HAIR LOSS TRANSFORMATION  

Hair loss is a very common problem lately. Up to 70% of people experience hair and scalp related issues in Kathmandu. Causes of hair fall are many. In Kathmandu, the commonest cause of hair fall is dandruff and pollution-related effects. But generally, in any individual, hair fall could be due to various reasons from hormones, nutrition, disease, illness, fever, anxiety, genetic baldness, thyroid disorder, age, smoking, medicines, etc.

Dandruff is very common, especially in a city with such high air and dust pollution. Dandruff usually occurs during teenage. But in polluted cities, it can happen in anyone. More so in people who use helmets to work every day. Bike rides lead to direct contact of pollutants with our skin and hair. Wearing helmet can compound this effect, as these particles might get trapped inside the helmet and humidity and sweating further increases the penetration of these particles into the scalp. Hence it is crucial that one washes the inner spongy side of helmets frequently. Washing not just takes away dust and particles, but also prevent fungal growth that encourages dandruff. Please wash your helmets regularly!

For the treatment of dandruff, one should use good medical-grade anti-dandruff shampoo after consulting an expert dermatologist. Cosmetic shampoos that claim to reduce dandruff, usually do not improve it so well. If the dandruff is severe, you will also need tablet medicines and medical scalp lotions to control it. Excessive dandruff can cause inflammation, which is a kind of tissue swelling in reaction to dandruff. As scalp skin is continuous with facial skin, it can also produce pimples, especially on the forehead. People with excessive dandruff often suffer from facial pigmentation as well. Some people also get swelling and redness of eyelid skin due to the same. Hence it is best to visit a dermatologist near you.

Another very common and distressing cause of hair loss is progressive baldness. This is very true in men. Up to 40% men are balding by 40yrs. Baldness is a genetically determined continuous process, which can be controlled with medical treatments. A stitch in time saves nine. Starting treatment early can preserve your hairs, and delay the need for hair transplant. Medical lotions, tablets, and PRP therapy give unbelievable results in patients with early stages of baldness. However, if you have already lost most of your hair in the frontal scalp, then hair transplantation is the only treatment available.

Hair transplantation is a simple, minimally invasive surgery that doesn’t leave any scars. It is painless and doesn’t need hospital admission. Hairs at the back of the scalp are stronger and do not fall in response to genetic hormones. These hairs are taken out and implanted in areas of baldness. Here, these hairs will stay for life, as they behave like hairs at the back. Hence, hair transplant is a permanent solution for baldness.

Newer treatments like stem cell-based therapies are coming up, which might change the future of hair loss. There are newer treatments that can be done yearly, to prevent further hair loss. However, they are in the early phase and hence are quite expensive. But in the next 3-5 years, it will be very easy to prevent and reverse baldness with stem cell-based therapies in Nepal.