Baldness occurs when you are experiencing excessive hair loss (alopecia). This excessive hair loss can take place just on your scalp or on your entire body. Although baldness can affect anyone, it's more common among older men.
Extreme hair loss or baldness can happen quickly or gradually on your scalp or your whole body. Losing your hair at an excessive rate may be temporary or permanent, depending on what is causing it. Signs and symptoms that you may be balding or experiencing severe hair loss may include:
- Gradual thinning on the top of your head
- Circular or patchy bald spots
- Sudden loosening of hair
- Full-body hair loss
- Patches of scaling that spread over your scalp
Treatments
Oral medication
Depending on the cause of your hair loss, your dermatologist may prescribe an oral medication to promote the growth of your hair.
Corticosteroid injections
Depending on the cause, your dermatologist may prescribe an oral medication to help reduce the loss of your hair.
Hair transplantation
During this procedure, the surgeon relocates pieces of hair-bearing scalp grafts to a bald or thinning area.
Tissue expansion
Your surgeon places a tissue expander underneath a hair-bearing area that is located next to a bald area causing the skin to grow new skin cells.
Flap surgery
Your surgeon removes a portion of the bald area, and places a flap of the hair-bearing skin on the bald area.
Scalp reduction
In this procedure, your surgeon replaces the bald scalp with sections of hair-bearing scalp that are pulled together, which fills in the bald area.
Tests
Physical exam
Through a medical examination of your scalp, we can accurately diagnose and determine the best way to treat your hair loss.
Biopsy
To confirm the diagnosis and cause of your hair loss, we may remove a small section of your scalp (biopsy) and send it to a laboratory for analysis.
Why Choose UHealth?
World-class leaders in skin care treatment. University of Miami Health System is recognized throughout South Florida and the world as a leader in caring for conditions and disorders of the skin. Backed by one of the nation’s top universities, our team uses the latest technologies and research-driven expertise to provide superior, personalized treatments for dermatologic conditions.
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