What Causes Excessive Hair Loss

What Is Common Baldness

Common baldness usually means male-pattern baldness, or permanent-pattern baldness. The medical term for this is androgenetic alopecia. Male-pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss in men. Men who have this type of hair loss usually have inherited the trait. Men who start losing their hair at an early age tend to develop more extensive baldness. In male-pattern baldness, hair loss typically results in a receding hairline and baldness on the top of the head.

Women may develop female-pattern baldness. In this form of hair loss, the hair can become thin over the entire scalp.

The Difference Between Hair Loss And Hair Shedding

Hair loss and hair shedding are two different conditions. They might look the same but the underlying reasons behind these two hair conditions are completely different.

Hair shedding is a natural and normal process. However, when there is excessive hair shedding, it is categorized as hair loss, which is an abnormal condition. Hair loss occurs when an internal or external factor such as heredity, harsh hair care products, medication, etc., hinders its growth. It is also known as anagen effluvium. Major reasons causing hair loss are heredity, medication, hormonal changes, medical conditions, etc.

Hair shedding usually occurs as a result of some stressful event such as losing weight, pregnancy, recovering from an illness, etc. Unlike hair loss, excessive hair shedding usually stops when its trigger factor disappears.

The terms hair shedding and hair loss are often used interchangeably, but diagnostically, they mean different things. In many cases, excessive hair shedding is a temporary condition. At times, treatments are required.

The easiest way to determine whether you are experiencing hair shedding or hair loss is to give it time. If you notice that hair has stopped growing at certain places for 2-3 months or more, then it is likely a case of hair loss. Hair loss requires medical treatment and it is best to visit your dermatologist for a comprehensive consultation.

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Can I Prevent Abnormal Hair Loss

Most types of hair loss cant be prevented. However, there are a few things you can do that may help keep your hair healthy and strong for longer, including to avoid:

• tight hairstyles, such as braids, buns or ponytails
• twisting, rubbing or pulling your hair
• hair lotions that are heavily perfumed
• excessive heat treatments
• undue exposure to ultra-violet light from the sun or sunbeds, which expose you to higher levels of UV radiation than the sun.

Other useful actions to take involve stopping smoking. as well as having a balanced diet. This should include eggs, berries, avocados and nuts all are thought to help healthy hair grow, along with Vitamins A and C, biotin and, in some cases, vitamin B12.

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Does Postpartum Hair Loss Happen To Everyone

While postpartum hair loss does not happen to everyone, it is a very common condition. Almost half of all women who have given birth experience hair loss postpartum. As everyones rate of hormonal changes is different, the severity and amount of time the condition lasts varies from person to person.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Abnormal Hair Loss

Hair loss may affect just your scalp, hair on another part of your body or all hair on your body. You may notice increased hair shedding that occurs suddenly, short or broken hair, or patchy hair loss, depending on the cause.

Round ring-like patches either on your scalp or elsewhere may indicate ringworm as the cause. You would be wise to check your cat or dog for the source your vet can easily diagnose the fungus causing ringworm.

If your hair loss is caused by a medical condition affecting other parts of your body, you may also notice other symptoms. These are listed below.

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Getting A Diagnosis For Extreme Types Of Hair Loss

Before you can fix your extreme hair loss, you have to know for certain what it is youre dealing with. A healthcare professional such as a medical doctor or dermatologist can help whether youre suffering from excessive hair loss or a more gradual loss of hair.

Diagnosing hair loss involves chatting with a healthcare professional about your hair loss symptoms, including when they started and whether youve experienced any traumatic or stressful events over the past several months that could contribute.

They will also examine your scalp to help determine how your hair loss is happening, looking carefully at your hair follicles, hair shaft and any patterns apparent in your hair loss.

They may also look at your skin and fingernails for clues.

If they suspect it could be caused by an underlying health condition, they may suggest additional lab tests.

Once a cause is determined, your healthcare provider can recommend appropriate treatment.

Your Hair Is Too Tight

Fashion and healthy-hair often sit together about as well as oil and water tight braids, man buns, cornrows and harsh treatments can all damage your scalp significantly. And if the roots are damaged, that means hair loss.

Treating hair loss caused by your hair being too tight: Be sensible, and dont follow hair damaging trends that pull your hair too tight. Take care of your scalp by using moisturising shampoos and conditioners, and avoid dying your hair too often without a break.

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Women And Hair Loss: Coping Tips

Losing your crowning glory can be particularly difficult for women. But there are ways to cope.

Losing your hair as a woman, especially if you’re young or at a vulnerable time in your life, can badly affect your confidence.

Hair loss, known medically as alopecia, is fairly common. It’s estimated, for instance, that around 40% of women aged 70 years or over experience female-pattern baldness the most common type of hair loss, which is thought to be inherited.

What Questions Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider

• What is the cause of my hair loss?
• How many strands of hair am I losing per day?
• What type of hair loss do I have?
• Will my hair loss be permanent?
• Whats the best treatment for me?

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Hair loss may cause you distress whether it happens because of genetics, a disease, or even stress. Know that there are some treatments you can try, and expert dermatologists are there to help you. Your hair loss may be able to be reversed. See your healthcare provider as soon as you notice something wrong because the sooner you start treatment, the better.

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How To Manage Hair Loss And Thinning Due To Sweat

When a person with thinning hair sweats, the hair bunches up and the ground is visible, making the thinning hair more noticeable.

Changing the hairstyle can make thinning hair less noticeable, so if this is a concern, go to a hair salon to have your hair styled in a way that makes thinning hair less noticeable.

If you are concerned about your thinning hair, have your haircut at a hair salon to make it less noticeable. Consult with your hairdresser before deciding on a haircut.

Final Thoughts About Sweat and Hair Loss and Thinning

Sweat is not a direct cause of thinning hair, but scalp care is essential.

Sweat is not a direct cause of thinning hair. Most thinning hair is caused by AGA, so people with noticeably thinning hair should suspect the possibility of AGA.

However, if sweat is left unattended, it can cause scalp problems and contribute to thinning hair, so remember to take care of your scalp.

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Hair Shedding Often Stops On Its Own

Its normal to shed between 50 and 100 hairs a day. When the body sheds significantly more hairs every day, a person has excessive hair shedding. The medical term for this condition is telogen effluvium.

Excessive hair shedding is common in people who have experienced one the following stressors:

• Lost 20 pounds or more

• Given birth

• Recovering from an illness, especially if it included high fever

• Stopped taking birth-control pills

Most people notice the excessive hair shedding a few months after the stressful event. For example, a new mom can see excessive hair shedding about two months after giving birth. The shedding usually peaks about four months after giving birth. This shedding is normal and temporary.

As your body readjusts, the excessive shedding stops. Within six to nine months, the hair tends to regains its normal fullness.

If the stressor stays with you, however, hair shedding can be long lived. People who are constantly under a lot of stress can have long-term excessive hair shedding.

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Vitamins For Hair Growth

If youre hoping to grow back healthy locks after experiencing hair loss due to a certain deficiency, vitamins can help. Parks recommends Ducray Anacaps Dietary Supplements and Shah suggests iron, vitamin D and zinc if youre deficient in them.

At the same time, vitamins arent a miracle cure for hair loss. Nutritional supplements can be very beneficial if you are losing your hair due to a nutritional deficiency, Kingsley said. However, if your hair loss is unrelated to diet, nutritional supplements will not remedy it.

The bottom line? Vitamins wont hurt, but dont rely on them to treat all types of hair loss.

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Remedies For Hair Loss

Determining the cause of hair loss is very important because only then can we effectively and permanently eliminate the problem. However, before this happens or if the cause is improper care or poor diet, we can provide our hair with a strengthening and nourishing dose of vitamins, which are known for their hair cell rebuilding properties.

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How Common Is Hair Loss In Women

Many people think that hair loss only affects men. However, it is estimated that more than 50% of women will experience noticeable hair loss. The most significant cause of hair loss in women is female-pattern hair loss , which affects about one-third of susceptible women, which equals out to some 30 million women in the United States.

Why Is My Hair Falling Out 7 Causes Of Male Hair Loss

Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP

Its a common situation: after taking a shower or brushing your hair, you notice a bit more of your hair falls out more than normal and collects around the drain or is stuck to your brush. You may even start to wonder how much hair loss is normal.

While everyone sheds a certain amount of hair daily , losing more hair than normal could be a sign that youre beginning to lose your hair as a result of a health condition like male pattern baldness.

Hair loss due to male pattern baldness occurs when DHT, a male androgen hormone, starts to affect the integrity of your hair follicles and disrupts your hair growth cycle.

myths about hair lossIts also possible to lose hair for a variety of other reasons, from stress to nutritional deficiencies.

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How Long Does Hair Shedding Last

The good news is the majority of telogen effluvium cases are over in about three to six months, when those additional hairs that were prematurely shifted into telogen have shed. According to Perng, this characteristic recovery happens after an inciting event, such as COVID-19 infection. When that period is over, those hairs will slowly shift back to normal. Telogen effluvium does not cause a person to lose their hair follicles. While hair may not temporarily grow, the hair follicles are still present, and hair will eventually regrow.

Even after the shedding has stopped, patients may notice their hair is not as thick as it once was. Perng says thats because of how slowly the hair grows on average, which is about a centimeter a month. If someone has shoulder length hair, it can take over two years for the new hairs to reach that length again and for a ponytail to feel full again, he says.

In less than 10 percent of cases, patients may experience a condition called chronic telogen effluvium, where excessive hair shedding can persist beyond six months. This can last for a couple months to a couple years, and usually no obvious cause can be found, Perng says. In this situation, we treat the symptoms the best we can with medical therapy.

What Is Generalized Hair Loss

This is an overall hair thinning without specific bald spots or patterns. While this type of hair loss may not be noticeable to others, often the individual will feel their hair is not as thick or full as it previously was. Common conditions in this category are

Under normal conditions, scalp hairs live for about three years they then enter the telogen or resting phase. During the three-month telogen period, the hair root shrivels up into a small “club,” then the hair falls out. It is therefore normal to lose about 100 hairs every day, more of them on days when shampooing loosens the hairs that are ready to fall out. The body then replaces the hairs.

Sometimes people who worry about losing their hair start noticing hairs on their pillow or in the sink, not realizing that they’ve always been there. A close look at these will usually reveal the club at the end, showing that these hairs are shed normally.

• Normally, about 10% of scalp hairs are in the telogen phase.

Several circumstances produce a “shock to the system” that alters the hair growth rhythm. As a result, as much as 30%-40% of the hairs can cycle into telogen. Three months later, hairs come out in a massive shedding , especially near the front of the scalp. These include

• severe illness,
• severe emotional stress or loss.

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Why Is My Hair Falling Out After Pregnancy

Like many of the changes your body goes through during and after pregnancy, excessive hair shedding once youve had your baby is usually caused by changes in your hormones.

While youre pregnant, your levels of oestrogen, progesterone and other hormones rise dramatically. These hormonal increases push more of your hairs than usual into the growth, or anagen, phase of the hair growth cycle, which can lead to your hair looking and feeling healthier and thicker.

But after you give birth, your hormone levels fall dramatically, particularly oestrogen. And this causes more of your hairs than usual to go into the resting, or telogen, phase of the hair growth cycle. This leads to a drop in hair growth and an increase in hair shedding, which is known as telogen effluvium.

Telogen effluvium compensates for the extra hair growth you enjoyed during pregnancy, and its completely normal to lose a lot of hair in the months after you give birth.

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