Hair loss is a common problem that many people experience at some point in their lifetime. There are several different types of hair loss, and it is best to come in for a formal consultation to evaluate individual clients.

It is not alway possible to pinpoint the exact cause of hair loss. It is however important that we cover all our bases when we investigate hair loss if we wish to have a chance at successful treatment.

Types of Hair Loss:

  • Involutional alopecia is a natural condition in which the hair gradually thins with age. More hair follicles go into the resting phase, and the remaining hairs become shorter and fewer in number.

  • Alopecia areata often starts suddenly and causes patchy hair loss in children and young adults. This condition may result in complete baldness (alopecia totalis). But in about 90% of people with the condition, the hair returns within a few years.

  • Alopecia universalis causes all body hair to fall out, including the eyebrows, eyelashes, and pubic hair.

  • Scarring alopecias result in permanent loss of hair. Inflammatory skin conditions and other skin disorders can result in scars that destroy the ability of the hair to regenerate. Hot combs and hair too tightly tied or woven can also result in permanent hair loss.

  • Androgenic alopecia is a genetic condition that can affect both men and women. Men with this condition, called male pattern baldness, can begin suffering hair loss as early as their teens or early 20s. It’s characterized by a receding hairline and gradual disappearance of hair from the crown and frontal scalp. Women with this condition, called female pattern baldness, don’t experience noticeable thinning until their 40s or later. Women experience a general thinning over the entire scalp, with the most extensive hair loss at the crown.

  • Telogen effluvium is temporary hair thinning over the scalp that occurs because of changes in the growth cycle of hair.

Potential Contributors:

  • Hormones, abnormal level may contribute to hair loss in men and woman

  • Genetics can predispose both men and woman to hair loss

  • Stress, illness, and childbirth can cause temporary hair loss.

  • Ringworm and other infections can also cause hair loss.

  • Burns, injuries, and X-rays

  • Autoimmune disease may cause alopecia areata. In alopecia areata, the immune system revs up for unknown reasons and affects the hair follicles. In most people with alopecia areata, the hair grows back, although it may temporarily be very fine and possibly a lighter color before normal coloration and thickness return.

  • Diet. A low-protein diet, Iron deficiency or severely calorie-restricted diet can also cause temporary hair loss. There are several other subtle nutritional deficiencies that may contribute to hair loss. These are all worth considering

  • Medical conditions. Thyroid disease, lupus, diabetes, iron deficiency, eating disorders, and anemia can cause hair loss. Most times, when the underlying condition is treated, the hair will return unless there is scarring as in some forms of lupus, lichen planus or follicular disorders.

  • Drugs, including chemotherapy drugs used in cancer treatment, blood thinners, beta-adrenergic blockers used to control blood pressure, and birth control pills, can cause temporary hair loss.

  • Cosmetic procedures, such as shampooing too often, perms, bleaching, and dyeing hair can contribute to overall hair thinning by making hair weak and brittle. Tight braiding, using rollers or hot curlers, and running hair picks through tight curls can also damage and break hair. However, these procedures don’t cause baldness. In most instances hair grows back normally if the source of the problem is removed. Still, severe damage to the hair or scalp sometimes causes permanent bald patches.