What You Need to Know About the Causes of Hair Loss

The gradual thinning and losing of hair strands can be normally attributed to aging. But, hair loss, as it's also scientifically proven, cannot have aging as its sole cause. Different factors have their own roles in making it happen. Men and women both have their fair share of chances of losing hair, even during their younger years.

It's normal to shed 50-100 strands from the crowning glory everyday. But, some people lose hair in the scalp much more than the normal. Natural causes such as aging and heredity, hormonal factors, deficiencies, and some medical conditions or disorders can be the probable causes why it happens.

Natural Causes

Aging is not the sole cause of hair loss. Though it's one of the primary causes, it's just but one of the many factors contributing to this occurrence. Men and women may both notice thinning of their hair strands during their forties and fifties. This maybe a normal occurrence that can be attributed to predetermined biological sequences as time progresses.

Heredity is another factor. People who have relatives that exhibit more it than normal have greater chances of having the same condition. Like other characteristics such as eye color and height, hair loss is also inherited.

Hormonal Factors

Stress may also be a cause of hair loss. Always being overworked, skipping meals and experiencing fatigue on a regular basis have effects on the body's regulation system. The body's hormonal system reacts to this and is manifested through the body's integumentary system -the hair.

Other changes and imbalances induced within the hormonal regulation system can also cause hair loss. The intake and discontinuation of some medications (e.g. birth control pills) may cause the system to lose balance. Childbirth and the beginning of menopause may also be a reason why losing hair occurs in women.

Deficiencies

Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can also be the factors why it occurs. Certain vitamins and minerals are needed to keep those hair follicles strong. Iron, Vitamins A, B, C, D, E and Omega-3 play a major role in keeping those strands strong and less prone to breakage and shedding. People who don't include these in their diet are more likely to experience hair loss that's not anywhere near the normal occurrence.

Medical Conditions

Some disorders and conditions have hair loss as one of their primary effects. These include, first, scalp infections that are caused by parasites and ringworms that use the hair as their feeding ground which leads to infections.

Second of these conditions are thyroid problems. The thyroid is the primary organ responsible for regulating hormonal levels in the body. When this is affected, hormonal regulation malfunctions, affecting the normal growth and shedding of hair.

Third of the possible causes can be the condition called Alopecia areata. This is characterized by the malfunction of the immune system, causing it to attack hair follicles. This leaves patches of it.

Other conditions such as lupus and scarring may also cause hair loss. In the areas where the scars are found, hair may never grow back again, leading to permanent hair loss.

Other Possible Causes

Some other reasons attributed to why hair loss happens include: subjecting the hair to too much heat (e.g. blow-drying, ironing) on a daily basis and styling the hair in a way that prevents it to breathe (e.g. tight ponytails, braids).