7 Most Common Causes of Hair Loss

Forty percent of women who reach menopause experience female pattern baldness. More than 50 percent of men above the age of fifty are bald. In a large approximate, 40 million men and 20 million women are found to suffer from alopecia. These estimates reveal that hair loss may be associated with age, and that its incidence is observably multi-factorial.

Losing one’s hair is devastating, and anyone who says it isn’t lying. You can lose your hair for different reasons. The most common causes of hair loss are identified below, while a few others are still under empirical validation and clinical trials. The 7 most common causes of hair loss are the following:

Genetics

At times, onset of hair loss begins during the end of puberty, and is usually genetically determined. Baldness was previously believed to be inherited from the maternal grandfather. Although they have a basis for this idea, the offspring’s likelihood of experiencing hair loss is still contributed by both parents. Technically, inheritance is most likely autosomal dominance with mixed penetrance.

DHT

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a by-product of the male hormone testosterone when combined with the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. To anyone who is genetically predisposed to hair loss, it is their worst enemy, the ultimate culprit, and the most common cause of hair loss. Its build-up in the scalp inhibits nutrients from reaching the hair follicles. This will eventually lead to hair miniaturization wherein hairs grow finer and shorter, until nothing will be able to sustain them and finally fall out. Alas, this will pave the way to permanent baldness over time.

Hair loss treatments should include DHT blockers in the course of the therapy. Those that focus on hair regrowth must take into account the primary cause of the shedding before even considering regrowth, for those new growths might unknowingly be the next victim of DHT if untreated. This will recur until it forms a cycle. That is why depending on the cause, opt for a hair loss treatment that will stop DHT from destroying the rest of your hair follicles.

Age

When you’re no longer at your prime, your body’s ability to take in nutrients and optimally utilize them declines. Most cells no longer function at peak efficiency and the body systems deteriorate. This includes how the hair follicles absorb and utilize the nutrients available and explains why hair loss is common among the elderly people.

How the elderly population is prone to hair loss may also be attributed to the fact that testosterone levels increase as one would age (for males) and progesterone levels decline during menopause (for females).

Hormonal Changes

After childbirth and during perimenopause, women are at the height of certain hormonal changes. Most women lose large amounts of hair within 2–3 months after delivery in which case treatment is unnecessary since hair loss is but temporary and hair will grow back naturally.

During perimenopause, there is a transition from regular cycles of ovulation and menstruation toward permanent infertility and menopause. The symptoms of menopause are indicators of hormonal changes and imbalance in the production of progesterone, estrogen and testosterone. One of the most daunting symptoms of menopause is hair loss. Some women may experience slight thinning while others may suffer from drastic hair loss.

There is an inverse relationship between DHT and the female hormone estrogen. For as long as estrogen levels are normal, the level of DHT is significantly lowered. On the contrary, when the level of estrogen falls, DHT (along with hair loss) will proliferate.

During menopause, estrogen levels fall and the body begins to produce the enzyme 5-alpha reductase which acts on the small amount of testosterone, converting it to DHT in the same way it does in men. This leads to thinning hair usually around the temples and at the crown but doesn’t usually result in bald spots.

These cases are usually treatable and reversible.

Stress

Short-term stress leads to a rise in blood sugar level so that a diabetic state temporarily exists. Diabetes is a disease characterized by the inability of your body to utilize glucose and convert it into energy. This leads to sugar build-up in your circulation that eventually becomes fat deposits. These fat deposits clog the blood stream and compromise the blood circulation including the vital nutrients and oxygen supply that goes with it. These are no longer able to reach the hair follicles and thereby it leads to hair loss.

Diet

Your general health, including your hair health, benefits from the priceless investment of a diverse and balanced diet. The lists of foods that are essential for hair health include macronutrients as well as certain vitamins and minerals. A balanced nutrition is the foundation of a healthy head of hair.

Needless to say, crash diets may lead to insufficient nutrient distribution that will eventually lead to hair loss and other health problems.

Drugs

Certain drugs may cause hair loss. These include chemotherapeutic agents, some antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs. Hair loss may also result when certain over-the-counter drugs are taken exceeding the dosage prescribed by the doctor. Consequently, the doctor has the prerogative to change his prescription with another drug equivalent without the side effect of hair loss, or discontinue the treatment if therapeutic goals have been met. In any case, the benefits must outweigh the risks. Otherwise, he may shift to natural alternatives and lifestyle modification.

Hair, Scalp and Skin Specialists