Top Causes of Hair Loss

Hair loss can be confusing, especially if no one in your family has had hair issues previously. After all, hair loss is hereditary… right?

Hereditary hair loss is just one of the top seven causes of balding. While it is the most common form of hair loss (called androgenic alopecia in medicine), it is not the only cause.

Is All Hair Loss Hereditary?

Hair loss has causes other than hereditary. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, there are as many as 18 different causes for hair loss. Some of that you might inherit from your father, but that’s just one way your hair loss can develop.

Will I Go Bald If My Dad Is?

According to research cited by the National Institutes of Health, if your father has experienced hair loss then you are 2.5 times more likely to experience hair loss. But that doesn’t mean you will necessarily become bald. There is no cure for genetic hair loss… but with the right treatments you might be able to slow or stop it in its tracks.

And there are many highly effective treatments – such as hair replacement surgeries – that can help you disguise the effects of genetics on your hair.

Is Hair Loss from Your Mother or Father?

Many people were taught that looking at your mother’s father (your maternal grandfather) was the quick way to tell if you were likely to suffer from genetic hair loss. But the truth is that it is not that simple. There is more than one gene that contributes to the development of hereditary hair loss and you inherit them from either or both of your parents.

If your hair loss isn’t hereditary, how do you know if it is normal and what the causes might be?

The 2020 pandemic brought with it a new form of hair loss – Covid-related hair loss. In its most basic form, COVID-related hair loss is due to the high temperatures many people have from the illness. But that may not be the only reason that COVID-19 can cause hair loss. Numerous people with “Long COVID” are finding that the illness can trigger autoimmune diseases like alopecia areata – a condition where your body attacks its own hair follicles.

In some cases, psychological stress (like the stress of a two-year-long global pandemic) can also cause hair loss. Sometimes, that hair loss can happen up to six months after the stressor.

COVID also triggered thyroid disease in many people, leading to yet another form of hair loss. Our thyroids help regulate the hormones in our body and, when our hormones are chaotic or irregular, it can interrupt the normal cycle of hair growth and replacement.

Hair loss – or at least some of it – is part of the normal cycle of hair growth. Our hair grows, stops growing, and then falls out… only to be replaced by another hair. But sometimes illnesses, stress, or even pollution can interrupt the cycle making it appear that we are losing more hair than normal.

How Do I Know If My Hair Loss Is Normal?

On average, most people shed between 50 and 100 hairs per day. But shedding is part of the natural cycle of hair growth. Hair loss happens in larger quantities or in specific patterns. For example, if hair falls out in a specific clump, then it might be an indication that your hair loss is not normal. The best way to determine if hair loss is within the normal ranges is to consult with a specialist.

While the most common form of hair loss is hereditary hair loss, there are a number of other common causes. Those include telogen effluvium (hair loss caused by a lack of new hair growth), hair loss due to medical treatment like chemotherapy, hair loss due to autoimmune conditions, and fungal infections of the scalp.

H2T Skin and Laser Center Can Diagnose and Treat Hair Loss

Determining why you are losing your hair is the primary step in avoiding more hair loss and understanding how best to rectify it. Our staff will help you look at your hereditary factors, conduct medical tests to determine the type of hair loss you are experiencing, and come up with a treatment plan. When you are ready to stop the hair loss, your first call should be to H2T. Contact us today for more information.