Hair Loss - What causes hair loss in men and women

Baldness or hair loss is typically something only adults need to worry about. But in a few cases, teens lose their hair, too - and it may be a sign that something's going on. Hair loss during adolescence can mean a person's sick or maybe just not eating right. Who says that only adults need to worry about hair loss? At present, even teens and young adults are already being affected by hair loss. Hair loss can serve as a warning sign especially for the young ones because it may indicate malnutrition and other diseases. So if you're losing an abnormal amount of hair every day, you ought to visit a doctor so that the root cause is identified. This article trys to answer the question "what causes hair loss?" and looks at possible ways to help tackle this common condition.

For chemotherapy patients or those that take certain medications because of their illness, hair loss may be one of its effects. Not only that, frequent hair styling can also cause hair loss. So whatever the reason is, you have to identify it right away so that the proper treatment can be determined.

Appearance matters a lot especially in today's times. For young adults and teens, act on your hair loss problem immediately because once the problem is corrected, your hair will again grow normally. For the older adults, it may take some time before you can re-grow your hair or the worst is that your hair may never grow again.

Aside from causes of hair loss already mentioned above, there are still other known causes. One is alopecia areata and it affects about 1.7% of the entire population. It is considered as one of the autoimmune diseases and it is characterized by round small bald patches on your scalp. After some time, the condition progresses and you end up with full hair loss. This condition starts during childhood. If you're quite lucky, you can expect your hair to grow back between six months to two years.

Trichotillomania can also cause hair loss and this is due to the constant pulling of the hair. This condition is a psychological disorder so the person should seek immediate medical attention. Oftentimes, therapy is needed until such time that the individual stops pulling his or her hair.

Poor nutrition is able to contribute to further hair loss. By eating unhealthy choices of food, your body will not get the necessary nutrients it needs to make your hair and scalp healthy. People who have bulimia and anorexia are prone to hair loss because hair growth is not sustained. You don't have to eat plenty of foods all at once but just eat the healthy ones and in the right amounts as well.

Another is male pattern baldness. This is genetically inherited and the effects are seen more visibly among men. The condition is also called androgenetic alopecia. Several factors cause this condition like genetics, androgen, and hormones.

Can improper care of my hair cause hair loss?

Yes. If you wear pigtails or cornrows or use tight hair rollers, the pull on your hair can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia (say: al-oh-pee-sha). If the pulling is stopped before scarring of the scalp develops, your hair will grow back normally. However, scarring can cause permanent hair loss. Hot oil hair treatments or chemicals used in permanents (also called "perms") may cause inflammation (swelling) of the hair follicle, which can result in scarring and hair loss.

Mechanical damage

Damage to the hair can be self inflicted either by intentional or unintentional means. Some people going through stress continuously pull at their hair until it comes out. Styling hair by bleaching, braiding and straightening can also cause damage and results in hair being lost.

Trichotillomania or hair pulling - Some children and less often adults play with their hair by pulling on it or twisting it. This can be part of a behavioral problem or a bad habit that is often done unconsciously. If the behavior is not stopped permanent hair loss can result from the constant stress on the hair. Its best to seek the help of a mental health professional to solve this problem.

As it is not always possible to assess the cause for rapid or excessive hair loss it is always worth seeking medical advice to diagnose the cause for your hair loss.

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