What Causes Hair Loss

Hair loss is caused by different things in different people . In men it is more common that the hair loss is from genetics. There is a chemical in men called Dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. This chemical builds up around the hair follicles and then over time it will kill the hair and the follicles. It is the resistance to the chemical is what makes the condition genetic. There may be a good chance that men will see some form of male pattern baldness or even just hair thinning.

Male Pattern Baldness or otherwise known as Alopecia. About 90 percent of men who are balding can chalk it up to male pattern baldness. Either in way of receding hairline or a thinning of the crown of the head. Women can also get female pattern baldness. In women the hair becomes thinner over the whole scalp.

Androgenetic Alopecia is a very common disorder that can affect both men and women. The men have a greater chance of developing Androgenetic Alopecia than women do. What this condition is, it is a disorder that through progression will change the conversion of terminal hair into indeterminate hair and then to the vellus hair which will over time fall out.

* This condition affects 50 percent of men over the age of 40
* It will affect 13 percent of pre menopausal women will develop some type of evidence of Androgenetic Alopecia.
* This condition will affect 75 percent of women over the age of 65

The main cause of this condition is genetics or it can be inherited. When diagnosing this problem a doctor will go through your medical history as well as your family history to determine if your case of hair loss is indeed genetic. There are other factors as well. Most people don’t know this but sometimes a few months after an illness or a major surgery you may experience a large amount of hair. The reason for the hair loss is due in part to the stress of the illness and it is only temporary.

Hormonal problems may also be to blame for hair loss. If you have an under or an over active thyroid gland, this may cause your hair to fall out. Once you are treated for the thyroid the hair loss can be controlled by that medication. If hormones in both male and female are a bit out of balance for whatever reason then you may experience some type of hair loss. For example, women who have gone through child birth may experience hair loss about 3 months after they have a baby. Once the body recuperates and the body goes back to normal then the hair will begin to grow again.

Some different types of medications can also cause hair loss. Blood thinners, medications for the gout, medications used in the treatment of cancer, too much Vitamin A, birth control pills and anti depressants can also cause hair loss. There are certain types of infections that can also cause hair loss, fungal infections to be more specific but with treatment it can be cured and the hair will continue to grow.

Other diseases can also cause hair loss such as Lupus or Diabetes. Hair loss may also be an early warning sign of these diseases. You may already know this, especially women that by wearing pigtails and cornrows that maybe rolled too tight can cause hair loss called traction alopecia. If the pulling of the hair is stopped before scarring can occur then the hair will continue to grow. Don’t roll or tie your hair too tight, it is pinches or you can feel the tension in the hair then they’re too tight.

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