The most common cause of hair loss is a hereditary condition that happens with aging. This condition is called androgenic alopecia, male-pattern baldness and female-pattern baldness.
Telogen effluvium is a common type of hair loss that affects people after they experience severe stress or a change to their body. Symptoms include thinning hair, usually around the top of your head. Treatment exists to reverse hair loss, but hair will typically grow back in three to six months without treatment.
'The big 3' in hair loss usually refers to the main products that are used to reduce hair loss. These products are Minoxidil (Rogaine/Regaine), Finasteride (Propecia) and Ketoconazole (Nizoral) and today we're looking at all three medications.
There are other more serious causes of hair thinning and hair loss (alopecia). These include health problems like stressful life events, hormone changes, some medications, and a lack of certain nutrients. Inflammation (like from autoimmune skin diseases) and certain hair styles can cause hair to fall out.
Alopecia areata — This is an autoimmune disease that causes hair to fall out in one or more small patches. The cause of this condition is unknown, although it is more common in people who have other autoimmune diseases. When the same process causes total loss of hair from the scalp it is known as alopecia totalis.
You may also see more shedding when you run your hands or a comb through your hair. If your hair isn't dense, but you don't notice any of these changes, you have thin hair; if you notice changes over time, chances are it's thinning.
"If you're thinning you want to stay away from longer, straighter, hair styles that may make the thinning hair more apparent," she says. "The best bet is to move to a medium length, with a blunter cut, that will create the look of fuller hair."
Deficiencies in vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, as well as iron and zinc, have been associated with hair loss.
Biotin. Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is a complex B vitamin that is often touted for having hair growth benefits. And some of that hype may actually be worth it. Biotin has functions in “creating red blood cells, which carry oxygen and nutrients to the scalp and hair follicles,” says Dr. Green.
Stress hair loss, or telogen effluvium, looks like hair falling out quickly from combing, washing, or even just touching the hair. The hair on the scalp may be thinning, but the scalp looks healthy and does not have scales or rashes.
Yes, stress and hair loss can be related. Three types of hair loss can be associated with high stress levels: Telogen effluvium. In telogen effluvium (TEL-o-jun uh-FLOO-vee-um), significant stress pushes large numbers of hair follicles into a resting phase.
A visible scalp through your hair can be a sign that it's thinning (but not always). The factors that contribute to thinning hair (and thus a visible scalp) include stress, diet, vitamin deficiency and ageing.
Although hair re-growth may be possible, you should also know when to seek professional help. If the reason for thinning hair is genetics, it will not grow back on its own. To grow back a healthy, full head of hair, you'll need to take action, and that involves reviewing different hair loss options.
Bobs, lobs or blunt cuts — even pixie cuts — are all great options for giving an appearance of thicker hair. "If your hair lays flat as a board, is prone to static and shows every scissor mark after a cut. I suggest opting for a blunt cut with microlayers," said Fae Norris from Neighborhood Salon in Los Angeles.
"If you have thin hair, opt for a cut that is short to medium length," advises Penna. "Thin and fine hair that's very long can often end up looking stringy when it's weighed down by the length." If you've always had long hair and aren't sure how to transition into shorter locks, try a long bob.
Neuman Bobs, pixies, wedge cuts, and short shags are the best hairstyles for women over 50 with fine hair. Keep in mind your face shape because this also plays a factor in determining how to amp the volume for your locks. So it's worth talking with your hairstylist about this.
Telogen effluvium does not generally lead to complete baldness, although you may lose 300 to 500 hairs per day, and hair may appear thin, especially at the crown and temples. A medical event or condition, such as a thyroid imbalance, childbirth, surgery, or a fever, typically triggers this type of hair loss.
It can be normal to see your scalp through your hair, particularly if you have naturally fine or light-colored hair. Hair density, color, and thickness all play a role in how visible the scalp is.
One example where a link has been found is with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. In rare cases where the disease spreads to the skin, it has been known to cause hair loss. It's an extreme version of the irritation that the disease can cause to issues, which most frequently reflects as more mild symptoms, like itching.
Hair loss is not usually anything to be worried about, but occasionally it can be a sign of a medical condition. Some types of hair loss are permanent, like male and female pattern baldness. This type of hair loss usually runs in the family. Other types of hair loss may be temporary.