Discover the Causes of Thinning Hair and What You Can Do About Them
Are you wondering why your hair is falling out?
Hair loss is an increasingly common problem that many people experience.
Hair loss has many possible causes, including genetics, hormones, and certain environmental triggers.
In this article, we'll explore some of the most common causes of hair loss and what you can do about it.
Table of Contents:
- Genetics and Hair Loss
- Hormonal Changes and Hair Loss
- Environmental Factors and Hair Loss
- Conclusion
Genetics and Hair Loss
Many people find losing hair upsetting and stressful, impacting many aspects of their lives, both socially and professionally.
Genes can significantly contribute to thinning or balding, with various factors playing a role. Understanding your genetic makeup can help you take appropriate steps towards slowing or stopping it.
Hereditary male pattern baldness is the most common form of balding, and it will affect up to 80% of men by the age of 70 and 40% of women by 50.
Androgenetic alopecia, or AGA, is a genetic condition that causes gradual hair loss. It commonly causes hair to thin on the top of the head, but it can also result in balding at the temple or the back of the head.
Other forms of genetic hair loss include
- Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA), which commonly affects African American women;
- Alopecia Areata, a condition characterized by patchy baldness;
- Telogen Effluvium (TE) - sudden shedding due to hormonal fluctuations or stressful events like surgery or sickness.
Genetics and hormonal changes can all lead to hair loss, so it's essential to understand these causes and what, if anything, you can do to prevent them.
Also, non medical conditions such as tight hairstyles that pull at your hair roots, such as braids, cornrows, and ponytails, can contribute to hair loss.
Hormones play a massive role in how our body functions, including our hair growth. Understanding how these hormone levels affect our hair is the first step toward stopping or slowing hair loss.
Takeaway: Hair loss can be caused by genetics, such as Androgenetic (male) or Female Pattern (female) Baldness. It will affect up to 80% of men by the age of 70 and 40% of women by 50. Other types of hair loss, such as CCCA (Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia), are rarer and caused by genetic factors.
Hormonal Changes and Hair Loss
Certain hormones like testosterone can influence your hair's growth rate and condition for men.
For women, the hormonal fluctuations that occur during puberty, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and in cases of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can all cause hair loss.
When hormones fluctuate, the body's chemical balance alters. These chemicals can cause your hair follicles to stop producing hair or prematurely slow the growth process. Hormonal changes may cause an interruption in the growth of hair, resulting in bald patches in some areas.
Hair follicles may respond to hormone fluctuations by entering a dormant state, ceasing the growth of new strands. This is why it's important to identify any potential underlying causes, such as hormone imbalances, before beginning treatment for thinning hair-related issues.
To combat hair loss, you must take measures beyond just using shampoo and conditioning products.
Adopt a healthy lifestyle by maintaining a balanced diet, exercising regularly, reducing stress, and avoiding cigarettes and alcohol. In addition, consulting with your doctor about other treatment options may help with this process.
Although taking care of your diet and drinking plenty of water can help, you must also ensure you're washing your hair properly. Make sure to use mild shampoos and hair products designed for people experiencing hair loss. Doing this will help prevent further damage to already weakened follicles. Additionally, biotin supplements added to your hair care routine have been shown to promote healthy hair growth.
Hormones can have a substantial effect on hair loss, so it is important to be mindful of the ways they can affect the health of your hair and scalp. For example, stress can lead to hormonal imbalances that can result in further problems with hair growth.
Takeaway: Hormones can have a significant impact on hair growth and loss, leading to thinning or bald patches. To restore balance in the body and promote healthy hair regrowth, it's essential to take steps such as maintaining a balanced diet and lifestyle, exercising regularly, reducing stress levels when possible and avoiding smoking, and drinking alcohol if possible. Additionally, supplementing with Biotin may also be beneficial for promoting healthier-looking hair.
Environmental Factors and Hair Loss
From extreme weather conditions to using heat-styling tools and products, environmental factors can play a part in the overall health of our hair and contribute to our strands becoming thinner.
Using very hot hairstyling tools like curling or straightening irons, or blowdrying your hair with extreme heat, can damage your hair follicles. Limiting how often you use these devices and using protective hair products before doing so can help protect your hair strands and scalp from this kind of damaging exposure.
Takeaway: Exposure to extreme temperatures, styling products and tools can cause thinning hair due to heat damage. To protect against this type of damage, it is best to limit the use of hot styling tools each week and use thermal protection hair products before exposing your delicate hair strands.
Conclusion
There are countless factors that can contribute to the loss of hair. Genetics play a huge role in determining how susceptible someone is to balding or thinning. Fluctuations in hormones, such as those that occur during adolescence, pregnancy and menopause, can lead to a temporary loss of hair. Lastly, environmental factors like stress and exposure to certain chemicals may lead to permanent damage that causes thinning hair.
It's essential for anyone experiencing excessive loss to seek medical advice from a qualified professional in order to determine the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment.
But not all hair loss can be treated with life style changes and medications, so if you're experiencing thinning hair, the Harley Street Hair Clinic can provide a tailored solution to restore your confidence. Contact us today for a free consultation, and discover how we can help you with our advanced hair transplant techniques.
