Hair Loss and Its Causes
What is the normal cycle of hair growth and loss?
The normal cycle of hair growth lasts for 2 to 6 years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimeter (less than half an inch) per month during this phase. About 90 percent of the hair on your scalp is growing at any one time. About 10 percent of the hair on your scalp, at any one time, is in a resting phase. After 2 to 3 months, the resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow in its place.
It is normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle. However, some people may experience excessive (more than normal) hair loss. Hair loss of this type can affect men, women and children.
What causes excessive hair loss?
A number of things can cause excessive hair loss. For example, about 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the illness and is temporary.
Hormonal problems may cause hair loss. If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, your hair may fall out. This hair loss usually can be helped by treatment thyroid disease. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop your hair loss.
Many women notice hair loss about 3 months after they've had a baby. This loss is also related to hormones. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. When the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts again.
Some medicines can cause hair loss. This type of hair loss improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners (also called anticoagulants), medicines used for gout, medicines used in chemotherapy to treat cancer, vitamin A (if too much is taken), birth control pills and antidepressants.
Certain infections can cause hair loss. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children. The infection is easily treated with antifungal medicines.
Finally, hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be treated.
Can improper care of my hair cause hair loss?
Yes. If you wear pigtails or cornrows or use tight hair rollers, the pull on your hair can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia (say: al-oh-pee-sha). If the pulling is stopped before scarring of the scalp develops, your hair will grow back normally. However, scarring can cause permanent hair loss. Hot oil hair treatments or chemicals used in permanents (also called ';perms';) may cause inflammation (swelling) of the hair follicle, which can result in scarring and hair loss.
What is common baldness?
The term ';common baldness'; usually means male-pattern baldness, or permanent-pattern baldness. 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 hair line 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.
Can my doctor do something to stop hair loss?
Perhaps. Your doctor will probably ask you some questions about your diet, any medicines you're taking, whether you've had a recent illness and how you take care of your hair. If you're a woman, your doctor may ask questions about your menstrual cycle, pregnancies and menopause. Your doctor may want to do a physical exam to look for other causes of hair loss. Finally, blood tests or a biopsy (taking a small sample of cells to examine under a microscope) of your scalp may be needed.
Is there any treatment for hair loss?
Depending on your type of hair loss, treatments are available. If a medicine is causing your hair loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medicine. Recognizing and treating an infection may help stop the hair loss. Correcting a hormone imbalance may prevent further hair loss.
Medicines may also help slow or prevent the development of common baldness. One medicine, minoxidil (brand name: Rogaine), is available without a prescription. It is applied to the scalp. Both men and women can use it. Another medicine, finasteride (brand name: Propecia) is available with a prescription. It comes in pills and is only for men. It may take up to 6 months before you can tell if one of these medicines is working.
If adequate treatment is not available for your type of hair loss, you may consider trying different hairstyles or wigs, hairpieces, hair weaves or artificial hair replacement
GOOD LUCK!!What are the common causes of hair loss?
Common causes of hair loss are physical stress, surgery, illness, iron deficiency, rapid weight loss, emotional stress and physiatrist disorders
To know more and what kind of treatment or conditioning your hair is in try the hair damage meter test
http://www.dove.in/damage_meter_start.php?um=7
This test is deviced by a hair expert. The shampoo variants recommended in the test result would only help you to improve your if it is dull, dry or you have Split endsWhat are the common causes of hair loss?
im not a Doctor but i've heard that the biggest cause for hair loss is DHT = dihydrotestosterone
its a substance that latches on to your hair follicles and chokes the life out of them so the hair that does grow, either grows extremely thin until it breaks off. you can use things like saw palmetto, pygeum, green tea and also castor oil to block it from its receptor site on your hair. hair loss also comes from hereditary, iron loss, illness and some medications.
The prevalence of female hair loss is much more serious than most people think. Fortunately, there are many ways to improve this situation. In fact, with the age increased, hair loss is becoming very normal. When we are 40 years old, the number of the remaining hair is only about half of our natural. Till 65 years old, about 80% Women's hair loss problems will arise. Seven Courses and Treatments of Hair Loss in Women can be found in http://www.bestcrossing.com/HAIR_LOSS.html#artical_1.
Hair loss is caused by many reasons such as malnutrition, illness, tension and other health problems.Perming, straightening, hair dyeing and bleaching ,hot combing, using heated rollers and hot wax inevitably damage the hair.Badly damaged hair breaks at the scalp. Check out http://usefulinfo-hairfall.blogspot.com/ for more info.
Here a few simple home remedies which can be tried at home to control hair fall.
1.Rinse your hair with a mix of apple cider vinegar and sage tea this helps hair grow..
2. A medicine rich in sulfur is also recommended as sulfur plays an important part in the structure of the hair.
3. Massage with olive oil before going to bed at night and next morning, wash off the hair gently..
4. To treat hair loss apply a little lemon juice with some black tea.Massage well and shampoo.
5. Beat two eggs,and add two tablespoons of water to it. Rinse hair and pour the egg mixture over the hair.Massage the scalp well and leave for 10 minutes.Then wash it.
too wet hair daily twice.
too dry hair.
too hot hair.
nasty vomiting tendency.
too much awaken deep sleep.
breathlessness.
old age.
too much suns radiation.
stress is a big one. your body releases hormones that cause your body to stop makin your hair pigment and stuff. i think its really mostly hormonal... but im not sure.
heredity, disease, older age and radiation treatments
