Hair loss is common in both men and women and can result in emotional and psychological issues like lack of self-esteem and worry regarding their appearance. The typical hair loss symptoms include an excessive amount of hair being shed, thinning hair, widening part lines, and receding hairlines, but most people are not sure of the reasons for this change.
There is no singular cause of hair loss. Often the reason for someone experiencing hair loss is due to multiple causes. Multiple factors including biological, lifestyle, environmental influences, and medical conditions can contribute to how healthy individual follicles will be and how frequently they go through the hair growth cycle.
By properly diagnosing a person’s causes of hair loss through clinical evaluation and understanding the underlying cause, clinicians can provide individuals with early intervention, provide the right treatment selection, and avoid permanent damage to their hair follicles. When an individual does not receive an accurate diagnosis, they may attempt using ineffective home remedies or cosmetic cover-ups, while the underlying cause continues to get worse.
Quick Answer Box
Genetic predisposition, fluctuations in hormones, lack of nutrition, illnesses, and psychological and environmental damage are among the various reasons why we lose our hair.
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The onset of female pattern baldness and male pattern baldness usually occur during different points in life due to the differences in hormone production for each gender.
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The earlier we identify a root cause of hair loss, the more specific and targeted solution can stop future thinning, improve the likelihood of regrowing, or stabilize hair.
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A proper evaluation by a professional for hair loss can determine whether or not one is experiencing shedding or progressive hair loss and therefore develop strategies to manage it.
Table of Contents
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How the Hair Growth Cycle Works
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Hair loss in men women, reasons for hair thinning
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Early Warning Signs of Progressive Hair Loss
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How to Stop Hair Loss Based on Root Cause
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Comparison / Myth-Busting Section
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FAQ Section
How the Hair Growth Cycle Works?
The hair grows in a repetitive cycle consisting of anagen (growing), catagen (transitioning), and telogen (resting) phases. Healthy hair follicles will go through these phases repeatedly throughout their life, allowing for the production of new hairs over the course of several years, and shedding the old hairs at the end of the cycle. Typically, a person loses between 50 and 100 hairs per day with no noticeable change in thickness.
Hair loss occurs when hair follicles prematurely enter the telogen phase, gradually decrease in size, or sustain damage. This chronic interruption to the cycle ultimately causes the time between new hair growth rates to be shorter and lead to thinning of the hair strands. When regrowth does not occur quickly enough, it results in visual evidence of thinning hair. Knowing these cycles will help provide some insight as to why certain types of hair loss are only temporary whereas others become permanent without intervention.
Reasons for Hair Loss in Men and Women
Genetic Sensitivity and Pattern Hair Loss: Genetic sensitivity of hair follicles to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) causes gradual hair loss by causing miniaturization of the hair shafts, leading to thinner hair and weaker strands. Men will typically begin seeing hair loss in their temples, sides, and back, while women tend to experience more diffuse thinning of hair, starting from the crown of the head and moving towards the centre of the scalp, while the hairline remains somewhat preserved until late-stage alopecia. If left untreated, the progression of this form of hair loss will be constant over time.
Hormonal Imbalances: Major life events such as pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and menopause can trigger rapid changes in hormone levels, which can cause significant changes in hair density or hair loss. Additionally, conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or thyroid disorders can further disrupt hormonal balance resulting in shifting patterns of hair loss and shedding.
Nutritional Deficiencies: For proper hair growth, the hair follicles need sufficient amounts of protein, iron, vitamin D, zinc, and essential fatty acids. When any one or more of these nutrients are deficient, there will be lower levels of oxygen delivered to the hair follicles and less cellular repair occurs which results in increased hair loss, hair fragility, and slower rates of regrowth. Some of the usual causes of nutrient deficiencies include poor nutrition, crash diets, digestive disorders, etc.
Medical Illness and Autoimmune Disorders: The health of hair follicles can be impacted by various medical ailments including autoimmune conditions, as seen with alopecia areata and lupus (where the body's immune system targets hair follicles, thus resulting in gradual or total hair loss). When there is a scalp infection, continued scalp irritation, or serious health-related issues within one's body, these conditions have negative effects on the general operation of the hair follicle, and if not properly treated, significant scarring can result.
Stress: Stress has a significant impact on the development of hair follicles. Severe physical illnesses, surgeries, emotional traumas, sudden onset of weight loss, or the experience of significant life changes can push a large number of hair follicles in the telogen phase, leading to hair fall.
Medications and Medical Treatments: Certain medications disrupt hair growth. Chemotherapy, hormone treatments, blood pressure medications, anticoagulants, and antidepressants, when used may cause either short or long-term shedding of hair. The amount of hair lost is dependent upon the amount of medication taken, how long it was taken, and the individual's sensitivity to that particular medication. Patients often experience hair regrowth once the medications are discontinued.
Mechanical and Chemical Trauma: The hair shaft and follicles can be weakened by factors such as frequent heat styling, tight styles, chemical straightening, coloring and brushing aggressively. These practices create stress upon the hair shaft and the follicles that can result in breaking, thinning, or traction alopecia. Gentle hair care practices will assist in preserving the follicle's natural strength and preventing avoidable damage.
Early Warning Signs of Progressive Hair Loss
The onset of gradual progressive hair loss can often be noticed by the increased amount of hair on the bed, brush or in the bathtub. In addition to a decrease in density, there will also usually be an increase in the visibility of the scalp when exposed to bright light, as well as in wet hair. Individuals will also note that their ponytails appear less full and the overall amount of hair is reduced due to the follicle's weakening.
When hair starts to thin out in the front of the head or when the part gets wider, this could indicate that you are experiencing hair miniaturization. Excessive breakage and fragile strands indicate structural weakness in your hair, while slower growth after shedding indicates that your follicles are not producing as many hairs as usual. Getting an early clinical evaluation will improve your chances of getting timely treatment and better long-term outcomes from your hair loss treatment plan.
If you're experiencing ongoing hair loss or thinning, seeing a hair specialist will help you determine what's causing your condition and create an individualized treatment plan before any long-term harm is done to your hair follicles.
Book a consultation with a QHT specialist today!
How to Stop Hair Loss Based on the Root Cause?
Genetic hair loss: Medications like Minoxidil and Finasteride slow down the miniaturisation of the hair follicle. Other regenerative treatments including PRP and growth factor therapy should be provided at an early stage in order to strengthen and thicken hair follicles.
Hormonal imbalance: A thorough endocrine assessment along with hormone treatment can determine and regulate the underlying causes of hair loss that are due to thyroid problems, PCOS, increased androgen levels, etc. This will help to stop hair shedding as well as promote healthy hair regrowth.
Nutritional deficiency: By restoring proper nutrition, and intake of iron, protein, vitamin D, biotin, and other important vitamins and minerals will significantly improve hair follicle health, therefore improving overall health of the hair, including strength, density, and average rate of growth.
Stress-related loss- Lifestyle modifications such as regulated sleep patterns, stressed reduction techniques, routine exercise, and relaxation techniques can reduce the amount of cortisol in the body, thus preventing the shedding of hair due to stress.
Mechanical damage: Hair care changes such as avoiding excessive heat from styling products, limiting chemical processing, avoiding tight hairstyles, and limiting harsh brushing will help reduce mechanical breakage and traction loss from the hair.
Advanced loss: Surgical restoration of permanent volume in bald areas can be accomplished with currently available hair transplant techniques when other medical methods fail to offer sufficient improvement to the appearance of the hair.
Myths About Hair Loss Treatment
Myth 1: All hair loss comes from genetics
Truth: There are several other reasons that result in hair loss apart from genetics.
Myth 2: Hair oils will help you grow your hair back
Truth: They do not result in complete hair regrowth however they help in the improvement of scalp health.
Myth 3: Shedding hair means that you have permanently lost your hair
Truth: Hair shedding is usually temporary and it often gets resolved.
Myth 4: Hair transplants can fix all types of hair loss
Truth: The medical causes must be resolved first before opting for a hair transplant.
Frequently Asked Questions
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When should I see a doctor for hair loss?
Consult a doctor if thinning continues for longer than 3 months.
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Is it possible to re-grow hair?
It depends on the health status of the hair follicles and the cause for the loss.
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Can I regrow my hair with a healthy diet?
You can regrow your hair with a healthy diet only if the hair loss is caused due to the lack of nutrient intake.
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Does stress harm the hair permanently?
Persistent stress often results in hair loss, however early management can help in managing the situation and reverse the hair loss.
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What is the reason for daily hair fall?
Normal daily shedding occurs; however, excess hair loss may be caused by an underlying imbalance.
Why Choose Uroots
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Medical Evaluation Protocols
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Evidence Based Treatments
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Personalized Treatment Plans
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Ethical Transparency
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Continuous Monitoring
Book a hair consultation with QHT Clinic today and restore your confidence with medical guidance!
