Hair Loss in Elderly
November 17, 2008
Hair loss is a problem with all age groups and both men and women. Some of the common causes of hair loss are external environmental pollutants and chemical influences. Though care can be taken to reduce the effects of pollution but with age hair fall can be inevitable.
It is normal to lose approximately 50 to 100 strands of hair everyday but if the hair looks thinner and there are bald patches then it is a reason to worry. To check if the hair fall is getting serious tug few strands of your hair approximately 15 to 2o between your thumb and index finger and pull it slowly and firmly. If you lose more than 6 strands of hair then it means there is some problem.
Hair loss among elderly women is common during menopause. Due to the hormonal changes during menopause, the hair on the head gets thinner whereas it gets coarse in the other areas like face and pubic region. Women may also face Alopecia - baldness, but it is not as severe as men. The degree of hair fall is not high, the cause of alopecia in woman is due to oversensitivity to testosterone hormone. It can also be hereditary in some cases. Hair loss associated with age is a natural process and a part of ageing like wrinkles.
The number of hair follicles per square centimeter reduces with age, there are around 600 hair follicles in the age group of 20 to 30 which falls down to approximately 450 to 500 follicles during 50’s. Not to mention it further reduces to 400 to 450 hair follicles in the age group of 70 +. Also deficiency of iron which comes with age leads to hair fall, treat the problem before age hits you, adhere to a healthy diet when you step out of 20’s.
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