Hair loss can be defined as a condition in which the hair falls due to ageing or a medically unfit condition. It is experienced commonly by the population and is not considered as a disease but a normal variation. It is found that more than half of the United States population experiences hair loss – about 30% has it by the age of 30 years while 50% of them get it by the age of 50 years.
It is common amongst adults while it is rarely found in youngsters and adolescents. It is caused due to internal and external factors like a medical disease, constant hair pulling or usage of chemicals in hair treatment.
Given below are some of the common causes of hair loss. These causes can generally be classified as medical and psychological.
- Illnesses or medical conditions: which may cause the loss of hair are Endocrine (hormonal) conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes or thyroid disease, syphilis, high temperature associated with infections or a major surgery.
- Medications: such as Allopurinol (Zyloprim), Warfarin (Coumadin), Gout medications, Arthritis medications, Antidepressants, High-dose Vitamin A, drugs affecting the hormonal system, birth control pills, steroids, etc may cause hair loss.
- Fungal infections: Scalp fungal infection such as Ringworm causes patches of hair loss on the scalp.
- Poor nutrition: Vitamin rich diet is essential for maintaining good quality hair. Insufficient amounts of vitamin A, B, B12, C, may result in hair loss. Vegetarians should intake sufficient amount of proteins, fatty acid and iron to avoid losing any hair.
- Poor blood flow: This is another rarely discussed symptom of baldness. The hair roots should receive a sufficient quantity and quality of blood for maintaining healthy hair.
- Alopecia areata: This is an autoimmune disorder where the patient’s auto immune system mistakenly attacks the body tissues and cells resulting in round patches of hair loss on the scalp.
- Lupus: This is also an autoimmune disease prevalent among women. It may result into hair loss or cause some dysfunction to the patient’s body.
- Androgenetic alopecia: It may occur for both males and females. Incase of males the hair loss starts from the temples and women’s hair become thin gradually over the years.
- Trichotillomania: It is a psychological disorder in which a person consciously pulls his hair resulting into hair loss.
- Stress during a major surgery: Some physical experiences such as prolonged illness, operation or surgery may damage a person’s body and result into hair fall.
- Hair treatments and styling: Loss of hair occurs when the scalp is allergic to any ingredient of the shampoo or the chemicals used for hair treatment.
- Disruption of the hair growth cycle: Hair loss after pregnancy is experienced by most of the women. Its technical term is Telogen effluvium, which means excessive hair fall after pregnancy.
- Cancers: Therapies such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy damage the hair follicles, ultimately causing loss of hair.
- Hormone problems: Hormonal imbalance may result in hair loss. In case of women, androgens and estrogens need to be in a proper balance for healthy hair.
- Kidney failure: Hair fall caused due to kidney disease is rare, but it happens in advanced kidney failure cases.
- Liver disease: Hair fall is a symptom in the case of cirrhosis of liver.
- Anagen effluvium: is a hair growing phase in which the hair starts falling when it is interrupted by some medicines or auto-immune disease like alopecia areata.
- Traction alopecia: The emergence of this type occurs in hairstyles where the hair are tightly pulled. Women from Greenland and Japan have been reported to suffer from traction alopecia. Sikh men from India pull their beard and moustache hair and roll it into a bun. Therefore they also get traction alopecia.
In case you are experiencing any of the above causes then you should immediately rush to the doctor for a thorough diagnosis. If you are opting for self medication then you should only use the FDA (U S Food and Drug Administration) approved drugs.
Last Updated: 2nd February 2009 | Author: Sarah Wade