifest in the form of a disease called alopecia areata.

In alopecia areata, a person starts losing hair in small patches all over the scalp, beard or any other part of the body. Initially, these patches look small and then they grow bigger, sometimes covering the whole head.

Alopecia that covers the whole head is called Alopecia Totalis and alopecia that covers the whole body is called Alopecia Universalis.

Alopecia areata is an otherwise harmless disease that causes deep emotional trauma to the victim, who has to bear the emotional cost of losing hair. Some doctors have compared it to another auto-immune disease called Vitiligo.

Research suggests that alopecia areata may share similar pathogenesis, with similar kinds of immune cells being involved in the process, similar kinds of cytokines and common genetic risk factors involved.

Environmental Factors

Environmental factors also play an important role in thinning of hair and in hair fall. Environmental factors, such as pollution, dust, dry weather, wet weather can all cause hair fall and hair loss. In a country like India, where pollution levels are higher, hair issues are more common.

Pollution

Pollution can cause hair loss, and especially in countries such as India it has emerged as one of the primary causes for hair loss problems. Pollution in the air contains dust particles, such as PM 2.5 and PM 10, which are actually finer than hair.

They can enter the lungs and cause a range of lung diseases such as asthma, bronchospasm, lung collapse (in extreme cases), and so on. However, they can also cause hair fall. These pollutants can get trapped within the hair follicles, thereby damaging the follicles and leading to damage to hair roots and thus hair loss.

Dust

Dust is another culprit. So are pollen, dander and other allergens. These can not only trigger a negative immune response within the body but can also make your hair dry and brittle. Left untreated, these allergens can prove to be quite damaging to one’s hair.

Personal Factors

Negligence to take care of hair is perhaps the most common reason for hair problems. Hair strands may be made out of dead cells but hair follicles have living cells, which help in hair growth and regrowth.

If you do not take care of your hair, then it hampers the natural growth cycle of hair. Old hair falls off, while new hair strands fail to regenerate in its place.

As such, it is important to strengthen your hair from the roots. Keeping the roots healthy with regular nourishment is important as well as shampooing. This keeps the roots and the hair strands free from dirt and grime.

Hair packs and hair masks moisturize the scalp and the roots, strengthening your hair strands. Failing to do so may result in hair becoming brittle, dry and lifeless.

Brushing your hair is also equally important. Brushing causes blood to circulate. Poor circulation may weaken hair follicles and cause hair to fall off.

Fungal Infection

Fungus, such as ringworm, can cause a range of hair problems and skin issues. Ringworm also known as dermatophytosis is a fungal infection of the skin. It can cause a range of skin issues such as patchy and scaly skin, skin rashes, etc.

Ringworm of the scalp is called Tinea Capitis. It makes the dermal layer of scalp scaly and patchy. This leads to loss of hair loss as well. Tinea Capitis is most commonly found in children and young boys and girls.

Cancer

A cancer is a random mutation of the DNA of a healthy cell that leads to abnormal cell growth and cell malfunction. All cells in the body have a specific life cycle. Millions of cells die in the body and new cells take their place.

Sometimes because of mutation in the DNA, this function goes haywire. This causes cancer. One of the most popular treatments of cancer is chemotherapy that violently kills the rapidly dividing cancer cells in the body.

However, chemotherapy can also cause hair to fall off by killing cells in hair follicles. In most cases, hair starts growing back as soon as the chemotherapy session ends.

Psychological and Emotional Factors

Our brain controls all of our bodily functions. If the brain is not happy, it may result in hormonal imbalance and chemical reactions, which may cause hair to fall off.

There are a variety of psychological and emotional factors that may result in hair loss or hair fall. This may include stress, shock due to sudden death in the family such as a near and dear one, extreme weight loss and depression.

There have been documented cases where these causes have caused hair problems. Apart from these psychological and emotional factors, certain mental disorders like trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder) may also cause hair loss. In this disorder, the patient may seek to forcefully pull out hair strands from their eyebrows, head and eyelashes.

Lifestyle Factors

Certain hairstyles and lack of proper diet can cause hair fall too. Hair styles, which cause traction or put undue pressure on hair strands, may cause hair to fall off.

Most often, they cause damage to hair follicles preventing hair growth. Styles, which include braiding and curling, may damage hair. Apart from hair styles, diet also plays an important role in hair loss.

Hair loss can be caused by a poor diet or a diet that lacks in essential nutrients, such as protein and iron. This may seriously hamper your chances of hair growth and lead to hair fall.

Hair Loss in Women in India

While hair loss can affect both men and women, in women, however, hair loss can be caused by a number of unique factors that are absent in men.

Medical conditions such as female hormonal imbalance, thyroid disorders, polycystic ovary syndrome, complications due to pregnancy and menopause can lead to hair loss in women. Let us look at causes of hair loss in women, especially those in India:-

Hormonal Imbalance

Hormones regulate hair growth to a great extent. The hormone that regulates hair growth is DHT or dihydrotestosterone - a byproduct of testosterone. Testosterone is found in both men and women in variable quantities.

Men have more testosterone while women have more estrogen. Testosterone hormone regulates sex drive and the development of bones and muscles. However, excess amounts of dihydrotestosterone can negatively affect hair follicles.

They can make them weak and can even shrink them in size. The result is that the existing hair can fall off. This type of hair loss is called male pattern baldness (in men) and female pattern baldness (in female).

However, these two processes are quite different from one another. For instance, in men, the hair starts thinning from the top of the scalp over a round area. For women however, the hair loss results in general thinning of hair from all over the scalp area or midline.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder found in women in India quite commonly. In this disease, women start suffering from prolonged periods of menstrual discharge, excess male hormone and may hence develop numerous small (fluid) follicles.

The exact cause of PCOS is unknown but treatment can keep the condition in check. Perhaps, one of the most common symptoms of PCOS is hair loss.

This type of hair loss does not respond well to common hair treatments. As such, you must treat your PCOS in order to see hair regrowth.

Pregnancy Complications

Certain complications related to pregnancy can trigger hair fall. In the first three months (first trimester) of the pregnancy, there is a hormonal surge in the body to support the baby’s growth.

Some women may experience hair fall during this period because of the hormonal changes that the body is undergoing as well as the stress and the shock that some women might face because of biological changes.

Fortunately, this kind of hair loss is reversible and can be treated with medication and proper hair treatment.

Hair Loss in Men in India

Men are more prone to hair loss due to complications of male hormones and certain genetic conditions and medical reasons. Here’s a look at each of these factors:

Genetic Causes

Genes play an important role in influencing baldness, especially pattern baldness. If your father or mother has pattern baldness, then you are highly likely to suffer from the same.

Most often, however, a combination of genetics, hormones and stress play a role in pattern baldness. This pattern baldness manifests differently in men and women. Baldness due to genetic reasons starts in the 20s and the 30s. In women, the baldness accelerates after menopause.

In men the hair starts thinning from the top of the scalp in an M-shaped pattern. In extreme cases only the hair on the back, sides and temples remain. In women, pattern baldness occurs all over the scalp and manifests in the form of thinning of hair.

It takes the shape of a Christmas tree starting from the top of the head and going down the middle of the scalp. Unlike alopecia areata, this baldness does not occur in patches. If the baldness does manifest in patches, it may mean a different underlying cause is at the root of the problem.

Causes of Hair loss in India: Statistics

In India, one can come across a variety of interesting facts and figures related to hair loss. This is due to the fact that India is a very big country with a huge amount of population.

This gives a varied gene pool to study and understand hair loss problems in India. Recent studies have revealed interesting statistics on hair fall and treatment.

While male-pattern baldness is a common problem, in India, however, some studies suggest that almost eighty-five percent of the adult male population would suffer from pattern baldness.

Male pattern baldness can have an early onset age. For instance, studies conducted among Indian males have found that the age when such type of baldness can start showing signs has come down significantly in recent years.

Nowadays, the signs of male pattern baldness can be found as early as 21 years of age. Scientists believe that a combination of external and genetic factors may lead to hair loss at an early age.

Baldness can affect both men and women. In fact, a number of women are likely to be affected by hormone-related hair loss. This is because in women, hormonal changes can occur in the body till the time of menopause.

This can lead to hair loss. In fact almost 40% of the total number of people who are affected by hair loss is women. Surely, hair loss is not a concern of only the male population.

Every year, at least 3-4% of all doctor visits are related to hair problems of children. While in children, the problem is not so much pattern baldness, it is usually the result of a fungal infection or an auto-immune disease like alopecia areata.

Almost 80% of male pattern baldness in India is related to testosterone and testosterone derivative DHT issues. Testosterone deficiency leads to hair loss and this kind of hair loss is perhaps the most common type of hair problem one encounters in the country.

Genes do play an important role in hair fall. In an effort to establish a more definitive link between genetics and male pattern baldness, researchers from GlaxoSmithKline Company conducted an in-depth study of 1,125 men to test for their genetic susceptibility towards hair loss. The results showed that 1 in 7 men are more likely to lose their hair based on the presence of a specific gene.

Interesting studies in the country have also shown that baldness is often linked to underlying medical issues that can cause heart attack and prostate diseases.

Hair Treatment in India

While there are several kinds of hair treatments available, two of the most popular kinds of surgical treatments that are most commonly available in this country are Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) and Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT).

Indians are divided while choosing either FUE or FUT because of a number of reasons unique to each of the methods. In FUE, an instrument is used to make a small circular incision in the skin, separating it from the surrounding tissue.

The entire follicular unit is then extracted and the process is repeated unless enough donor grafts and hair follicles have been harvested. This entire process may take a couple of hours or can be done in multiple sittings.

After this the entire follicular graft or hair follicle is then placed on the affected area, one by one, until the area is densely filled. This method is more popular than other methods because of the minimal amount of scarring and downtime.

Also Read : What are the Top Rated Hair Regrowth Treatments

Advanced Hair Studio Treatment statistics

Advanced Hair Studio was established in the 1970s in Florida and within three years, the company expanded to 35 centers operating across the country. Since then, we have spread across the globe with centers in every major city.

We have treated more than a million customers across the world including 10,000 celebrities from Hollywood, Bollywood and the sports industry. Today, we have more than 300 studios all across the world.

Our hair treatments are also FDA approved. Further our treatments have been endorsed by Harvard and Monash universities. There are nine major hair treatments: Advanced Hair Check, Advanced Laser Therapy, Strand-by-Strand Ultimate, Strand-by-Strand Cosmetic, Flashpoints, AHS Complete, Supernatural by AHS, Home Program and Fitness Program.

Conclusion

This article took a comprehensive look at the phenomenon of hair loss in men and women and the various biological, environmental and psychological factors related to hair fall. It also looked at the causes of hair and the possible hair treatment in the context of the hair industry in India. Based on this, we can summarize the following points:

• Hair problems may be caused due to a combination of biological, emotional, and psychological factors. These may differ from one person to another. In a country like India, because of the diversity of population, we do not come across one singular cause of hair fall.
• Although hair fall may be caused by a variety of factors, by far male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness are the two most common types of baldness noticeable in our country. In male pattern baldness, the loss of hair occurs in an M-shaped pattern, while among females, the pattern is that of a Christmas tree.
• Almost 40% of the total cases are reportedly of women and the rest belong to men.
• Baldness can occur as early as 20s, which may be because of increase in pollution, lack of care and genetics.
• FUE and FUT are the two most common types of hair transplant methods available in India.
• Wigs and other non-surgical options are also very popular in the country.

It is best to come to a professional hair clinic to resolve your hair issues. Advanced Hair Studio is one of the most innovative hair care clinics in the country providing a range of solutions.

We as a company have served a host of celebrities, who have successfully overcome their hair loss issues. Our panel of hair care experts has come up with a range of solutions to solve your hair loss issues.

Our experts carry out the Advanced Hair Check to understand the problem that may be confronting your hair and then suggest the best treatment available for our hair. If the hair loss is limited or has been caught at an early stage then hair extension treatment such as Flashpoints may be suggested.

Strand-by Strand Ultimate is another great option that has been developed by us after years of research and perfection. Finally, try our full range of hair care products that have been developed to help you with your hair issues and make your hair strong and healthy.