Male pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia, occurs in 30% of men in their 30s and are thought to affect half of men in their 50s. Gradual shrinkage of the scalp hair follicles will eventually cause the hair to be thinner until no new hairs grow. Although a natural part of the ageing process for millions of men, hair loss is psychologically distressing.

Female pattern baldness, is hair loss that affects women; causing thinning of the hair due to increased hair fall and reduced hair volume. Hair thinning starts at the part line, and hair at the temples may also recede. Some may also experience hair thinning at the frontal airline. It is normal for women to lose about 50 to 100 hair each day, but those with female pattern baldness may lose more. Up to two thirds of women experience hair loss after menopause and 50% of women experience some form of hair thinning by 50 years old.

Does your scalp age? Yes, our scalp is also part of our body, made up of skin. Studies have shown that our scalp ages the fastest – 12 times faster than the skin on our body and 6 times faster than skin on our face. external factors can speed up the rate of aging of our scalp. This results in the thinning of our scalp with lesser blood capillaries thus lowering nutrient and blood supply to the follicles. We are surrounded by UV radiation and air pollutants, and at the same time extensive styling creates stress on our scalp which actively contributes towards the aging of our scalp. But as our scalp is covered by hair, we tend to neglect our scalp much more than our body or face skin. Our hair growth is about 1.25cm per month on a healthy scalp, but on an aging scalp, it is only 0.25cm per month, which is 80% less! Our hair follicle function also naturally diminishes over time, and each follicle has 25 cycles in its lifetime. As a result, grey hair is one of the sign of aging as the hair follicles produce less melanin, the pigment that gives black colour to our hair.

Normal skin replacement is about 28 days. Due to reasons such as insufficient sleep, stress, unhealthy diets, and hormonal changes, the replacement cycle (keratinisation) length shortens. This shortening of the replacement cycle results in new skin cells. The cells generate at a faster pace than the shedding of the dead skin cells on the scalp surface. Over time, the accumulation of the dead skin cells forms dandruff that we see on your scalp. Other common causes of dandruff also include irritation and oily scalp, wrong use of hair care products, environmental and pollution factors. Also, skin conditions like contact dermatitis, Malassezia, and others. Dandruff is a sign that your scalp is receiving bad care, and results in your hair roots weakening and more hair loss.

Oily scalp is caused by over-active sebum glands in the scalp produces excess oil and clogs hair follicles. Sebum gland secretion is affected by hormonal changes, our daily diet and stress levels. In the absence of proper cleaning, excessive oil will oxidise and clog our pores. Greasy scalp are prone to scalp acne and results in the scalp feeling itchy all the time. Clogged hair pores can lead to infection, scalp inflammation, deterioration of our follicles resulting in hair thinning and hair loss.

• Hormonal imbalance
• Excessive oil secretion
• Poor blood circulation
• White blood cells attacking hair follicle

Patch baldness (Alopecia Areata) causes small round or oval patches of baldness on the scalp causing mild itching, tingling, and tenderness or burning sensation in the affected area. By autoimmune reaction and genetic factors, this condition occurs. Also, stress, a contributing factor. Suitable treatment is highly recommended at the early stage.