What Causes Hair Loss
- 9 Shocking Reasons You Need to Know Now
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Across the UK
Rated 92%
on Trustpilot
Expert Team of
professionals
Award winning
Clinics Across the UK
Hair loss can be frustrating, especially when you don’t know why it's happening. You may notice thinning hair, more strands on your pillow, or a receding hairline.
Various factors, including genetics, hormonal changes, and stress, can cause hair loss. Other common reasons include nutritional deficiencies, medical conditions, medications, and harsh hair care practices.
Aging, environmental factors, and autoimmune conditions like alopecia areata can also contribute to hair thinning or shedding.
In this blog, we’ll explore the common reasons for hair loss and what you can do about it.
What Causes Hair Loss: 9 Common Reasons Explained
Hair loss affects many people, but understanding its causes can help you take control and find the proper treatment. Whether you're dealing with thinning hair or hairless patches, knowing why it’s happening is the first step in addressing it.
Genetics (Hereditary Hair Loss)
One of the most common causes of hair loss is genetics. If your family members underwent hair thinning or baldness, it’s more likely that you will too. This condition is known as androgenic alopecia, or pattern baldness, affecting both men and women.
- Male pattern baldness: Typically starts with a receding hairline or thinning at the crown.
- Female pattern baldness: Often presents as diffuse thinning across the scalp rather than bald patches.
Understanding your genetic predisposition can help you plan the best approach for managing hair loss.
Hormonal Changes
Hormones play an important role in hair growth and loss. Pregnancy, menopause, and thyroid imbalances show how hormone fluctuations affect hair health.
- Pregnancy: Raised estrogen levels during pregnancy can cause thicker, fuller hair, but hair loss often occurs after childbirth when hormones return to normal.
- Menopause: Lower estrogen and progesterone levels can cause hair to thin.
- Thyroid Issues: Overactive or underactive thyroids can also lead to hair thinning.
Nutritional Deficiencies
What you eat has a direct impact on your hair health. A poor diet can lead to nutritional deficits that affect your hair growth cycle. Iron, zinc, and biotin are essential for strong, healthy hair.
- Iron deficiency can cause hair to become brittle and thin.
- Biotin: Often associated with stronger, healthier hair.
- Vitamin D: Lack of vitamin D can contribute to hair loss, especially in cases of alopecia areata.
Stress
Both physical and psychological stress can lead to hair shedding. This is called telogen effluvium, where hair prematurely enters the shedding phase. Stress can cause large numbers of hair follicles into the resting phase, causing noticeable thinning.
- Emotional stress: Loss of a loved one, a stressful job, or personal challenges can cause hair to fall out.
- Physical stress: Surgery, illness, or a traumatic event can also trigger hair loss.
Medical Conditions
Specific medical needs can lead to hair loss. These can range from autoimmune disorders to chronic diseases affecting the hair growth cycle.
- Alopecia areata: A condition where the immune system attacks hair follicles, leading to round patches of hair loss.
- Thyroid disease: Both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism can contribute to thinning hair.
- Lupus and diabetes: Conditions like lupus or diabetes can also interfere with hair health.
If you suspect a medical situation is causing your hair loss, seek professional medical advice for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Medications and Treatments
Some medications can induce hair loss as a side effect. Chemotherapy is known for this, but other drugs like blood thinners, antidepressants, and beta-blockers can also contribute.
- Chemotherapy: Causes hair to fall out due to its effect on rapidly dividing cells.
- Blood pressure medications: Some, like beta-blockers, can interfere with hair growth.
- Antidepressants: Certain antidepressants can also affect the hair growth cycle.
If your medication is causing hair loss, speak with your healthcare provider about alternative treatments.
Hair Care Practices
Harsh hair care practices can also cause damage that leads to hair loss. Regularly using heated styling tools or undergoing chemical treatments can weaken your hair.
- Excessive heat: Flat irons and blow-dryers can cause hair to become brittle.
- Chemical treatments: Frequent coloring or perming can damage hair follicles and lead to breakage.
- Tight hairstyles: Hairstyles that pull tightly on the hair, like ponytails or braids, can cause traction alopecia, a form of hair loss.
Using gentle, nourishing hair care products and avoiding excessive styling can help prevent damage to your hair.
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Aging
As we age, it’s natural for hair to thin. The hair growth cycle stalls down, and hair follicles may not produce as much hair over time. While this is a normal part of aging, some people experience more noticeable thinning than others.
- Gradual thinning: Often starts around the crown or temples for men, and diffuse thinning for women.
- Slower hair growth: Older individuals may notice their hair takes longer.
Though aging is inevitable, treatments are available to slow the process and maintain healthy hair.
Environmental Factors
External factors like pollution, sun exposure, and harsh chemicals can harm your hair. Long-term exposure to these can weaken your hair and cause it to break.
- Pollution: Airborne toxins can build up on the scalp, causing irritation or hair thinning.
- UV radiation: Sun exposure can damage hair cuticles and lead to dryness or breakage.
Protecting your hair from these elements, such as wearing hats or using UV-protectant hair products, can help keep it healthy.
Conclusion
Hair loss may be motivated by other factors, from hormones and genetics to tension and poor hair treatment. Determining the cause of your hair loss is crucial for finding the most suitable solution.
From an endocrine imbalance, nutritional deficiency, or environmental causes, there are things you can do to avoid and treat hair loss.
If you’re concerned about hair thinning or shedding, it’s always a good idea to consult a healthcare professional to determine the best course of action for your specific situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, stress can cause telogen effluvium, where you lose a lot of hair because of emotional or physical stress. Managing stress can help prevent this.
Yes, a lack of nutrients like iron, biotin, and vitamin D can cause hair to thin or become brittle. Eating a balanced diet with these nutrients helps maintain your hair healthy.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy, menopause, or thyroid problems can affect how your hair grows, causing it to thin or fall out. Getting the right treatment can help fix this.
Yes, genetics is a big factor in hair loss. If your family members have pattern baldness, you might be more likely to experience it too.
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