Have you ever wondered why as we age, hair can become thinner and finer, without evidence of overall pattern hair loss? This type of hair loss is called involutional or senescent alopecia which is a natural condition in which the hair gradually thins with age. With this type of alopecia there is a progressive decrease in the number of anagen follicles and a decrease in the thickness of the individual hairs. When this occurs, there is also a higher rate of fall-out and this appears as an overall thinning of the hair in the scalp. Gradually, involutional apolecia will cause the hair to not only be thinner, but the hair may also be shorter due to a shorter growth phase.
Unlike involutional alopecia, androgenic alopecia (AGA) is a genetic condition that can affect both men and women and is called male and female pattern baldness. In men hair recedes and gradually disappears from the crown and frontal scalp. Women with this condition, experience a general thinning over the entire scalp, with the most extensive hair loss at the crown.
There was an article published on this subject, Pharmacologic interventions in aging hair, authored by renowned hair expert, Dr. Ralph M Trüeb, and below is a discussion of this subject from the article.
In contrast to AGA, senile involutional or senescent alopecia has been defined as nonandrogen-dependent hair thinning found in those over 50 years of age. Much like AGA, it involves a progressive decrease in the number of anagen follicles and hair diameter. Some authors proposed that senescent alopecia may result from cumulative degeneration of hair follicles. One other major difference is that there appears to be a pronounced inflammatory aspect contributing to AGA, but not in senescent alopecia.
In a study on aging and hair cycles over an exceptionally long duration of 8 to 14 years, it was found that there was a reduction in the duration of hair growth and in the diameter of hair shafts, and a prolongation of the interval separating the loss of a hair in telogen (resting) and the emergence of a replacement hair in anagen (growth) phase. This suggests that AGA can also be a premature aging phenomenon. This aging process was evidenced by a reduction in the number of hairs per unit area and deterioration in the quality of scalp hair. The reduction in density was manifested to different degrees in different individuals. The maximal length of hair diminished as the subjects aged, and the hairs became finer overall.
The HairMax LaserComb is an ideal treatment for thinning hair, as the device increases ATP to deliver more energy to the follicle to increase cellular energy. The laser Light of the HairMax by stimulating energy production in your hair follicles, create a healthier environment. Increasing the cellular energy through enhanced ATP production, increases blood flow to the follicle, brings in more oxygen and nutrients, activates antioxidant defenses, extends the growth phase of the hair cycle, and encourages your hair to grow thicker fuller and stronger. This increased blood flow also speeds up the elimination of waste products such DHT, which helps reduce the damaging effects of inflammation around the hair follicle. All of this creates a better environment within the hair follicle so that it can stimulate hair growth and produce healthy hair, to help reverse the overall thinning process.
