It is normal to lose between 50-100 hairs a day, this is part of the hair renewal process. But most people suffer from excessive hair loss at least once in their lives. There are very possible causes, including drugs, iron deficiency, chemotherapy, exposure to chemicals, hormonal and nutritional factors, mechanical damage, generalized skin disease or local stress.

Many of these causes are temporary and some are permanent. These are some of the most common causes of hair loss.

1. Hormonal changes:
Hormones are one of the main reasons of hair loss. The male hormones collectively known as androgens have by far the biggest impact on hair loss. Most important male hormone, testosterone is indirectly related to hair loss in men. A man who has the essential genes for hair loss, a small amount of this testosterone is produced by some of the hair roots into a derivative called dihydrotestosterone that is actually responsible for hair loss.

When dihydrotestosterone is produced, it is present in the surface sebum (grease), which is secreted through the sebaceous glands in the skin tissue. In these circumstances, the dihydrotestosterone enter the follicle (the hole in the scalp from which the hair has come), when a hair is shed and inside there it reacts chemically. What it really does is to miniaturize the hair root and follicle. As a result, new hair will grow through the finer. When the new hair is a fine new building after Dihydrotestosterone miniaturized follicle and the hair root, and even more after your hair is even finer. This process continues until the hair is so thin that it might not be there at all, and if this happens all over the area, so a thin man, of course, on this surface and thus the hair loss occurs.

2. Stress:
Physical and mental stress has short-term effect on hair loss. It does not occur immediately with the stressful event but generally takes about 2 or 3 months after a stressful period or event has begun. Therefore, hair can be lost is that the telogen phase of hair follicles happens prematurely than is normal. As a result, you do not start to grow new hair after old hair shed. However, the stress has been removed the loss of hair will stop and the new hair starts to grow in place of that lost once more.

3. Skin disorder
Some particular types of skin disorders like psoriasis, which could be the reason for losing more hair than normal. However, when treatment begins with skin disease and hair begins to grow again.

4. Medication
There are varieties of medications, which are partly responsible for losing hair more than is normal. However, the problem can arise when you could really happen when you have received the drug for a long time., So in case of any medication, it is important to consult a doctor whether this could be a side effect of the drug taken.

5. Genetics:
It is often considered that hair loss may also occur genetically. If one’s mother’s or father’s side relatives inherit this reason he or she may also suffers from the problem of hair loss.

6. Iron deficiency:
The lack of iron in human body occasionally causes hair loss in both man and women. Women suffers from this problem generally as they loss iron during their menstrual periods and develop iron deficiency. Low iron content in diets often causes iron deficiency in human body. Taking iron supplement or iron pills can solve iron deficiency.

7. Childbirth and pregnancy:
Many women face the problem of hair loss after giving birth although it does not seem to be much hair loss during the pregnancy. This happens as the hair enters the resting (telogen) phase. This problem resolves naturally after one to six month as hormone levels start to come back to normal after woman’s body recovers from her pregnancy.

8. Poor blood circulation:
Baldness occurs not by inheritance or as a result of the effects of testosterone on hair follicles in the target area. On the contrary it is due to poor blood circulation in the scalp (from a variety of causes) and for inadequate nutrients in the blood. Another reason that is poor drainage of waste products thorough the lymphatic system.

9. Mechanical damage:
Mechanical damage to the hair may occur either through intentional or unintentional. Some stresses continuously pull the hair until it comes out. Hairs styling treatments, trichotillomania or hair pulling and hair braids or weaves are responsible for mechanical damage of hair. Irregular chemical treatment like dyes, tints, bleaches, straighteners, relaxers and permanent waves make and weak the hair.

On average you can expect to lose between 50 and 100 hairs from your head each day and shouldn’t be something that you should be overly concerned about. However if you begin to notice even more than this being lost then you may need to see medical assistance to determine exactly what is causing you to loss your hair. Today there are a number of causes of hair loss and below we take a brief look at just what some of these are.

Cause 1 – Stress

Both mental and physical stress can cause you to lose hair and will generally happen around 2 or 3 months after the stressful period or event has begun. The reason that hair may be lost is that the hair follicles will enter the telogen phase much sooner than is normal. As a result you won’t actually begin to grow any new hair once the old hair has been shed. However once the problem of stress has been removed from your life you will find that this will stop and new hair will begin to grow in place of that lost once more.

Cause 2 – Medication

There are many types of medication that could be a contributing factor to you noticing that you are losing a lot more hair than is normal. However the problem may not arise immediately but could actually happen after you have been taking the medication for any length of time. If you don’t notice this problem then you should immediately seek medical assistance.

The kinds of medications, which could be one of the main causes of hair loss in a person, include the likes of anti acne ones such as Isotretinoin, medications for lowering lipid levels such as bezafibrate. Plus also medications used as inhibitors for blood pressure or heart failure or to regulate blood pressure could be the reason that hair loss has become more noticeable. These are just a few but a quick search online and you will find that there are plenty of other medications that could be a leading factor to hair loss.

Cause 3 – Skin Disorders

There are certain types of skin disorders such as psoriasis which could be the reason for losing more hair than is considered to be normal. But normally once treatment commences on the skin disorder then the hair will start to regrow.

Cause 4 – Testosterone

The male testosterone has been found to be an indirect cause of hair loss in men today. Rather than the body reacting because the levels of testosterone in the man’s body being too high hair loss occurs because the body has become more sensitive to the production of it. Normally the place where hair loss tends to be most visible on a guy where the cause of it is testosterone is on top and on the front of the head.

Cause 5 – Genetics

The chances of a person suffering hair loss are far greater if any of their relatives happen to be bald. A person can actually inherit it not only from their father’s side of the family but also their mothers.

Cause 6 – Age

As we grow older the risk of us losing hair is far greater. At the age of 35 around 40% of all men will notice that they have far less hair than they did have before. Then as a man grows older this figure increases and on average around 65% of all men over the age of 60 will lose more hair. But rather than them losing hair it tends to become much finer and thinner in appearance.

Cause 7 – Menopause

As women grow older and certainly when they reach the menopause they are again at risking of losing more hair than is normal. But as mentioned above rather than hair falling out what happens is it becomes much thinner ad finer. Around 50% of women over the age of 50 will find that their hair has become a great deal thinner.

Cause 8 – Iron Deficiency

If levels of iron within your body are depleted there is every possibility that you will suffer from hair loss. This again is one of the causes of hair loss that women are more likely to suffer from than men. However to rectify the problem taking an iron supplement can help with reversing the situation.

Cause 9 – Pregnancy and Child Birth

Although during the pregnancy there doesn’t seem to be much hair loss occurring, it is quite common for women to lose hair for a few months after the birth of their child. Generally with this particular cause the hair will begin to start to grow back of its own accord as hormone levels within the woman’s body start to return back to normal.

Above we have looked at the main causes of hair loss today, however there are plenty of others that need to be considered. Your hair loss could in fact be down to the kinds of products you are using which contain ingredients that may cause an allergic reaction in you. Also the way in which your hair is worn may cause hair loss especially in cases where the hair is being pulled too tight.

Only when you know exactly what has caused you to begin losing hair can you then look at ways of treating it. But before you try any treatments you see advertised online or in magazines or newspapers it is important that you seek medical advice first. This way the medical professional can take a look at what the underlying causes of hair loss in you are and treat them accordingly. Also it is important to remember that there is no quick fix solution to treating this condition and certainly anyone who says that they can offer you a miracle cure to your problem you shouldn’t believe what they have to say.

During a cycle of hair growth, there is little shedding. It is absolutely a normal thing and a natural process. But, for a large number of people, there is unusually excessive hair fall. It finally leads to partial or total baldness. This is a serious matter that must be attended instantly. The problem needs immediate treatment. Before moving towards the solution for this embarrassing disturbance, it is necessary to have a deep insight of what actually causes it.

• Genetics

Experts reveal that the most common of all causes of hair loss among women and men is their genetic makeup. However much of the details are not known yet. It is fully understood now that the gene for hair loss is dominant in such people. It can be transferred either form mother or father. In people with inherited hair loss, the problem is progressive. It continues to occur throughout years or for their entire life. For some, early twenties is the age when they start experiencing this trouble. For others, it occurs later in life.

• Hormonal disturbance

Any changes in normal hormonal level in body cause various syndromes. One of these is hair loss. These are briefly described here:

• Hyperthyroidism:

Overactive thyroid leads to thin damaged hair.

• Hypothyroidism:

Under-active thyroid is also detrimental for hair growth. It makes them coarse and rough.

• Male and Female hormone imbalance:

In women, if any imbalance in sex hormones of male and female occurs, it causes hair thinning and loss.

• Pregnancy:

It is widely known that pregnancy causes hormonal changes that ultimately lead to excessive hair loss. A large reserve of protein and calcium is taken up by fetus so there is a dearth of essential nutrients that are beneficial for hair growth. This major transfer of nutrients leaves a woman severely deficient in hair food.

• Menopause:

Some women suffer from hair loss when they enter menopause phase. The main cause is estrogen lack.

• Hormone Replacement Therapy:

It is often given to treat health problems and symptoms related to menopause. This mostly causes hair shedding in women.

• Malnutrition

A diet deficient in essential nutrients necessary for hair growth leads to baldness. Although, a poor dietary intake is not directly related to this problem but, it has serious implications upon the growth and health of the hair. People who are deprived of proteins, biotin, vitamin A and other important vitamins or minerals for a considerably longer time are more likely to face such problems, as compared to those who take a well-balanced diet.

• Disease

Several diseases such as diabetes, psoriasis, lupus, dermatitis, hepatitis and breast cancer are also a causative factor for loss of hair.

• Infection

Ringworm fungus makes scalp infectious in children. It also causes weakening of hair shaft and patches all over scalp.

• Medications

Anticoagulants or blood thinners, overdose of vitamin A, anti-depressant drugs, contraceptive pills and gout-treatment medicines can cause hair loss.

In order to treat hair loss, its causes must be clearly understood with no ambiguities and myths. When the main factor is confirmed, its cure can be more effective and focused.

Alopecia (the medical term meaning hair loss) affects men and women, young and old. It’s far more common than most people realize. It affects adults, teenagers and children and there are numerous causes.

There is no exact age at which alopecia occurs. Depending on the cause, it could be a very slow or extremely rapid process. A process that may only affect a specific area of the body such as the scalp or the entire head to as much as the entire body.

Androgenetic Alopecia

Generally, the most common type is androgenetic alopecia or androgenic alopecia. Androgenetic refers to the influence of androgens (male hormones), and a genetic predisposition to balding (or in other words balding is inherited). This type of hair loss usually starts to affect people from their mid teenage years and on, affecting more men than women. Although, it is more common in women than most people realize. In women generally this results in just a thinning of the hair over the entire scalp with the most extensive loss at the crown. Androgenetic alopecia is more commonly known as hereditary pattern baldness.

Telogen Effluvium

Any one or combination of a number of medical factors may result in a temporary loss of hair. For example, nutritional deficiency, hormone imbalance, stress, and disease. Even some medications and medical conditions, illnesses such as thyroid disease, diabetes, liver disease, kidney diseases or lupus.

Adult women and teenage girls can experience alopecia because of hormone imbalance from polycystic ovary syndrome. Acne medicines, amphetamines in diet pills, chemotherapy (treatment for cancer) can all cause balding. When loss is the result of a illness or medical condition or treatment hair will normally return once the cause is gone, as long as there is no damage to the follicles but it could take a few years.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is hair lost as a result of an autoimmune disease. This type affects all hair on the entire body. With Alopecia areata, hair usually falls out in small patches and can progress to total baldness.

Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania is a psychological disorder in which a person pulls his/her own hair that can also lead to hair loss. This particular type is usually most common in children.

Traction Alopecia

Styling and treatments that cause tension to the hair and scalp can lead to hair loss. For example tight braids as in corn rows can lead to the condition known as traction alopecia.

With so many reasons, it is wise to consult a physician who can help to positively identify the hair loss cause and ultimately recommend an appropriate treatment.

The typical pattern of this type of hair loss starts with a receding hair line that slowly progresses upwards. In some cases, the receding hairline is coupled with a bald spot at the top of the head. As hair loss advances, baldness can occur at the scalp, top, and back portions of the head, leaving only a rim of hair on the sides. In worse cases, total hair loss can occur.

The cause of male pattern baldness is due to a genetic sensitivity to the male hormone dihydrotestosterone or DHT. DHT comes from testosterone when it interacts with the enzyme 5 alpha reductase. The conversion of testosterone to DHT is essential. DHT is far more potent than testosterone and has greater affinity to androgen receptors.

Unfortunately, the effect of DHT on the scalp is the reason for hair loss in men. It is hypothesized that this hormone somehow slowly hardens the scalp. This in turn causes the blood vessels to shrink, decreasing the blood supply to the hair follicles and depriving them of all nutrients vital for continuous hair growth. In advanced stages of hair loss, the hair follicles shrink or atrophy making them unable to produce strong thick hair.

There are a lot of people being misinformed that the bald area of the scalp no longer contains any hair follicles. This is untrue. Notice that the skin on the bald areas of scalp is still lively and can get oily sometimes. These are signs that sebum is present on the skin. This sebum is an oily substance that is produced by the sebaceous glands. Anatomically, the hair follicle has one or two sebaceous glands along with it, therefore, if the scalp gets oily, there are hair follicles present.

The next question to ask is whether there is presence of hair or not. Fortunately, there are hairs present in the scalp. The only problem is the shrinkage of the follicles due to the effects of DHT. In effect, hairs that are produced are very fine, transparent hairs that are almost invisible to the human eye. These hairs are called fuzz hair or peach hairs.

Treatments for androgenetic alopecia are aimed at inhibiting the effects of DHT. There are systemic inhibitors, meaning these hair loss treatments are taken by mouth. There are also topical inhibitors, which are applied directly to the scalp. Mostly, these products are aqueous solutions or shampoos and conditioners.

Other treatments focus on dilating the blood vessels of the scalp, which reopen the blood supply of the hair follicles, stimulating hair growth.

An ingenious company created a dust like substance that cling to the fuzz or peach hairs to instantly cover all the bald areas. Though this is mainly used to cover any signs of balding, it does not treat hair loss but it can be used safely with any type of hair loss stimulant for an instantly thick head of hair.

If you are on the lookout for vitamins for hair growth then you might be at the right place. With the increase in the preponderance of the issue of hair loss, many of us take pleasure in understanding the possible causes, symptoms and the treatment alternatives available. If you are undergoing this problem, it is crucial that you understand the cause behind your hair loss for that may be a harbinger of an impending sickness or disorder. Take a look at the possible reasons listed beneath and seek the advice of your doctor further regarding the same proactively so that you could do away with the problem as early as possible. We will also discuss how vitamins for hair growth can help.

Hair thinning: The Possible Causes

• One of the very major causes of this drawback is heredity. If the problem of patchy hair loss runs through many of your family members significantly your mother and father and grandparents, it’s possible that you just may experience the same. This is often referred to as male and female pattern baldness. Over the counter medicines or the prescription medicines from a trusted physician can actually assist in this regard.

• Seborrheic dermatitis, Lichen Planus and ringworms in children can cause hair loss. In this case, the patch where the lack of hair happens seems red and is commonly itchy. Seborrheic dermatitis is just the problem of dandruff and the most effective hair loss treatment for that is to apply shampoos which are rich in salicylic acid or over-the-counter medicine that is a source of selenium sulphide. Lichen Planus is a pores and skin disease that does not have any defined therapy technique. It goes away by itself within a period of a year. Antihistamines may also help in the reduction of itchiness and hot sensation.

• Stress will be another major issue that may trigger drastic hair loss. The stress is likely to be resulting from post-surgery phase or chronic sickness or it might also be due to the consumption of potent medicines. Reducing your stress ranges is the one panacea that can alleviate the issue in such scenarios. Stress can cause hormonal imbalances and reduction of the circulation of blood which in turn would elevate the rate of hair loss.

• People undergoing chemotherapy treatment also can undergo drastic loss of the hair. There are often medication which can be given throughout the treatment battle against the expansion of cancerous cells within the body. While doing so, their potency typically interferes with the cells of the head thereby ending in drastic loss of hair. That is recoverable. When you get out of the therapy, hair grows within 2-3 weeks time.

• Thyroid issues are usually related to hair loss. Should you experience sudden and massive hair loss, it often insinuates a possible thyroid hormone drawback in you. Seek the advice of your doctor instantly and get to know more about it.

• Strong pulling of the hair, tight pony tails or do-ups can also cause follicular harm which in turn can cause hair loss. Follicular degeneration or injury is usually irreversible. Coin-sized bald areas showing up on your scalp indicates the contraction of alopecia aerata, the auto immune disorder. In such a circumstance, it’s important that you just take proper measures to cease the same after consulting with your medical practitioner.

• New mothers are likely to endure hair loss attributable to hormone changes. This sets right by itself with time.

Know that losing 100 hairs a day will not be a big deal. Remember the above factors and proactively act to get relief from hair loss.