What are the causes of hair loss? And why does the particular form of hair loss matter? What you should know if you have an unusually large amount of hair in the brush!
There can be many reasons for hair loss (alopecia) – and not all of them are really serious. For example, short-term increased stress is a common trigger: studies show that a permanently elevated level of stress hormones attacks the hair follicles, at the lower end the hair root grows. Most of the time, the reasons for the complaints can be traced back to the type of hair loss.
What type of hair loss do I have?
Hereditary hair loss (androgenetic alopecia)
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss. The hereditary predisposition gives rise to receding hairline and leads to balding in men. In 50 percent of all men, the first symptoms of hereditary hair loss occur up to the age of 50.
Circular hair loss (alopecia areata)
Alopecia areata lets the hair go out in tufts and ensures circular bald spots. And that doesn't just concern the scalp – circular hair loss can lead to hair loss all over the body. Unfortunately, it is not yet clear what will help with circular hair loss in the long term. However, hair loss in this form can also decrease on its own.
Diffuse hair loss
Diffuse hair loss gradually thins all of the hair on the head. There are several possible reasons for this, such as an underactive thyroid, infections, taking certain medications, iron deficiency and hormonal changes.
Reasons for temporary hair loss
Hair loss can occur not only as a disease, but also as a result of external circumstances:
pregnancy
Women can often look forward to more hair growth during pregnancy. However, around 10 to 20 percent of all pregnant women suffer from temporary hair loss after the birth of their child.
fever
For one thing, the increased body temperature damages the hair roots. On the other hand, not enough nutrients reach the hair during the illness. This disrupts growth – the hair thins out. But after a few weeks they grow again.
Color hair and wash frequently
If the hair is stressed, for example by frequent washing or dyeing, the hair can break. In this article you will learn how to easily dye hair yourself.
Hair loss through chemotherapy
Cancer therapy often uses chemotherapy to stop and destroy malignant cells. The drugs that are used also damage the cells of the hair follicles, that are currently in the growth phase. This usually affects around 80 to 90 percent of the hair – it falls out about two to four weeks later.
Reading tip: Find out what diffuse hair loss can do here.