From a medical perspective, ‘alopecia’ is defined as more than 100 fallen hairs per day for more than a month, with no sign of stopping.

Since it tries the patience to count 100 hairs, a simple self-testing method has been devised to detect alopecia. It is called ‘hair pulling’ – extend all five fingers and place them on the scalp, with the palm resting closely on the same. Pull the fingers together to grasp the hair with a moderate force and pull gently. Do this 6-8 times. If more than 3-4 hairs are pulled out every time, there is a likelihood of alopecia, and more thorough dermatological and endocrine examination at the hospital is highly recommended.

In the case of the most common seborrheic alopecia, people used to mistakenly think that hair loss was caused by excessive sebum secretion. In fact, it is mainly related to androgens, to which hair follicles and sebaceous glands are highly sensitive. Sebaceous glands undergo hypertrophy under the action of androgens, producing more sebum. Hair follicles become smaller under the influence of androgens, producing thinner and shorter hair shafts that fall off at a shorter length. This is the real cause of hair loss.