Umayma Sajid, Nazish Jaffar, Muhammad Asad Ali Khan, Kiran Abbas, Rabia Ghafoor, Amna Khan, Hira Hashim Khan, Maham Akhtar.
Frequency of hair fall, its awareness and hair care practices among adult population.
J Pak Assoc Derma Jan ;32(2):388-95.

Background  Hair loss or Alopecia is one of the most common presenting complain in dermatology clinic. Various myths regarding hair fall and poor hair care practices are prevalent among general population.   Objective To determine the frequency of hair shed among adult population, to assess knowledge and misconception regarding hair fall and to identify the hair care practices observed by participants.   Methods  A descriptive cross- sectional study was conducted with 384 participants more than 18 years of age. Sample size was calculated by using Open EPI software and data was analyzed by using SPSS version 22.0.   Results  A total of 385, 18+ individuals participated in this study. About 72 (18.7%) males and 313 (81.2%) females answered about their demographic profile, hair care practices and awareness regarding possible hair fall causing risk factors. Approximately half of the participants (53.2%) complained of daily hair fall. Statistically significant values were established for certain risk factors; dandruff, unbalanced diet, insomnia, hereditary factors, PCOS, and high testosterone levels only.   Conclusion Approximately half of the participants (53.2%) complained of daily hair fall. Hair loss was less in physically active male participants. However, no such correlation was found among female participants. Our study observed lack of knowledge and understanding among participants about hair fall causing risk factors. Hair care practices were satisfactory among both males and females according to the results of the current study.   Key words Hair loss, awareness, alopecia, adult, population .

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