The Most Common Reasons for Hair Loss

Want to know the most common reason for Hair loss? Typically, you can expect to shed about 100 hairs per day without it causing a noticeable thinning of the scalp.  That’s because new hair is usually replacing the hair we have lost.  It’s when this cycle is disrupted, or hair follicles are destroyed and replaced with scar tissue, that visible hair loss occurs.

Approximately 30% of the adult population – both men and women – suffer some amount of hair loss over the course of their lives.  And by the age of 65, nearly two-thirds of men have lost some or most of their hair.  The big question is, why?  What is the most common reason for hair loss?

Medical Reasons You May Be Losing Your Hair (Reason for Hair Loss)

The most common cause of hair loss is a heredity condition called androgenic alopecia – better known as male- or female-pattern baldness.  It usually develops gradually as we age in the form of a receding hairline and/or bald spots among men and generally thinning hair among women.   Androgenic alopecia is not preventable.

• Disease – Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes and lupus, have been known to increase your risk of hair loss.
• Hormonal changes and other medical conditions – A variety of conditions can cause permanent or temporary hair loss, including hormonal changes due to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and thyroid problems. In males, sometimes hair follicles become sensitive to Dihydrotestosterone, DHT, which is a hormone that produces testosterone that can cause hair to fall out.

Other conditions that can trigger hair loss include alopecia areata (patchy hair loss), trichotillomania (a hair-pulling disorder), and various scalp infections including ringworm.

Non-medical Reasons You Could be Losing Your Hair

(Reason for Hair Loss)

Not all hair loss is medically related.  Whether it’s from environmental factors, medication, or habit, here are some more common reasons for hair loss. .

• Many people undergo a thinning of hair not long after experiencing a physical or emotional trauma.  Typically, though, this kind of hair loss is only temporary.
• Radiation and chemotherapy. In this case, hair tends to grow back after treatment is complete, but it may not grow back to the degree that it did before or the texture may change.
• Certain medication. Hair loss is often a side effect of drugs used to treat cancer, arthritis, depression, heart problems, gout and high blood pressure.
• Excessive hairstyles and treatments. Certain hairstyles that pull your hair tight, such as braids, buns, ponytails, pigtails or cornrows, can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia and should be avoided.  Also, permanents and hot oil hair treatments can cause inflammation of hair follicles, which can lead to permanent hair loss if scarring occurs.
• Burns and injuries. Accidental damage to the scalp can result in temporary or permanent hair loss.  That’s why it’s critical to take necessary precautions – such as wearing a helmet when biking or motorcycle riding – whenever you can, or wear protective headgear when you are engaged in potentially dangerous occupations like welding or working with chemicals.

Whatever is causing your hair loss, MAXiM Hair Restoration has plastic and hair transplant surgeons who artfully create an attractive hairline for our clients every day.  We have convenient locations throughout the United States in New York, Long Island, Connecticut, Chicago, Dallas, and the Washington, DC area, as well as several international locations. Contact MAXiM today to find out if you are a candidate for a hair transplant.