Hair Loss by Ethnicity
After a certain age, people expect to lose their hair.
It is not a bad assumption,
especially with so many balding elderly people around.
There are certain considerations
however, that need to be made concerning race.
The statistical average is that after
the age of 40, men start to lose hair to a certain degree.
The percentage grows higher the older
a man gets. For women, a large
percentage experiences hair thinning after the age of 65.
All of this changes when dealing with
someone of a different race.
Caucasians are more prone to losing hair at an earlier
age. Some even start in their late
teens and twenties. This may have to
do with the very fine nature of Caucasian hair.
Harsh weather conditions affect these
hairs more than any other race. This
is unfortunate since whites actually have the most hair per square
centimeter at around 200 sq./cm. This
also contributes to the alarming nature of hair fall once androgenetic
alopecia is triggered. There’s just
more hair to lose, although at least they’ll have the most head cushioning
for awhile.
Despite looking like they have greater hair density,
Asians actually have less hair per square centimeter when compared to
Caucasians. The perceived density is
due to these hairs being thicker and coarser than any other hair type.
Some may complain about the rough
quality of their hair, but Asian hair actually has a strength no other hair
type can match. These hairs are the
most adaptable to extreme weather conditions.
This resilience to a specific weather however, takes a while to
develop. Asians must stay in one
place for a long time to adapt to that place’s climate.
It is also said that Asians start to
lose hair around ten years later compared to Caucasians.
There is a concern however, when hair
loss does occur. For balding Asians
seeking hair transplants, they are more predisposed to developing keloids on
the graft sites. A simple test could
determine if one will develop keloids or not.
Now, Africans seem to have the thickest hair, but they
actually only have 130 strands per square centimeter.
To pile it on, they also have hair
just as thin as Caucasians. It is
merely the curly or kinky nature of African hair that gives the impression
of thickness. It is also surprising,
then, that these people are four times less likely to lose their hair
compared to Caucasians. For the small
percentage of balding African men, ingrown hairs and a difficulty in
harvesting hair for transplantation is a concern.
It’s a good thing then that only a
smaller percentage of them will develop a form of hair loss.
For Asians and Africans, it would be good to remember
that there are still some self-inflicted hair loss conditions.
Relaxed hair styles and not wearing
hats all the time will further contribute to your already sturdy hair.
Some Caucasians should not be
complacent as well with overly thick hair, as the chances of their hair
going from hero to zero is pretty high.
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