Hair loss is a common symptom that most people face in younger age or older age of life. Hair fall often starts from the head, and sometimes, it can happen all over the body. It can be because of your family history, hormones, health issues, or just getting older. Anyone can lose hair from their head, but it happens more often to men. Some people like to let their hair loss happen naturally without doing anything to hide it. Others might use different hairstyles, makeup, hats, or scarves to cover it up. In this article, we will discuss the potential hair loss causes.
Potential Hair Loss Causes
Hair loss causes might be different for everyone. Some people may face it temporarily, and some people can have permanent hair loss. The kind of treatment you need depends on why it’s happening, but you can try avoiding things like using heat on your hair and following some lifestyle advice to help control it.
In the undersection, we have mentioned the potential hair loss causes for both men and women. Read in detail below:
Genetics (Androgenetic Alopecia)
Genes, especially something called Androgenetic Alopecia, are the main reason for hair loss, also called male-pattern or female-pattern baldness. This happens mostly because it runs in families and is linked to hormones. In people with this genetic tendency, hair follicles become sensitive to a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), making them smaller over time. This makes hair strands thinner and shorter; eventually, new hair doesn’t grow anymore. In men, it often causes a receding hairline and bald spots on the top of the head, while women might have overall thinning hair. Although you can’t completely cure Androgenetic Alopecia, different treatments, like medications and hair transplant surgery, can slow it down and help new hair grow.
Hormonal Changes
Hormonal change can be the cause of poor hair health or hair loss. When your hormone levels go up and down, such as those occurring during pregnancy, menopause, or due to thyroid disorders, it can disrupt the normal growth cycle of hair. You might have thick, shiny hair during pregnancy because of high estrogen levels. But after having a baby, your hormones change again, and your hair starts falling permanently. During menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels drop, making your hair thinner and more breakable. So you should check to specialize and start treatment with proper precautions.
Medical Conditions
Medicines can sometimes make your hair fall out or help it grow. Some medicine that contains drug also has side effect of hair loss, such as chemotherapy, blood thinners, and certain heart medications. During the medication, hair falls temporarily, but after the proper medication, your hair stops falling.
But there are also medicines like minoxidil and finasteride that doctors give you to make your hair grow. These drugs work in different ways, like widening blood vessels in your scalp or stopping the hormone that makes your hair get smaller. It’s important to talk to a doctor to manage the effects of these medicines.
Stress
If you’re really stressed for a long time, it can lead to a condition where your hair falls out more than usual, called telogen effluvium. It happens because your hair goes into a resting phase too early in its growth cycle. Stress can also make conditions like Androgenetic Alopecia worse because it can increase certain hormones like cortisol, which can make your hair follicles more sensitive to other hormones like DHT. To help your hair when you’re stressed, you can try relaxing techniques, exercise, and other ways to reduce stress.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Hair needs lots of different vitamins and minerals to grow well. Everyone needs some potential nutrients to help the hair grow. Your hair growth cycle can get messed up, and your hair can fall out soon if you don’t get enough protein. Lack of iron affects the blood’s ability to carry oxygen to your hair follicles. It’s important to eat a balanced diet with many different foods with these nutrients to keep your hair healthy. The affected person should have proper iron, zinc, biotin, vitamins A and D, and protein to stop hair falling.
Physical Trauma
Sometimes, your hair growth can be disrupted through physical stress. If you have a serious issue that causes any stress, it may also affect your hair. The hairs can start falling or thinning after this shock. Incidents like accidents, burns, surgery, or serious illness and cancer are the common causes of hair loss. It is often seen in some cases that an infection or high fever can be a cause of hair falling.
Hairstyling Practices
In the daily life routine, most people regularly use cosmetics like gel and hair sprays to make their hairstyle look stylish. Styles that involve tight pulling or tension on the hair, such as braids, cornrows, or tightly secured ponytails, can lead to a type of hair loss known as traction alopecia. Chemical treatments like the frequent use of hair dyes, relaxers, and harsh styling products can weaken the hair shaft and make it more prone to breakage. Overuse of hot styling tools, such as straighteners and curling irons, can also damage hair and contribute to hair loss. It’s crucial to strike a balance between fashion and hair health.
Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune diseases occur when your body attacks itself. There are two types of conditions that affect the hair as well as other parts of the body.
Alopecia Areata specifically targets the hair follicles, causing hair loss in round patches. The exact reasons for hair loss in autoimmune diseases are not fully known, but they often involve inflammation and problems with the immune system. If you have some symptoms of immune diseases, consult with a specialized doctor to protect yourself. It can be recovered with proper treatment and protection.
Conclusion
Hair loss has different symptoms and causes for every affected person. Most people can affected at an early age or later in older age. It is important to know the causes of hair fall to help them grow once again. For both men and women, it may start from the scalp, and mostly it affects the head hair that falls early and quickly. If you have any kind of symptoms or hair-falling issues, it is important to consult with specialists and discuss them in detail so that the treatment will start at a time to stop falling hair and help it grow.
