Losing hair from your scalp every day is natural, though it ceases to be a common occurrence when your hair thins and sheds faster than it should. You might be balding. Though hair loss is expected as you age, your genetics and health may also play significant parts in your loss. Hair restoration expert Martin Maag M.D. believes hair loss is not a permanent condition. He asserts that treatments like injections, laser therapy, and hair restoration may help slow down, stop and help your hair grow again.
Why do you lose hair?
You are likely to experience hair loss because of several causes. Whatever causes your hair loss determines whether the strands will:
- Thin
- Fall abruptly or gradually
- Regrow independently
- Require treatment to accelerate growth
- Need immediate intervention to minimize your risk of permanent hair loss
Common causes of hair loss include:
Age
Your hair growth slows down as you age. Your follicles shrink completely, stopping your hair from growing. As a result, the strands on your scalp begin to thin and change color. Over time, your hairline starts to recede.
Cancer treatment
Radiation treatment or chemotherapy will make you lose significant hair within weeks of treatment. However, your hair will start to grow within months after finishing treatment. Additionally, a hair specialist might help to accelerate hair growth.
Alopecia areata
The hair condition happens when your immune system attacks your hair follicles, resulting in hair loss. Since the disease affects hair growth on any part of your body, you may experience hair loss in your ears, nose, and scalp. You may also lose your eyelashes or eyebrows.
Stress
Childbirth and recovering from an illness are among the everyday stressors that result in hair loss. A few months after, significant stressors will make you lose hair. The good news is that your hair will eventually grow back when the stressors stop, your body readjusts, and the shedding minimizes.
Haircare
Relaxing and coloring your hair is likely to damage your hair which may eventually cause hair loss. To prevent hair care from affecting your strands, you should change how you care for the hair on your scalp. Once you damage a hair follicle, it might be impossible for hair to grow from it. Having several affected follicles will eventually result in bald spots.
Heredity
Hereditary hair loss is not a preserve for men. The hair loss cause is the most common, affecting a significant percentage of individuals worldwide. Hereditary hair loss (androgenic alopecia) means that you have inherited genes causing your hair follicles to shrink and halt hair growth over time. Though shrinking may begin later in life, you might also experience androgenic alopecia in your teenage years. Your noticeable signs of hair loss depend on your gender. For instance, the first prominent sign you are likely to have as a woman is overall thinning with your hair strands widening. On the other hand, hereditary hair loss in a man starts with a receding hairline or a bald spot at the top of your head.
Though hair loss treatments are effective, knowing the cause of your loss is crucial. Consult your healthcare provider to know the proper treatment you will need to regrow your hair.
