5 Most Common Reasons for Hair Loss
The causes of hair loss are often oversimplified. Ever hear someone say, “Look at your grandfather on your mother’s side—that’s how you’ll turn out”? Well, hair loss is much more complicated than that. Here are the 5 most common reasons for hair loss:
1) Age
Everyone experiences a certain degree of hair loss throughout their life. Even people who keep a “full head of hair” at the very least will notice thinning. We lose hair, because, as we grow old, the death of hair cells outpaces their regeneration.
2) Genetics
The most common form of hair loss—androgenetic alopecia— is hereditary and induced by age, though hair loss is more extreme than just natural aging. Androgenetic alopecia also appears in both male and female pattern hair loss, and there are a host of genes that determine the likelihood of hair loss. One of these genes affects how your hair follicles respond to hormones called androgens, hence the name of this particular type of hair loss.
3) Stress
Telogen effluvium—a form of hair loss due to stress, shock, or a traumatic event—might be scary, but it’s temporary. Excess hair shedding will be noticeable a few months after the event and may last up to a half a year, though you’ll almost always regain your original hair volume afterwards.
4) Nutritional deficiencies
A more chronic form of telogen effluvium can occur when the body isn’t receiving enough of a particular nutrients, including but not limited to iron, vitamin D, and zinc. Once these deficiencies are corrected through physician guidance and/or dietary supplementation, you’ll likely regain your original hair volume.
5) Hormonal changes
Hair loss due to dramatic hormonal shifts can happen to women during life events like pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. Rare genetic disorders also may cause hormonally-induced weight loss for both men and women.
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