Diagnosing the Problem a Bald Spot

1. Determine your baldness pattern

Heredity is most often the cause of hair loss, although factors like stress, medications, hair mistreatment, and a range of others can play roles as well. If you want to deal with a bald spot, it is best to understand what is causing it first.

• If you are a man and have a receding hairline in the front and/or bald spots developing in the back of the crown of your head, you are most likely dealing with male pattern baldness. This is caused by a reaction to testosterone that makes hair production on certain parts of the head slow down substantially. It is a completely hereditary condition, and not reversible without intervention.
• If you are a man, woman, or child with one or more distinct (and often round) bald patches, you most likely have alopecia areata, which affects about three percent of the population. The cause is unclear, though it seems to be related to an autoimmune response, with factors like heredity and stress playing possible roles. Bald patches caused by alopecia areata usually grow back on their own within one to two years.
• If male pattern baldness or alopecia areata are not to blame for your hair loss, then the likely culprits include: fungal infections; frequent hair pulling; tight braiding or other severe hairstyling; shock or severe stress; radiation treatments; reactions to medication; and conditions like lupus and sarcoidosis. Consult a physician if you believe one or more of these factors are causing your hair loss.

2. Treat your hair with care

Hair loss can sometimes be caused simply by rough treatment such as vigorous scrubbing, harsh chemical shampoos, or styles that pull and twist the hair. Even if male pattern baldness or alopecia areata is to blame for your bald spot(s), treating your hair more gently can help slow the decline of weakened hair follicles, and perhaps boost the growth of healthy ones.

• You should wash your hair regularly, such as twice a week or perhaps more, but do so gently. Choose gentle shampoos and don’t scrub your hair vigorously. Don’t towel-dry vigorously either. Pat your hair with the towel and let it air dry when possible.
• When combing or brushing your hair, don’t yank vigorously at clumps or knots. Use quick motions to loosen them, and hold your hair so that you are not tugging at the scalp.
• If you have longer hair, try to limit the frequency with which you pull it into tight ponytails or braids. At very least, switch up the styling so that the same areas of hair are not being placed under the brunt of the tugging and twisting.

3. Protect your hair

Even healthy hair follicles are delicate, so if you want them to keep growing while dealing with a bald spot, you should enhance your efforts to protect them.

• Wear a hat and/or limit exposure to direct sunshine. Sun exposure is hard on your skin, and it is hard on your hair too.
• Don’t expose your hair to extreme heat either. Limit blow drying, especially on a high setting.

4. Consult a doctor if concerned

Even if you recognize your bald spot as the same one all your male relatives started out with before going bald, you may want to consult your doctor for treatment options. If you are unsure of the cause of your bald spots, it is always best to check simply to rule out the remote chance of a serious medical condition.

• Your odds of having a condition like lupus are low, but hair loss can be a symptom of this disease, so it may ease your mind to consult your doctor for possible testing.
• If the reason for your hair loss is known but it is causing you stress, talking to your doctor can be of benefit as well. Establishing the specifics of your particular condition is the best way to determine the best treatment options available.