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Hair Loss
- Topic Overview
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Health Tools
- Cause
- Symptoms
- What Happens
- What Increases Your Risk
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Excessive hair loss (more than 100 hairs a day) can be caused by inherited factors, disease, stress, medicines, injury, aging, or hair care.
Inherited hair loss
The most common cause of hair loss is genetics—you inherit the tendency to lose hair from either or both of your parents. This is called male-pattern hair loss or female-pattern hair loss. The medical term for this type of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia.
In this type of
hair loss, your
genes affect how your hair grows. They trigger a
sensitivity to a class of hormones called
androgens, including testosterone, which causes
hair follicles 
(which hair grows from) to shrink. Shrinking follicles produce
thinner hair and eventually none at all. Men generally develop bald spots on
the forehead area or on the top of the head, while women often have thinning of the hair on the top of the head. About half of all people have
inherited hair loss by about 50 years of age.
See a picture of typical
inherited hair loss .
Other causes of hair loss
Common causes of hair loss include:
- Ringworm of the scalp, which is common in children.
- Mental stress or physical stress, such as recent surgery, illness, or high fever. You may have a lot of hair loss 4 weeks to 3 months after severe physical or emotional stress. Your hair usually will grow back within a few months.
- Hair care. Pulling your hair back too tightly or wearing tight braids or ponytails can cause hair loss. You may lose hair around the edge of the hairline, especially around the face and forehead. Using curling irons or dyes continually can also result in hair loss. Hair usually grows back when these activities are stopped.
- Age. As you age, your hairs tend to break more easily, and hair follicles do not grow as much hair.
- Poor nutrition, especially lack of protein or iron in the diet. Hair returns after you change your diet to get enough of these nutrients.
- Thyroid diseases, including hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
Other causes of hair loss include:
- Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks hair follicles, resulting in obvious, round hairless patches on any area of the scalp or body. Severe cases involve many bald patches of hair or complete loss of hair on the scalp or body, although in some cases there is hair thinning without distinct patches of baldness. The hair loss usually is not permanent, and hair grows back within 1 year for most people.
- Diseases, such as lupus, syphilis, or cancer. Hair may grow back on its own, although you may also need treatment.
- Side effects of medicines or medical treatments, such as blood thinners (anticoagulants) or chemotherapy. Hair usually grows back after you stop using the medicines or when the treatment is over.
- Trichotillomania, a compulsive behavior in which a person pulls hair out of the scalp, eyelashes, or eyebrows. There is usually mounting tension before pulling and a feeling of relief afterward. Trichotillomania often results in noticeable hair loss.
- Injury to the scalp, including scarring. Injuries can damage hair follicles and cause hair loss.
- Changes in hormone levels. Childbirth, taking birth control pills, or changes in a woman's menstrual cycle can affect the hair growth cycle and cause hair loss. Hair usually will grow back.
Hair loss can be categorized by types. Different types of hair loss may have different causes. For example, one type of hair loss known as telogen effluvium is caused by stress and side effects of medicines. Another hair loss type, traction alopecia, is caused by hair care.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: June 4, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Alexander H. Murray, MD, FRCPC - Dermatology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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