What Could Cause Sudden Hair Loss

Is Hair Loss In Women Different Than Men

Female-pattern baldness

Women lose hair on an inherited basis, too, but female pattern hair loss tends to be more diffuse, with less likelihood of the crown and frontal hairline being lost.

• Although some women may notice hair thinning as early as their 20s, the pace of hair loss tends to be gradual, often taking years to become obvious to others.
• There seems to be a normal physiologic thinning that comes with age and occurs in many women in their early to mid-30s.
• More women have underlying causes of hair loss than men. These include treatable conditions like anemia and thyroid disease and polycystic ovary syndrome .
• These conditions are diagnosed by blood tests along with historical and physical evidence.

While stories about hats choking off follicles or long hair pulling on the roots may be more folklore, repeat hair trauma like tightly woven hair pulled back and consistent friction can potentially worsen or cause localized hair loss in some individuals. Individuals who pull their hair tightly back in a rubber band can develop a localized hair loss at the front of the scalp.

Hair loss “myths” of special concern to women

What About Pregnancy Hair Loss

Pregnancy may cause many changes in the scalp hair. As the hormones fluctuate during pregnancy, a large number of women feel their hair thickens and becomes fuller.

• This may be related to a change in the number of hairs cycling in the growth phase of hair growth, but the exact reason is unknown.
• Quite often, there may be a loss of hair after delivery or a few months later which will eventually normalize.

Diet Deficiencies: Your Hair Is What You Eat

The essential vitamins and nutrients, like protein, that you get from a healthy, varied, and well-balanced diet ensure good health all throughout your body, making sure all your organs and internal systems are working just as they should. Poor nutrition or following a severely restrictive crash or fad diet can lead to all kinds of nutrient deficiencies, which in turn can result in hair loss, from thinning hair to patches of baldness.

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Rapid Hair Loss In Men: A Guide

Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP

Noticed more hairs than normal on your pillow or in your shower? Although its normal to shed old hairs as they reach the end of their growth cycle, losing lots of hair in a short period of time is often a signal that something isnt right.

Most hair loss in men happens gradually over the course of years or decades. However, some conditions may cause you to rapidly shed hair, either temporarily or permanently.

If youre rapidly losing hair, its important to take action as quickly as possible to stop your hair loss from getting worse.

Below, weve explained how rapid hair loss occurs, as well as the factors that might cause you to rapidly shed hair. Weve also explained what you should do if youre experiencing rapid hair loss to protect your hair, prevent further shedding and stimulate hair regrowth.

You Have Low Iron Levels

The American Academy of Dermatology also says that not getting enough iron into your diet can lead to unwanted hair loss, too.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , iron-deficiency anemia occurs when you don’t have enough iron in your bodythe symptoms of which include fatigue, tiredness, shortness of breath, or chest pain. To help remedy this, your doctor might suggest iron supplements or other healthy lifestyle choices, like increasing your intake of both iron- and vitamin-C rich foods.

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Hair Loss Treatment For Women #: Avoid Hair Loss Triggers

When it comes to treating baldness in women, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! If you know that certain things, like crash dieting, are triggering your telogen effluvium, its a good idea to avoid those triggers. Of course, this is easier said than done! Talk to your GP about the best way to avoid triggering telogen effluvium.

How To Cope With Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata can be emotionally challenging, especially when hair loss affects the whole scalp. People with the condition may feel isolated or become depressed. Reaching out for support can be helpful. The National Alopecia Areata Foundation can help connect you with people who understand what you are experiencing.

Its important to keep in mind that more than 5 million people in the United States have alopecia areata. You are not alone. There are lifestyle changes you can make to help cope with the condition.

If youre looking for help with wigs, eyelash extensions, or eyebrow stencils, the NAAF maintains an online shop with hair accessories and products. Wig companies like Godivas Secret Wigs also have online videos and tutorials for help with styling and care.

New wig technologies, like the vacuum wig, which is made from silicon and a suction base, mean that people with alopecia can even swim with their wigs still in place. Vacuum wigs, however, are typically more expensive.

If hair loss affects your eyebrows, an eyebrow pencil, microblading, and eyebrow tattoos are a few options to consider.

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Dandruff Or Scalp Psoriasis

When the skin on the scalp is inflamed and itchy, its obviously tempting to scratch it. But that may cause your hair to shed more than usual.

Dandruff is the most easily treated cause of hair loss, Dr. Fusco says, because you can treat it with over-the-counter products, like a shampoo containing zinc pyrithione or exfoliating ingredients such as the classic Head & Shoulders Classic or Oribe Serene Scalp Anti-Dandruff Shampoo . “Consistency is the trick,” Dr. Fusco says, so it’s important to find a shampoo and conditioner you like enough to use regularly.

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But other conditions can also cause itchiness and scalp flaking, including seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis . Treating these issues may take more time and effort than dandruff, so its important to check in with a dermatologist if you think you may be dealing with one of these conditions.

What Questions Might Your Healthcare Provider Ask To Diagnose And Categorize Your Hair Loss

Your healthcare provider might ask about your habits:

• What kinds of hair products do you use?
• What kinds of hair styles do you wear?
• What types of food do you eat ?
• Do you have a habit of pulling your hair out ?

They might ask about your history:

• Has anyone in your immediate family experienced hair loss?
• Is there anything stressful going on in your life?
• What medications and supplements do you take every day?
• Has hair loss ever happened to you before?
• What foods are in your diet?

And, they might ask about your observations:

• How long have you been losing hair?
• Have you been shedding more?
• Have you noticed hair loss in places other than your scalp, like your eyebrows? Leg and arm hair?
• Does anything worsen your hair loss?
• Does anything improve your hair loss?
• Have you noticed hair loss occasionally or has it been going on continuously?
• Have you noticed if your hair growth has changed?
• Has your hair been breaking more often?

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Most Common Causes Of Hair Loss

Reviewed by our clinical team

Hair loss is a condition that affects lots of men over 50, but can also effect men in their 20s, 30s and 40s. We’ve created an illustration of 7 common potential causes of male hair loss. If you’re concerned about your hair loss please read below, visit our hair loss clinic and see what you can do about it…

Causes Of Sudden Female Hair Loss

There are many reasons why individuals may lose their hair. For men it maybe due to heridity or old age.For women, the same reasons listed above can apply for their own personal hair loss in addition to other reasons. Some of those reasons can include changes in hormone balance, medicaton, diseases, etc.

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Key Points About Temporary Or Abnormal Hair Loss

Image credit: Canva

What Are The Causes Of Sudden Hair Loss

Men and women can experience sudden hair loss that may seem to come out of nowhere. While sudden hair loss is often not that severe or life-threatening, it can still be frustrating, especially if you’re losing your hair in a prominent place like the top of your head. Sometimes called alopecia, sudden hair loss can be highly emotionally distressing and cause worry.

There are many reasons why you might suddenly lose a lot of hair. Hair loss can be genetic or arise due to hormonal changes, nutritional deficiencies, or general stress. This article looks into the causes of sudden hair loss and what you can do to stop it.

What Causes Hair Loss?

Sudden hair loss can be a confusing and unsettling experience. Although several conditions cause temporary hair loss, telogen effluvium and alopecia areata have the most significant impact on the general population because they account for the majority of individuals who experience hair loss.

Telogen Effluvium:

Telogen effluvium is the most common and widespread hair loss condition. TE is caused by a disturbance of the hair growth cycle and is triggered by a significant physical, chemical, or psychological stressor. The resulting hair loss typically occurs over a three- to four-month period, but it can take up to six months for the hair to start to grow back.

Hair loss due to TE can be brought on by a wide range of things, including:

• Fever
• Drug reaction

Alopecia Areata:

Two forms of AA that are the most common:

Iron Deficiency:

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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.

How Can I Prevent Hair Loss

There are a few things you can do to minimize hair loss:

• Keep hairstyles loose. If you regularly style your hair into braids, buns, or ponytails, try to keep them loose so they dont put too much pressure on your hair.
• Avoid touching your hair. As much as possible, try not to pull, twist, or rub your hair.
• Pat hair dry. After washing, use a towel to gently pat your hair dry. Avoid rubbing your hair with the towel or twisting it within the towel.
• Aim for a nutrient-rich balanced diet. Try to incorporate plenty of iron and protein into snacks and meals.

Styling products and tools are also common culprits in hair loss. Examples of products or tools that can affect hair loss include:

• blow dryers

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What Is Telogen Effluvium And How Does It Cause Hair Loss

Telogen effluvium is a condition that causes sudden, excessive hair loss. Here are some things that commonly trigger this type of hair loss :

• Severe psychological stress
• Hypothyroidism
• A very low-calorie or crash diet

Your body considers all these things stressful, even if you dont. Whatever the triggering event is, it forces hair to suddenly transition from the growth phase to the resting phasethe phase where hair is normally shed. Its not the shedding itself, but hairs rapidly leaping from one phase to another that causes sudden shedding.

We all lose hair naturally as follicles cycle through the phases of hair growth. But if your hair loss feels excessive, you could have telogen effluvium or another condition called androgenic alopecia, which is more commonly known as female and male pattern baldness .

If youre losing short, thin hairs along with longer ones, you may have a combination of telogen effluvium and androgenic alopecia. This is different from alopecia areata, which well dig into below.

Sudden hair loss from telogen effluvium typically starts three months after a major stressor, but there have been reports of even longer intervals between the stressful event and the start of hair loss .

If a hormonal imbalance or nutritional deficiency is affecting hair loss, it should stop as soon as the underlying issue is corrected. In many cases of hair loss triggered by medications, regrowth starts as soon as the drug is out of your system .

How To Treat Sudden Hair Loss

Sudden hair loss is treatable. In most cases, its possible to stop sudden hair loss and promote regrowth by treating the underlying cause of the hair loss, such as an illness, stress, nutritional deficiency or other health issue.

To stimulate hair regrowth, you may benefit from using hair growth medication. Weve explained both of these options in more detail below.

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Pcos Can Cause Hair Loss In Women Too

If you have been diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, this is the most likely cause of your hair loss. PCOSs hormonal fluctuations often can cause temporary hair loss in women. Thankfully, if you can treat PCOS, your hair will be a lot more plentiful too.

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What Could Cause Sudden Hair Loss In Women

Hair loss is nothing to laugh at, especially if youre a woman. That isnt to say that hair loss isnt traumatic for men, only that we are socially conditioned to tolerate male baldness to a greater degree than female baldness. For both men and women, hair loss can be uncomfortable, embarrassing, and sudden. However, given the lack of visibility given to female pattern hair loss, for many women first experiencing its effects, the question is, Why? What could cause sudden hair loss in women?

There are actually several conditions used to describe sudden hair loss in women, but their causes generally come down to four major contributing factors: genetics, stress, nutrition, and hormonal change. To better understand the conditions that could be causing your rapid hair loss and what can be done to mitigate the effects, lets delve into how female pattern hair loss is expressed and what specific health conditions may be responsible.

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Thinning Hair Following Pregnancy

Other hormonal imbalances can also lead to hair loss, especially the wildly fluctuating hormones that occur following pregnancy and childbirth. It takes time after pregnancy for hormone levels to return to normal, so it’s not at all uncommon for post-partum moms to notice thinning hair or even patches of baldness. This often occurs about three months after babys arrival. Don’t worry as the rest of your body recovers, so will your hair follicles. The hair loss is only temporary your hair will grow back.

Hair Loss Treatment For Women #: Focus On Nutrition

Our number one tip for treating baldness in women is to nourish hair from the inside out. Focusing on nutrition will help to encourage your hair follicles to regrow the lost hair.

We recommend taking Hairlust Hair Growth Formula Tablets, which are formulated with ingredients that are clinically proven to support optimal hair growth. Just two tablets per day contain a whopping 5,000 mcg of biotin, plus high levels of zinc, silica, vitamin B12, and amino acids. Plus, theyre made with natural, vegan ingredients.

Hint: if you have a difficult time swallowing pills, we also have Hairlust Hair Growth Formula Gummies!

Hair Growth Formula Gummies

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What Is Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks its own hair follicles. Most patients, however, do not have systemic problems and need no medical tests. While people frequently blame alopecia areata on “stress,” in fact, it may be the other way around that is, having alopecia may cause stress.

• A common skin condition, alopecia areata usually starts as a single quarter-sized circle of perfectly smooth bald skin.
• These patches usually regrow in three to six months without treatment.
• Sometimes, white hair temporarily regrows and then becomes dark. The most extensive form is alopecia totalis, in which the entire scalp goes bald. It’s important to emphasize that patients who have localized hair loss generally don’t go on to lose hair all over the scalp.
• Alopecia areata can affect hair on other parts of the body, too .

Alopecia areata treatment

• Treatments for alopecia areata include injecting small amounts of steroids like triamcinolone into affected patches to stimulate hair growth.
• Although localized injections may not be practical for large areas, often this is a very effective treatment in helping the hairs return sooner.