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What You Need to Know About Hair Loss

For most, hair loss is an unavoidable aspect of the aging process. As we become older, the hair follicles in our scalp weaken and produce thinner, shorter hair. As a result, hair falls out more easily and in bigger numbers. However, not everyone loses hair at the same rate as they age. A person's hair loss may be sudden or hastened in some situations due to genetics, stress, or some underlying medical condition such as alopecia or even chemotherapy.

Fortunately, there are several strategies to manage it and reduce its impact on your daily life. Continue reading to discover more about what causes hair loss and how you can control it if you have this common problem.

What Are the Causes of Hair Loss?

Depending on the reason, hair loss can occur gradually or rapidly. There are numerous reasons that contribute to hair loss in both men and women.

Genetics play a noteworthy role in hair health and the hair growth cycle overall. If you have a family member who has suffered from hair loss, you are more likely to suffer from it yourself at some point. Telogen effluvium is the most prevalent type of hereditary hair loss in women, and it is caused by an upsurge in the hormones responsible for pregnancy and lactation.

Hormonal imbalances can occur in both men and women and can lead to a variety of conundrums. One of the more visible negative effects is hair loss. TSH, T4, T3, TGF-B, DHT, SHBG, and 5-Alpha-reductase are the major hormones that can cause hair loss.

Trauma to your scalp can disrupt your hair's development cycle and cause it to shed prematurely. Scalp trauma can give way to temporary hair loss, but it can also result in a permanent decline in the amount of hair on your head.

Many individuals are unaware that a good diet is just as vital for hair health as it is for the rest of their bodies. The vitamins and minerals your body requires to keep your hair growing and healthy come from the food you eat. You may get hair loss if you don’t consume enough of certain vitamins and minerals in your diet. Vitamin B12, iron, and zinc deficiency are the most prevalent dietary deficiencies that cause hair loss.

Hair loss can occur as a result of poor hair care and exposure to environmental pollutants. Using too many heated tools to style your hair can cause it to become brittle and delicate, increasing the likelihood of it breaking off. Your scalp will not be able to generate hair if it is inflamed or damaged. Toxins in the environment, such as smoke and air pollution, can also cause your hair to become brittle and break.

What Are the Signs of Hair Loss?

Hair loss is a natural part of the aging process, but it can be accelerated by a number of factors. Here are some signs that you’re experiencing hair loss:

Your Hair Is More Fragile and Easily Broken Off – Hair that’s thinning is often weaker than it used to be, so it’s more easily broken off at the root. This can leave you with patchy-looking hair and a higher chance of experiencing “scratching” sensations while you’re brushing or combing your hair.

You Find More Hairs When You Comb, Brush or Wash Your Hair – As your hair loss progresses, you may find that more and more hair strands fall out each time you comb or brush your hair. This can also happen if you’re undergoing significant hair thinning at the scalp. You might also find that you need to clean out your hairbrush or comb more frequently to remove the augmented number of shed hairs.

You Experience Itching and/or Pain Around the Area Where You’ve Lost Hair – If you’re experiencing thinning or significant hair loss, you may notice that the area around your hairline is itchy or sore. This is a common sign that your hair follicles are inflamed or experiencing other issues.

Your Current Shampoo Doesn't Help Any More – When your hair thins and/or there’s significant hair loss, you may find that your current shampoo doesn’t help as much as it used to. This can be a vibrant sign that your hair is getting thinner and needs more nourishment. You might also find that your hair is more brittle, which can indicate that your hair has become thinner and weaker.

Stress Makes Things Worse – If you experience hair loss or thinning, you should try to moderate your stress as much as possible. Even small amounts of stress can slow down the healing process and make your hair loss worse.

Types Of Hair Loss

There are several types of hair loss, including common baldness, alopecia areata, and telogen effluvium. All of these conditions cause your hair to fall out at some point in your life. Baldness is the most common type of hair loss. It happens when the hair follicles that produce hair become smaller or completely stop producing new hair.

Alopecia areata is another type of hair loss that starts with patches of bald spots on the scalp. Telogen effluvium is just a fancy way of saying "baby-head" hair loss. This type of loss tends to happen when you have a lot of stress or grief in your life, or during pregnancy. It’s also called "postpartum shedding" because it can happen after giving birth. In addition to these common types of hair loss, there are also genetic conditions like pattern hair loss (also called androgenic alopecia) and alopecia areata that affect people as far as genetics are concerned.

Illnesses That Can Cause Hair Loss

Many individuals are distressed by their hair loss. It can be brought on by illnesses such as:

Alopecia Areata - Alopecia areata is a condition in which your immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles, resulting in hair loss. It can affect any part of the body with hair, including the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, pubic area, legs, arms, and beard. The severity of the condition can vary from person to person and can range from mild hair thinning to complete hair loss. The root cause of alopecia areata is unknown.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) - The most frequent cause of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, often known as male or female pattern hair loss. It affects both men and women, but affects men more frequently. It can appear as early as puberty and normally advances gradually. Androgenetic alopecia is typically characterized by widespread and patchy hair loss. This implies that it is not always apparent, particularly in females.

Anemia - Anemia is a condition in which there are fewer red blood cells than in healthy individuals. The most common culprit concerning anemia is iron deficiency. Iron deficiency anemia develops when the body lacks sufficient iron to manufacture red blood cells. This can occur for numerous reasons, including poor diet, pregnancy, and iron deficiency. As the number of red blood cells decreases, so does the amount of iron in the body. This may lead to hair loss.

The Road to Preventing Hair Loss

Although there’s no cure for hair loss, there are certain things you can do to help prevent it. 

Stay Healthy - It sounds simple, but staying healthy may help to prevent hair loss. Eat a wholesome diet to boost your hair health, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly to stay fit.

Trim your hair - Trimming your hair regularly helps to delete split ends and promotes hair growth.

Use a good shampoo and conditioner - The right shampoo and conditioner may help to reduce hair breakage and promote hair growth.

Avoid harsh chemicals - Avoiding harsh chemicals such as hair dyes, perms, and relaxers may help you circumvent hair loss.

Get enough vitamin B12 - Vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the most common sources of hair loss. Therefore, it is important for you to get enough vitamin B12 in your diet.

Finally, if you're experiencing hair loss, see your doctor to rule out any underlying medical conditions. By following these simple steps, you can help prevent hair loss from occurring at all.

Things to Know Before Trying a Hair Loss Treatment

If you’re considering medication as a hair loss treatment, be sure to talk to your doctor about potential side effects. Your doctor can also help you determine which treatment is most appropriate for your situation. Dietary changes can also be an effective treatment for hair loss. When choosing dietary supplements, make sure you choose one that includes the right ingredients, and before you choose one, be sure to read reviews to make sure it’s right for you.

There are several types of hair loss treatments, including medication (Finasteride, Avodart, Regaine, , supplements, dietary changes, hair regrowth products, laser therapy, and hair transplant surgery.

Here at Pill Doctor, we provide a wide variety of options for addressing hair loss, all of which may be purchased through our online pharmacy. After you fill out a brief online consultation and it is evaluated and authorized by our professionals, we’ll deliver the medication to you in nondescript packaging.

 

References:

Phillips TG, Slomiany WP, Allison R. Hair Loss: Common Causes and Treatment. Am Fam Physician. 2017;96(6):371-378.

Basit S, Khan S, Ahmad W. Genetics of human isolated hereditary hair loss disorders. Clin Genet. 2015;88(3):203-212.

Trüeb RM. Hormone und Haarwachstum [Hormones and hair growth]. Hautarzt. 2010;61(6):487-495. 

Hughes EC, Saleh D. Telogen Effluvium. 2022 Jun 26. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan–. PMID: 28613598.

Hordinsky MK. Overview of alopecia areata. J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc. 2013;16(1):S13-S15. 

Piraccini BM, Alessandrini A. Androgenetic alopecia. G Ital Dermatol Venereol. 2014;149(1):15-24.

Turner J, Parsi M, Badireddy M. Anemia. 2022 Jan 9. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan–. PMID: 29763170.