Can x-ray cause hair loss . . .?

last summer i worked to a hospital and i was exposed to x-ray. of course i was wearing protective suit over my body but it is my hair i have a problem with. i put a rinse/colour in my hair like a month b4 i started working in the hospital. during the time i worked at the hospital my hair was in mircrobraids or plaited in extensions and when i loose these microbraids out i notice my hair was waaaaay shorter than it was! i cud not believe it because i wore my hair in microbraids plenty times and this has never happened.





my boyfriend said maybe it was the x-ray which caused my hair to drop off like that as it happens with cancer patients who go for chemo.





is this true? has this ever happened to anyone??





i had the microbraids in for 4 weeks only and like i said its the first time it happened and plus that was the first and last time i put rinse/colour in my hair.





also i am a pre-med student and i was in different operating rooms and they had to do an x-ray on the persons they were operating to check see how they were doing. so it wasnt like i accidently was exposed to the x-ray.Can x-ray cause hair loss . . .?
Sorry to break this to ya but x-rays can cause hair loss aka alopecia! I wouldnt swear off x rays just yet. It would take about 10000 x ray exams to your HEAD to notice hair loss. And if you did have this many x rays I dont think hair loss would be worst thing you had to worry about. At that point a person would probably have leukemia also! Lighten up, theres NO WAY a little x ray exam would cause hair loss. I am an x ray tech and I get a small dose of x rays everyday and I still have lots of hair. I work with people that have been doing this for 30 years and they still have hair! You could look into shampoos for this problem. GOOD LUCK!Can x-ray cause hair loss . . .?
the exposure from a radioactive particle can be made your hair loss much. for example from cobalt 60 that normally used in hospital for cancer patient with a very limit dose. It a big different with x ray

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The x-ray did not do this but you mentioned the microbraids and extenstions as well as using hair color and all of these things probably contributed to it.
No, X-rays does not cause hair loss. If that would be the case than the majority of people wouldn't have any hair left. Read your hospital guidlines about x-rays?
no
Before examining the most common causes of premature hair loss we need to understand that some shedding of hair is perfectly normal. Hairs grow from follicles that are tiny organs in the skin designed to grow a single hair that follows this repetitive cycle:





1. Lengthy growth period (Anagen Stage) - this phase usually lasts between two and seven years with an average growth rate of six inches (15cm) each year.





2. Short transition period (Catagen Stage) - this period of transition lasts for roughly two to four weeks. During this phase the hair shaft becomes detached and moves upwards within the follicle.





3. Resting period (Telogen Stage) - this phase lasts about three months allowing the hair to detach itself prior to falling out.





At this point a new hair begins to grow thus repeating the normal cycle of hair growth. Unfortunately a number of factors can interfere with the natural hair growth process leading to forms of hair thinning or premature baldness.





Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss, probably accounting for as much as 95% of pattern hair loss for both men and women. It is usually associated with aging and develops in predictable stages over varying periods of time. Each follicle follows a genetically programmed growth cycle with some follicles coded to remain active for a shorter time than others. This results in the development of the hereditary baldness patterns that are so familiar to us all.





For this type of baldness to occur, the following factors must be present:





1. A genetic predisposition for hair loss to occur (as explained above).





2. The presence of male hormones.





3. Aging - in other words, enough time for the first two factors to exert an influence.





All men and women produce male hormones such as testosterone and DHT. These have a useful role to play in both sexes but obviously occur in widely differing concentrations. It is the higher levels of androgens found in males that explains why this form of hair loss affects men more than women.





In brief, these hormones affect the hair growth cycle as follows:





1. High levels of the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme occur in some cells of the hair follicle and sebaceous glands.





2. 5-alpha-reductase converts testosterone into DHT.





3. DHT causes the terminal hairs to miniaturize.





4. This leaves short, soft, fluffy vellus hairs that provide inadequate scalp coverage.





5. The growth phases gradually become shorter until these hairs are lost for good.





Alopecia areata is thought to be an immune system disorder that causes follicles to stop producing hairs in patches on the head. In severe cases it can advance to the stage where all hair on the head is lost (alopecia totalis) or even a complete absence of body hair results (alopecia universalis).





In most cases the hair will reappear on its own but until then, the condition can be very distressing to sufferers particularly as its cause can be difficult to determine. If you feel you may be suffering from this form of hair loss, seek the advice of your physician who will carry out a physical examination and conduct blood tests to help determine the cause.





Telogen effluvium is characterized by a general thinning or shedding of hair over a period of months and is most commonly found in people who have recently experienced trauma. Common causes include childbirth, major surgery, severe illness, psychological stress and chemotherapy. The good news is that the abnormal growth behavior associated with telogen effluvium is temporary and reversible.





There are numerous other less common hair loss causes that need to be discounted before a course of treatment is chosen. Traction alopecia is the loss of hair from constant pulling, usually as the result of hair styling. Broken hairs can result in thinning, often caused by excessive styling or exposure to chemicals and sun. Finally, severe illnesses or nutritional deficiencies can cause side effects that may include degrees of hair loss.





I hope this brief article has gotten across the message that diagnosing the real causes of hair loss is not always a straightforward process. Once you and your physician have identified a cause, then you can work towards restoring your hair to its former glory. And the good news is, most forms of hair loss can be treated successfully. The next article in this series will look at some of the best hair loss treatments currently available.