Hair loss is a condition that affects both sexes. The basic symptoms of hair loss are that it causes its sufferer to lose hair on certain areas of the head, or thin out the entire scalp area completely. For men, they may experience thinning or hair loss on the temple and crown of the head, leaving only strips of hair at the side and rear of the head. Women do not necessarily experience this type of hair loss, but will experience thinning of their hair on their entire scalp.
However, losing your hair is actually no cause for alarm yet. Losing hair is a normal part of maturing, and is a part of the entire hair growth cycle. Hair grows about half an inch on a monthly basis. This means that over 90% of your hair on your scalp is growing at one time. However, the other 10% of hair that doesn’t grow will simply fall out to give way for new hair that will replace it. Extreme hair loss, on the other hand, is a cause for concern, especially if it causes you to rapidly lose patches of hair.
There are actually a number of factors that could lead to you losing your hair. This article discusses some of the more common causes of hair loss, and it’s effect on the sufferer.
Genetics
Genetics can play a role in the condition. Studies have shown that X chromosomes, as well as other non-sex linked genes in the body, could influence the person’s susceptibility to the condition. Certain androgen receptors in the body have been believed to be one of the major factors and prerequisites for the development and proliferation of hair loss.
Also, if your family has a history of balding, or hair loss is a pressing condition in your family, then you may find the condition to exist in your person as well. You might have inherited your susceptibility to the condition from your parents.
Hormonal Influences
Certain hormones in the body are actually being considered to be one of the major factors for hair loss. Androgens, which are an important tool of the body as they are responsible for the regulation of hair growth, are actually a crucial component in the development of men during their birth and puberty. If your hair follicles have acquired a genetic sensitivity to the said androgen, more specifically androgen dihydrotestosterone, then it will be difficult for them to produce and assist hair growth as they will no longer be able to function properly.
Aside from that, studies have shown that men experience hair fall if they have a high level of free androgen and testosterone, but have a low level of total testosterone in the body. These abnormal levels of testosterone and androgens in the body will have an adverse effect on the body’s ability to produce and assist in hair growth.
The state of your thyroid gland can also become a factor on your hair loss. You might experience some hair loss if your thyroid gland is in a state of over activeness or under activeness. Unbalanced estrogen and androgen levels in the body could also put your body out of whack, and could lead to the condition.
Environmental Influences And Lifestyle
Although genetics and hormonal influences play the larger role in the condition, environmental influences and lifestyle choices do play a minor role in the proliferation of hair loss in its sufferers. Hair loss could be a direct result of scalp trauma caused by constant and excessive brushing and blow-drying of the hair, getting perms and bleaching of the hair with cosmetic substances, and other cosmetic applications. All these lifestyle choices could have harmful effects on the growth of hair.
Drugs
Certain Drugs can also cause you to lose your hair, or for your hair to thin out. Drugs or medications such as anti depressants, blood thinners, birth control pills, and medicines used for chemotherapy and gout, are just some of the drugs that could adversely affect your hair’s growth. If your hair loss is mainly due to the taking of these drugs, then the sooner you stop taking them, the better your condition will become.
Disease Indicator
Some of the time, hair loss could just be an indication of the formation of another disease which may have hair loss as one of its symptoms. The sooner you are able to diagnose what disease you may have, the better off you will be at treating it. No matter how many forms of treatment you use, if you are treating the wrong disease or condition, then your hair loss will not be stopped.
There are a myriad of causes for hair loss. Hopefully, this article was able to show you a few of the possible causes of the condition, giving you an insight on how the disease develops.
