Unexplained, excessive hair loss can be worrying and scary. The good
news is, there’s often a way to fix it.
Everyone loses hair. It happens during your morning shower, while you’re
blowing it dry, or when you give it a quick brush—and that’s normal. On
average, we lose fifty to a hundred hairs a day. That’s just hair going through
its cycles, and there will be a new one to replace it. But hair loss may be a
sign of a more serious medical condition that needs an evaluation by a
dermatologist and possible treatment. Here are nine causes of hair loss and how
to deal with them.
Telogen effluvium is a phenomenon that occurs after pregnancy, major surgery,
drastic weight loss, or extreme stress, in which you shed large amounts of hair
every day, usually when shampooing, styling, or brushing. It can also be a side
effect of certain medications, such as antidepressants, beta-blockers, and nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs. During telogen effluvium, hair shifts faster than
normal from its growing phase into the “resting” phase before moving quickly
into the shedding, or telogen, phase.
What you can do: In some cases,
such as pregnancy or major surgery, you may have to bide your time until the
hair loss slows. If medication is the culprit, talk to your doctor about
lowering your dosage or switching drugs. If it’s stress-related, do your best
to reduce anxiety.
Hair loss that is genetic is known as androgenetic alopecia which is the most common cause of hair loss. The gene can be inherited from either your mother’s or father’s side of the family, though you’re more likely to have it if both of your parents had hair loss.
What you can do: Slow the hair loss by applying minoxidil
(Rogaine) to the scalp twice a day. The drug works on both women and men,
although women should use a lower-strength formula to prevent unnecessary side
effects. Women should not use minoxidil if they are pregnant or nursing. Men
may be treated with finasteride (Propecia), an oral medication.
3. Hypothyroidism
Millions of people, most of them women, suffer from thyroid disease and it’s
more common in women, especially over the age of 50. When your body produces
too little thyroid hormone, the hormone responsible for metabolism, heart rate,
and mood, you are said to have hypothyroidism, or an under-active thyroid. If your
body makes too much of the hormone, you’re said to have hyperthyroidism, or an
overactive thyroid. Thyroid hormone is responsible for everything from your
basal metabolic rate—the rate at which your body uses oxygen and energy to
function—to the growth of your hair, skin, and nails. But when you don’t have
the right amount, you may notice changes in bodily functions.
Hyperthyroidism (too much hormone) may cause inexplicable weight loss,
heart palpitations, nervousness, irritability, diarrhea, moist skin, muscle
weakness, and a startled appearance of the eyes. You may also experience hair
loss as metabolism speeds up. Hyperthyroidism is much less common than
hypothyroidism and affects about 1 percent of the US population.
What you can do: Your doctor
may prescribe a thyroid hormone medication to restore levels to normal. Regular
TSH tests might be done to ensure an adequate dosage.
4. Lupus
Lupus is a chronic auto-immune disease in which the body’s own immune system
attacks healthy tissues. The condition affects about 1.5 million people and
tends to strike women during their childbearing years.
The Symptoms: Lupus often
causes extreme fatigue, headaches, oral ulcers, and painful, swollen joints.
Many people develop a butterfly-shaped rash across the bridge of the nose and
become more sensitive to the sun. Other symptoms include fever; swelling in the
feet and hands and around the eyes; chest pain; and anemia. Many people also
experience hair loss, which may be mild and occur while shampooing or brushing
your hair—or it may be more severe, coming out in patches and accompanied by a
rash on the scalp.
What You Can Do: See a
rheumatologist if your hair loss is accompanied by joint pain, fatigue, and
other symptoms of lupus, which is treated with oral medications such as
prednisone. If you also have a rash on the scalp, you need to see a
dermatologist, who is likely to prescribe a topical cream.
Women who have heavy periods or don’t eat enough iron-rich foods may be prone to iron deficiency, in which the blood doesn’t have enough red blood cells. Red blood cells transport oxygen to cells throughout your body, giving you the energy you need.
The Symptoms: Iron
deficiency anemia causes extreme fatigue, weakness, and pale skin. You may also
notice headaches, difficulty concentrating, cold hands and feet, and hair loss.
Any type of exertion may leave you short of breath.
What You Can Do: Eat iron-rich
foods such as beef, pork, fish, leafy greens, fortified cereals, and
beans—preferably, along with foods rich in vitamin C, which enhances iron
absorption. Women need 18 mg of iron a day, 8 mg after menopause; ask your
doctor if you should take an iron supplement. You can also find supplements
specifically for hair loss. Key ingredients may include biotin, silica, and
L-cysteine, in addition to iron.
The condition, which can begin as early as age 11, is caused by a hormonal imbalance in which the ovaries produce too many male hormones. PCOS often causes infertility.
The Symptoms: PCOS can
cause facial hair growth, irregular periods, acne, and cysts on the ovaries.
And while you may experience hair loss on your scalp, you may notice more hair
elsewhere on the body.
What You Can Do: Most cases of
PCOS are treated with birth control pills such as Yasmin, which contains a
potent anti-androgen that blocks testosterone. If you can’t use birth control
pills, your doctor may prescribe spironolactone (Aldactone), which also blocks
male hormones. Losing weight can also help by decreasing the effect of the male
hormones.
An unhealthy scalp can cause inflammation that makes it difficult for hair to grow. Skin conditions that lead to hair loss include seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff), psoriasis, and fungal infections such as ringworm.
The Symptoms: Seborrheic
dermatitis causes the scalp to shed its skin, so you’ll notice greasy,
yellowish scales on your shoulders or in your hair. It may be the result of
yeast called Malassezia, hormonal changes, or excess oil in the skin.
Psoriasis, an autoimmune condition that causes excessive skin cell turnover,
produces a very thick white scale on the scalp that can bleed if pulled off.
What You Can Do: Each condition
usually requires a prescription: a medicated shampoo for seborrheic dermatitis,
medications or light therapy for psoriasis, and oral antifungals for ringworm.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks hair follicles. The cause is unknown, but it may be triggered by stress or illness.
The Symptoms: The condition
can occur in three forms. Alopecia areata commonly causes round, smooth patches
of baldness on the scalp, eyebrows, or legs.Total hair loss on the head is
known as alopecia totalis, while hair loss that occurs all over the body is
called alopecia universalis.
What You Can Do: Alopecia
areata is usually treated with intralesional corticosteroids. In some cases,
minoxidil (Rogaine) may also help. It’s also important to reduce stress.
Too much shampooing, styling, and dyeing can harm your tresses. Heat and chemicals weaken the hair, causing it to break and fall out. Often, it’s a combination of treatments—keratin, coloring, and blow-drying, for instance—that does the damage.
The Symptoms: If the fallout
is occurring from external damage caused by styling, it will simply break, and
you won’t see those club-shaped telogen bulbs at the ends.
What You Can Do: Avoid using
appliances that overheat your hair. Set your hair dryer on cool and low
settings, and minimize your use of flat irons. Don’t dye your hair more than
one or two shades its normal color: The more severe the color change, the more
chemicals you require, which can make hair break. If you use hair gel or hair
spray, don’t wait for it to dry before you comb through it, because the hair
will harden and be more likely to break. The condition of your hair doesn’t
just affect your looks — it’s an important indicator of your health. If
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