Hair Diseases and Hair Loss

Also called: Alopecia
Did you know that the average person has 5 million hairs? Hair grows all over your body except on your lips, palms and the soles of your feet. It takes about four months for healthy hair to grow an inch. Most hairs grow for up to six years and then fall out. New hairs grow in their place.
Men - and some women - lose hair as they grow older. You can also lose your hair if you have certain diseases, such as thyroid problems, diabetes or lupus. If you take certain medicines or have chemotherapy for cancer, you may also lose your hair. Other causes are a low protein diet, a family history or poor nutrition.
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Alopecia(Patient Education Institute)
Also available in Spanish
Hair Loss(American Academy of Dermatology)
Basics
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
Overviews
Diagnosis/Symptoms
Treatment
Specific Conditions
Related Issues
Pictures & Photographs
Tutorials
Research
Reference Shelf
For You
Anatomy/Physiology
Clinical Trials
Genetics
Journal Articles
Organizations
Children
Teenagers
Men
Women
Overviews
Common Hair Problems(Logical Images)
Hair Loss(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Diagnosis/Symptoms
Hair Loss(American Academy of Family Physicians)
Treatment
Hair Replacement(American Society of Plastic Surgeons)
Laser Hair Removal(Logical Images)
Specific Conditions
Alopecia Areata(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
Also available in Spanish
Folliculitis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Hirsutism (Excess Hair)(American Academy of Family Physicians)
Also available in Spanish
Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Questions and Answers(National Cancer Institute)
Poliosis(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School)
Questions and Answers about Alopecia Areata(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
Science of Gray Hair(InteliHealth)
Telogen Effluvium Hair Loss(American Osteopathic College of Dermatology)
Waardenburg Syndrome(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) Return to top
Related Issues
Chemotherapy and Hair Loss: What to Expect during Treatment(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Dandruff(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Good Hair Care May Head off Hair Loss(American Academy of Dermatology)
Hair Dye and Hair Relaxers(Food and Drug Administration) - Links to PDF
Also available in Spanish
Hair Loss and Vaccines(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Trichotillomania(Mental Health America)
What to Do about Hair Loss (Alopecia)(National Cancer Institute) Return to top
Pictures & Photographs
Folliculitis(Logical Images)
Hair Loss (Alopecia Areata)(Logical Images)
Hot Tub Rash (Pseudomonas Folliculitis)(Logical Images)
Pilar Cyst(Logical Images)
Razor Bumps (Pseudofolliculitis Barbae)(Logical Images) Return to top
Tutorials
Alopecia(Patient Education Institute)
Also available in SpanishReturn to top
Anatomy/Physiology
Your Hair(Nemours Foundation) Return to top
Clinical Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov: Alopecia(National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Folliculitis(National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Hair Diseases(National Institutes of Health) Return to top
Genetics
Genetics Home Reference: Androgenetic alopecia(National Library of Medicine)
Scientists Find Evidence of Genetic Susceptibility for Alopecia Areata(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Return to top
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Article: Adenosine increases anagen hair growth and thick hairs in Japanese...
Article: Androgenetic alopecia: diagnosis and treatment with a focus on recent...
Article: Follicular mycosis fungoides: a histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and genotypic review.
Hair Diseases and Hair Loss -- see more articles
Hair restoration -- see more articles Return to top
Organizations
American Academy of Dermatology
National Alopecia Areata Foundation
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Also available in SpanishReturn to top
Children
Help! It's Hair Loss!(Nemours Foundation)
Shaving(Nemours Foundation)
Why Does Hair Turn Gray?(Nemours Foundation) Return to top
Teenagers
Hair Loss(Nemours Foundation)
Hair Removal(Nemours Foundation) Return to top
Men
Male Pattern Alopecia(Logical Images)
Shatter the Myths of Male Pattern Baldness(American Osteopathic Association) Return to top
Women
Female Pattern Alopecia(Logical Images) Return to top