There are a wide range of conditions that can bring on hair loss, with some of the most common being pregnancy, thyroid disorders, and anemia. Others include autoimmune diseases, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and skin conditions such as psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis, Rogers says.
- Heredity is the most common cause of hair loss. It is known medically as “androgenetic alopecia.”
- Hereditary baldness is not caused by the hair falling out, but rather by normal hair gradually being replaced by finer, thinner hairs.
- You must lose over 50 percent of your scalp hairs before it is apparent to anyone.
- More than 50 percent of men have male pattern hair loss by the age of 50.
- Forty percent of women will have female pattern hair loss by the time they reach menopause.
- Statistically, hereditary pattern baldness is more commonly inherited from the mother’s side of the family, but hair loss can actually be inherited from the father’s side, the mother’s side, or both.
- Many think that hair loss can be caused by wearing hats, frequent shampooing, clogged pores, or decreased blood flow to the scalp. These are all myths.
- Wearing hats:Many believe that frequent hat wearing causes hair loss because it “suffocates” the scalp. Hair follicles actually get oxygen from the bloodstream rather than the air, so wearing hats has no effect on hair loss.
- Frequent shampooing:When people notice that their hair is thinning, they often pay more attention to the hair that falls out after shampooing and assume that this is the cause. It is completely normal to lose up to 150 hairs per day, many of which are lost when you wash your hair.
- Clogged pores:If baldness were due to clogged pores, the solution would be to simply clear the pores so the hair could grow. This is not the case.
- Decreased blood flow to the scalp:Decreased blood flow is actually a result of hair loss, not a cause. Growing hair requires a significant amount of blood flow, but once the hair is lost, not as much blood is needed in the scalp.
- Certain drugs can cause hair loss. Many of them are used to treat:
- Cancer
- Arthritis
- Depression
- Heart problems
- High blood pressure
- Thyroid imbalance and iron deficiency are reversible causes for hair loss.
