Why am I losing my hair?

Why am I losing my hair?

There are a number of reasons that may be causing you to be losing your hair faster than normal. To identify the issue though, you must first be aware and understand the different types of hair loss. I will go over the two most common hair conditions that cause hair loss.

Male Pattern Hair Loss

Thinning or loss of the crown hair is the most common signs of male pattern baldness

Studies have shown that if you are a male, you have a 4 in 7 chance of receiving the baldness gene from either one of your parents. In other words, you are definitely in the minority if you are showing no signs of irregular hair loss during your lifetime.

In men, 90-95% of all hair loss is due to androgenic Alopecia (known commonly as male pattern baldness). The occurrence of male pattern baldness will vary from population to population and is based on your genetic background. Male pattern baldness will generally have two unique characteristics that are easily identified: A receding hairline and/ or a thinning crown (top part of the head). If you start to notice a pattern as to where you hair is beginning to fall out, you can slowly start to narrow down what is causing you hair to fall out.

Female Pattern Hair Loss

In women, female pattern baldness is much less understood. In general this patterned hair loss in women occurs due to aging, changes in hormones, and genes. A change in the androgen hormones after menopause cause many women to find that their hair is growing more thinly throughout the scalp. The first signs of female pattern hair loss will start with a widening in the top and center part of their hair. This will gradually lead to an overall thinning on the top part of the head, but unlike in men, female pattern baldness will rarely ever lead to complete baldness.

Diffuse Thinning

Diffuse hair loss affects both males and females and unlike male pattern baldness, it more difficult to quickly identify the reason for the hair loss. Diffuse thinning is an un-patterned loss of hair throughout the scalp. It can be caused by a number of reasons including emotional stress, medical conditions (i.e. hyperthyroidism), dietary triggers, or the usage of certain drugs . Generally when you visit your dermatologist, your hair and scalp will be examined thoroughly and you will probably be asked to give a blood sample to further investigate the exact problem.

Go visit your doctor

You should never try to diagnose yourself even if you believe you know exactly what you think is the problem. Why you ask? Hair loss is your body’s way of telling you that your hormones are out of whack or that you have an underlying medical issue to deal with. And even if you are perfectly healthy, your doctor can give you the best advice in terms of medication and hair growth tips tailored to your needs.