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True or False: Causes Of Hair Loss in Men and Women
It's no secret that hair loss happens, but if you know the common causes (and myths) for hair loss you can try and take back control over the future of your hair health. Keep reading to learn more.
Getting To The Root of Hair Loss
Did you know that the average adult person has approximately 100,000 hair follicles on their head and can lose up to 100 hairs per day? That may seem like a lot to lose, but because each individual follicle is going through its own growth or rest cycle at all times we’re able to keep a healthy balance of old vs. new hair growth and not even notice when old hairs shed.
But what happens if you do notice? What happens if you start to question the size of your ponytail, the amount of hair in your hairbrush or wonder if you’ve always been able to see through to your scalp? If you find yourself asking these questions, now or in the future, you’re not alone. According to the American Hair Loss Association, by the age of 50, 85% of males and 40% of females will experience significant hair loss or thinning. But why?
While many of these cases are due to genetics, there are certainly many other surprising factors that can raise your risk of hair thinning and loss. These reasons for hair loss can be attributed to anything from genetics to hormones, an increase in stress, medications, and even over-styling or processing. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of myths surrounding the causes of hair loss, so today we’re getting to the root of hair loss to learn why it happens and also why it doesn’t have to.
Causes of Hair Loss: True or False
Wearing hats leads to balding.
False
Some people falsely believe that wearing a hat can cut off the blood flow and oxygen to your scalp and hair follicles, leading to balding. Fortunately, there's no evidence that this is true. In fact, regularly wearing a hat when exposed to direct sunshine can actually prevent hair damage caused by harmful UV rays that can permanently scar hair follicles.
Stress can cause permanent hair loss.
False
Although stress can cause your strands to fall out in greater numbers, it’s only temporary.
Also known as telogen effluvium, this stress-induced loss usually causes sudden thinning of your hair across your entire scalp. This type of hair loss forces your hair into the telogen phase of growth, making your hair fall out gradually without growing new hair to replace it. Unlike some forms of hair loss, it usually isn’t permanent, growing back within six to nine months if you address your stress, eat a well-rounded diet and choose the right hair treatments.
Having a baby can cause hair loss.
True
Childbirth temporarily changes hormones and as a result temporarily changes the health of hair and can lead to temporary hair loss.
When estrogen levels rise during pregnancy most women find they develop a thick, healthy head of hair. Most hairs will go into their resting phase during pregnancy, and unfortunately once the hormones change after delivery much of that new hair is shed. This hair loss is usually temporary and soon after giving birth new hair grows back in its place.
Hair loss only happens to men.
False
Hair loss can affect both men and women, and is more common among women than you might think. In fact, it is estimated that 30 million women in the US experience female pattern hair loss in their lifetime.
Hereditary pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, is more commonly known as male or female pattern baldness and is the most common cause of hair loss, typically occurring with age(find fact). This type of hereditary hair loss happens due to genetically-determined shortening of the hair’s growing phase (anagen), and a longer time between the shedding of hair and the start of growth or new anagen phase.
You don’t have to worry about hair loss until you’re older.
False
Early treatment is key as hair loss starts below the root before we even know it’s happening. Sometimes hair loss can be spotted and treated early, preventing hair loss from happening at all since it can happen for a variety of reasons. To read more about how to prevent hair loss, read out other article here.
Our hormones go through various stages of changes and imbalances throughout our lives and can affect the health of our hair without warning. You may experience hair loss if you have a thyroid imbalance ( typically seen in men) which directly affects your hair’s growth cycle. If your thyroid isn’t working properly, it’ll be harder for you to grow new hair to replace the hair that you naturally lose.
Menopause or birth control in women can also trigger hair thinning/loss through imbalances in the body. During this time, estrogen and progesterone levels decline, hair growth slows and hair loss becomes more pronounced. The good news is with hormone induced hair loss its typically temporary and your hair cycle returns to normal once your hormones regulate.
How you style your hair can cause it to shed.
True
How we treat our hair when we’re younger can affect how our hair treats us as we age. Excessive use of hair dyes, hot tools or chemical treatments may result in damaged hair in the long term. Even styling your hair too tight can eventually lead to serious damage, especially if the follicle becomes scarred. This type of hair loss is referred to as traction alopecia and is caused by external pressure on the scalp, usually from very tight hairstyles, repeated use of heat or extensions.
Poor dieting and eating habits can lead to hair loss.
True
Your hair health depends on your body health so it’s no surprise that your hair needs biological support to grow strong. Reducing your calorie intake while dieting or simply being deficient in essential nutrients and vitamins can affect how your hair grows- or doesn’t.
If your diet doesn’t have enough protein or essential vitamins and minerals it can affect how your hair looks and feels.
Make sure you eat foods that are high in proteins, zinc, iron and fatty acids like eggs, meats, nuts and lots of leafy greens. It is recommended to eat at least five ounces (approximately 150 grams) of protein a day, since hair is made of 80% to 95% protein.
Hair loss is irreversible.
False
Although some types of hair loss are irreversible, such as genetic male patterned baldness, it’s true that in the majority of cases hair loss is both treatable and temporary. Reasons for these types of hair loss could be stress, shifts in hormone levels and disruptions caused by illness or deficiencies.
The best way to treat hair loss is to treat your hair early to avoid loss later- caring for the wellness of your hair now can ensure you keep your locks long for life.
The Hope For Hair Loss.
Scientists are making breakthroughs in hair loss research and developing proven re-growth treatments every day. Although there is no absolute cure for balding (yet), there are many effective and affordable over-the-counter treatments, like Minoxidil and hair growth supplements, that can help give men and women their best chance at growing fuller and thicker hair using biologically based supplements and clinically proven serums.
So whether you start with a simple serum routine or swap out your shampoo and conditioner for growth-support formulas, there are lots of proactive and proven treatment options on the market for both men and women that helps put you in control of the future of your hair’s health.
Read: How to Pick the Best Hair Loss Treatment Based on Your Hair Concerns
