What is Causing Hair Loss?

There are a lot of different reasons behind hair loss and we have listed some of the most common ones. Hairloss can be caused by a multitude of different factors; from infections and hair treatments to radiation, malnutrition and genetic background. All possible explanations are not listed below and remember that the only way to know what is causing your condition is to consult your doctor.

Androgenetic Alopecia

This is what is commonly referred to as “common baldness” or “male-pattern baldness”. It is the reason behind 95% of all hair loss. It can affect women as well as men, but it is far more uncommon among women. Women usually experience much less hair loss and the loss is also distributed over the entire scalp, making it less obvious. In men the hair loss typically begins with a receding hairline, followed by extensive balding on the top of the head. A man experiencing Androgenetic Alopecia has usually inherited the trait, and the receding hairline can often be seen on his father and his brothers as well.

Medication

Several medicines have hair loss as a side effect. The good thing is that as soon as you are healthy enough to stop taking your medicine your problem will be solved. If you have to take the medicine for a longer period, consult your doctor. There might be other possible medications available that your body may react differently to. Drugs with hair loss as a known side effect includes medicines used to treat cancer (chemotherapy), medicines used to treat gout, blood thinners (anticoagulants), birth control pills and antidepressants. Too much vitamin A can also cause hair loss; never take more than the recommended daily dose of vitamin pills.

Illness or Major Surgery

This kind of hair loss is caused by stress. It is not rare for convalescents to experience considerable hair loss about 3 to 4 months after recovering from an illness or surgery. This sudden condition can seem frightening, but remember that it is only a natural reaction to stress and your body will eventually replace the lost hair.

Infections or Underlying Diseases

If you don’t know the cause of your problem it’s advisable to consult your doctor, since hair loss can be a sign of an underlying disease. Diseases known to cause this condition include lupus and diabetes. It’s fairly common for children to experience hair loss due to a fungal infection of the scalp. This is not a sign of an underlying, dangerous disease and is cured by antifungal medicine.

Hormones

As mentioned above, birth control pills can cause hair loss. This is because they affect the hormone levels in the body. In the same way, pregnancy and birth can cause it due to the massive changes of hormone levels. Hormone levels in the body can become unbalanced by other causes too, and will then need proper treatment. Hair loss is common when the male and female hormones – the adrogens and estrogens – are not balanced. Changes in hormone levels can also be caused by an overactive or underactive thyroid gland. By treating the thyroid problem you treat the hair loss as well. Many women loose hair about 3 months after giving birth. This is a kind of delayed reaction, since that hair should really have been falling off during the pregnancy. Certain hormones in a pregnant woman can make her body hang on to hair that should normally have been shed. When she has given birth and her hormone levels are stable again, the body will let go of the hair.

Traction Alopecia

This is a condition caused by certain hair styles, like very tight braiding. Pony tails and hair setting equipment like rollers can also cause traction alopecia if they are allowed to pull the hair back too hard for extended periods of time. The excessive tensional forces are too much for the hair shafts, and alopecia occurs as a result. If traction alopecia is prolonged it can cause cicatrisation of the new hair follicle, which means that a scar is formed and the condition becomes permanent.

Treatments

Hair loss can be caused by hot oil treatments and chemicals if they cause inflammation and swelling of the hair follicle. In severe cases, scarring and permanent hairloss can occur.