Top Causes of Hair Loss

Hair loss is a problem that both men and women face and get troubled about. It is true that men face more hair loss than women because of their receding hairline issues and the male pattern baldness. But, women go through a lot of hair fall issues as well. Hair loss can happen due to various reasons and can just affect your scalp or your whole body. Hair loss can be temporary or permanent depending on the type of hair loss and the factors causing it. No matter what the cause, it is very important to analyze and understand it for prevention before it is too late. There is a life cycle that hair goes through, which can be divided into three parts, namely – the growth phase, the rest phase and the shedding phase. Hair loss happens when hair reaches the third or the shedding stage. These are the top causes of hair loss: 1. Stress – Stress can be of many types but physical stress is what mainly causes hair loss. Be it an accident or a severe sickness, it can cause temporary hair loss and is generally referred to as Telogen effluvium. When you go through extreme stress, it disrupts the hair life cycle and pushes more and more hair towards the final phase. Emotional stress can also be related to hair loss, but it mainly acts as a catalyst for an already existing condition of hair loss. It mainly happens in moments of severe agony or emotional stress like during the death of a loved one or divorces. 2. Protein Deficiency – American Academy of Dermatology states that because of a deficiency of protein in your diet, the body will try and conserve more protein by shutting down hair growth. In this way, it is very likely to lose hair. 3. Hereditary – This is very common and brings hair loss to those who have a family history of receding hairline in men or thinning of hair in women after a particular age. If men have a receding hairline issue, then women face androgenetic alopecia which is basically a female-pattern hair loss. 4. Sudden weight loss – Even if a sudden weight loss is great for you, it can result in thinning of hair. Many people do not eat right in order to lose fat or go through extreme dieting and that results in the body not getting the minerals and nutrients that it needs, which leads to hair loss. But, the hair loss coming from the dramatic weight loss is temporary. 5. Vigorous styling of hair – Too much of styling of hair can lead to hair loss. The use of chemical relaxers to straighten hair, tight braids and hot-oil treatments can cause hair to fall out. 6. Steroids – It is great to have a muscular body, but many people overuse Anabolic steroids which are used by gym freaks, bodybuilders and athletes. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the use of anabolic steroids for bulking up muscles can be a serious cause of hair loss. 7. Deficiency in Vitamin B – When your body has low levels of Vitamin B, tin can lead to hair loss. Natural Vitamin B can be found in starchy vegetables, meat and fish. Having a balanced diet which is plentiful in Vitamin B and good fats is good for the hair and body. 8. Pregnancy – During pregnancy, a woman goes through a lot of physical stress which causes hair loss. 9. Aging – This is very common in men and not uncommon for women to face hair loss or thinning of hair when they enter their 50’s or 60’. So, the takeaway is that hair loss is a very common problem and with the correct diet, it can be corrected to a considerable extent. Hair loss should not be ignored as it can also be the cause of an underlying issue, like Hypothyroidism and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). It is very important to maintain a healthy body and take care of your hair.