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.
How We Can Help
The added stress of losing hair can make a serious diagnosis even more difficult to manage and overcome. At TRUE & DORIN Medial Group, we understand how overwhelming this time can be and the role your hair plays in your overall self-confidence. Fortunately, through our advanced techniques, including FUT , FUE , and other hair restoration solutions, we can help you regain the fuller, thicker, and healthier head of hair you desire.
What Diseases Can Make Your Hair Fall Out
All over the world, millions of people of all genders suffer from different forms of hair loss for one reason or another. In some instances, people are simply more genetically prone to losing their hair however, hair loss isnt always a genetic byproduct. Sometimes, it could indicate that a deeper and more pressing medical issue, illness, or condition is at play. Here are just nine of the diseases that are known to either directly or indirectly cause hair loss.
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You Have High Blood Pressure Or High Cholesterol And You’re Taking Medication For It
Medications for lowering cholesterol like simvastatin and atorvastatin often come with hair loss as a side effect, according to Dr. Shapiro. The chances of this are rare, with just 1% of people who take statin-based medications reporting hair loss, according to Harvard Medical School.
Blood pressure medications that are also beta blockers have been known to cause hair loss, although doctors are still unsure about the exact mechanism at play.
It’s up to you and your healthcare provider to weigh the options before stopping or starting a medication that could be potentially related to hair loss.
“People have to see their doctors to determine if is medicine-related, then they may want to stop, but other times they may not,” Dr. Shapiro said.
Key Points About Temporary Or Abnormal Hair Loss
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Thyroid Medications And Hair Loss
Unfortunately, some of the medications that are commonly prescribed for thyroid disorders can also contribute directly or indirectly to hair loss. Most treatments are for hormone therapy, which alter the levels of hormones in the body. For the same reasons that hypothyroidism can cause hair loss, certain medications can also have the same effect.
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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How Is Hair Loss Diagnosed
Persistent hair loss often indicates an underlying health issue.
Your doctor or dermatologist can determine the cause of your hair loss based on a physical examination and your health history. In some cases, simple dietary changes can help. Your doctor may also change your prescription medications.
If your dermatologist suspects an autoimmune or skin disease, they might take a biopsy of the skin on your scalp.
This will involve carefully removing a small section of skin for laboratory testing. Its important to keep in mind that hair growth is a complex process. It may take time to determine the exact cause of your hair loss.
Hair Cycle Of Growth And Rest
Like your skin and nails, your hair goes through a finely tuned cycle of growth and rest. There are 3 phases in a hair cycle:
- In the first stage, your scalp hair is continually growing. During this anagen phase, your hair grows about 12cm per month. About 90% of your hair is in this stage at any one time. It lasts between 25 years.
- The second stage, called the catagen phase, is when growth stops. About 13% of your scalp hair is in this phase at any one time. It lasts for 23 weeks.
- The third stage, the telogen phase, is a resting phase that lasts between 14 months. About 10% of your scalp hair is in this phase at any one time.
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What Can You Do To Remedy Hair Loss
In many cases, the best way to treat illness-induced hair loss is to focus on treating the underlying condition. However, the severity and duration of the hair loss depend on the illness itself.
When telogen effluvium is the root of the hair loss, as it is with many illnesses in this article, the hair cycle should normalize, and hair should begin to grow back once the medication is reduced or stopped. For people who experience anagen effluvium hair loss due to cancer treatments, the hair will grow back but potentially with a slightly different texture or color.
When hair loss is part of a persons actual diagnosis, such as the case with androgenic alopecia, over-the-counter and prescription medications might be required to help prevent further hair loss and potentially even prompt hair regrowth.
If you believe that your hair loss or thinning is due to an existing condition, visit your healthcare provider for a medical history and blood tests to help determine the root of the problem. Its also important to discuss nutrition, hairdressing habits, and any other environmental factors that may play a role. And as noted earlier, many people living with alopecia can encounter a psychosocial toll, so dont be apprehensive about discussing the emotional side effects with your provider as well.
Treatment For Hair Loss
Most hair loss does not need treatment and is either:
- temporary and it’ll grow back
- a normal part of getting older
Hair loss caused by a medical condition usually stops or grows back once you’ve recovered.
There are things you can try if your hair loss is causing you distress. But most treatments are not available on the NHS, so you’ll have to pay for them.
No treatment is 100% effective.
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Different Types Of Alopecia
Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss, and there are two main types: alopecia areata and androgenic alopecia. Alopecia may cause hair loss only on the scalp or all over the body. It may result in thinning hair, patches of hair loss, some balding, or total baldness, and it may be permanent or temporary. There are numerous causes, including genetics. Talk to your doctor about possible treatments.
You’re Getting Too Much Vitamin A
Overdoing vitamin A-containing supplements or medications can trigger hair loss, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Just FYI: The Daily Value for vitamin A is 5,000 International Units per day for adults and kids over age 4 supplements can contain 2,500 to 10,000 IU. So any more than that and you could risk some strands falling out.
The good news: This is also a reversible cause of hair loss, and once the excess vitamin A is halted, hair should start growing normally again.
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How Will The Cause Of My Hair Loss Determine Treatment
If your hair loss is being caused by a medical condition, your doctor may be able to provide medication to offset your hair loss. Switching medications can help if thinning is a side effect of a drug you are taking. There are also certain measures you can take at home to overcome alopecia and keep your skin and hair healthy. Although certain causes of hair loss cannot be prevented, good hygiene and proper nutrition can help you maintain thick, strong hair. In instances of alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, and other situations where your hair growth is impacted by high levels of stress, relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga might be helpful.
If you haven’t already tried conservative techniques, a limited number of patients do experience favorable results with over-the-counter products. However, this will only address signs of hair loss and prove effective for as long as the product is used. In addition, some patients’ skin may be too sensitive to withstand side effects such as redness and burning.
Medical And Other Conditions
If hair follicles are uniform in size, or if the hair loss is sudden, it is likely to be caused by something other than heredity, like a medical condition, Rogers says.
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 , and skin conditions such as psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis, Rogers says.
Though there has been a link between menopause and hair loss, Roberts says she doesnât think there is a direct correlation. It could be that menopause and hair loss just occur at the same age.
Other reasons for hair loss include extreme stress physical trauma like surgery or intense illness dramatic weight loss over a short period of time and taking too much Vitamin A, Roberts says. And hair loss can occur a couple of weeks to six months after any of these experiences.
âSomeone can have surgery and be just fine and then two weeks later their hair starts falling out,â Roberts says. âIt can be very scary when it starts falling out in big clumps.â
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Hair Loss Due To Medications
Hair loss is a side effect of a number of medications taken for common health problems. Blood-thinning medications, oral contraceptives, drugs for depression, NSAIDs, and beta and calcium channel blockers can all lead to thinning hair or baldness. Too much vitamin A and vitamin A-based drugs called retinoids can cause hair loss as well. Some chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer are known to cause total hair loss as they work to destroy cancer cells. Just as hair usually grows back after chemo, it should also grow back once you stop taking any medication that causes hair loss.
How Is Baldness Treated
Your healthcare provider will figure out the best treatment for you based on:
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How old you are
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How well you can handle specific medicines, procedures, and therapies
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How long the condition is expected to last
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Your opinion or preference
Most forms of baldness have no cure. Some types of baldness will go away without treatment. Treatment may include:
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Certain medicines to promote hair growth
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Corticosteroid injections
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Treating any underlying condition or disease
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Hair transplants
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Skin lifts and grafts
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Illnesses That Can Cause Hair Loss: Alopecia As A Symptom
Lupus, thyroid problems, polycystic ovary syndrome, and anxiety disorders are several illnesses with possible links to hair loss. Understanding what type of hair loss you have and how exactly it relates to your other conditions allows you the opportunity to repair your existing follicles and prevent future damage.
What Are The Symptoms Of Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata mostly affects hair, but in sometimes it can cause changes to the nails. People with the disease are usually healthy and have no other symptoms.
Hair Changes
Alopecia areata typically begins with sudden loss of round or oval patches of hair on the scalp, but any part of the body may be affected, such as the beard area in men, or the eyebrows or eyelashes.
After a bare patch develops, several possible things may happen:
- The hair grows back within a few months. It may look white or gray at first but may regain its natural color over time.
- More bare patches develop. Sometimes hair grows back in the first patch while new bare patches form.
- Small patches join to form larger ones.
- In rare cases, all body hair is lost.
In most cases, the hair regrows, but more hair loss may follow.
Nail Changes
Nail changes such as ridges and pits occur in some people, especially those who have hair loss over more parts of their body.
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Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia
Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia may occur as a result of hair products or styling techniques that damage hair follicles. The use of hair relaxers, blow dryers, curling irons, and hair extensions can cause central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, as can the process of creating a permanent wave, or a perm.
The frequent application of oils, gels, or pomades can also cause this condition, which may be reversible if you stop using these hair products or styling techniques. Our dermatologists may recommend taking medication to help hair grow back.
Diseases That May Cause Hair Loss
Hair loss often occurs in patients suffering or recovering from a medical condition or illness. Amongst a growing list of issues and concerns, hair loss can then lead to additional stress and anxiety as the amount of hair loss becomes more prevalent and noticeable to others. Although there are a vast number of health issues that result in hair loss, some of the most common diseases include:
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Understanding Types Of Disease That Cause Hair Loss
Bald spots, thinning, and breakage can be symptoms of a serious underlying health condition such as alopecia, lupus, thyroid issues, and other common types of disease that cause hair loss. If you have noticed a dramatic increase in shedding or other change in the appearance of your hair, Drs. Robert J. Dorin and Robert H. True can help. During an evaluation at one of our offices serving Manhattan, NYC, and communities throughout the greater NYC area, we can discuss your options and provide you with solutions to restore your appearance and confidence.
Amongst a growing list of issues and concerns, hair loss can then lead to additional stress and anxiety during times of illness.