Losing your hair is one of those things that many of us think we have the inside track on. It happens because you get old, it happens because you stress too much, and it happens because you have a poor diet... right?
There are almost as many urban legends about what makes someone lose their hair as there are about the treatments that will make it start growing again. Science has been looking at the issue, though, and there are certain facts about the root causes (no pun intended) of hair loss that we now know. So if you're worried that hair loss might be in your future, some of the actual reasons you should keep an eye on are...
Reason #1: Hormonal Issues
Hormones are the chemicals responsible for our bodies changing, but most of us just think of them as things we deal with when we're teenagers. However, if your hormonal balance is thrown off due to medical issues, life changes, etc., then one of the potential side effects of that can be hair loss. This is one of the most common reasons for hair loss among women, particularly when things like menopause, postpartum, or hormonal medical treatments are part of their lives.
Reason #2: Genetics
You inherited your eye color, your freckles, and the shape of your nose, but that's not all you got from your parents. Hereditary baldness is perhaps the most common cause of hair loss in men. While it is far from the only cause of hair loss, some estimates put it as high as 90 percent of all cases. There's nothing you can do about your genetics (not yet, anyway), so if you're worried about hair loss then a look at the men in your family should help you judge just how at-risk you really are.
Reason #3: Medication
Medications and treatments can have unforeseen side effects, and one of those side effects is sometimes hair loss. Cancer treatments are perhaps the best-known example of a medical procedure that causes hair loss, but there are dozens of medications out there that can have the same effect. Sometimes you can moderate it, but other times it's more important to fix what's going on inside than to stress too much about how it might be changing your outside.
Reason #4: Skin Conditions
Your hair is only as healthy as your scalp, and if you have skin conditions cause problems then that can also cause you hair loss. This is true for both men and women. So whether it's a condition like alopecia, or an infection like ringworm (unlikely, but it does happen a lot more often than you'd think it would), it's important to get it under control as soon as possible. Otherwise the damage might be more than a little bit of itching and flaking to contend with while you go about your day to day.
Reason #5: Stress
If you thought this one was just an old wives' tale, well, it's actually true. Stress can lead to hair loss... but that isn't as big of a problem as it sounds. The reason why you shouldn't stress about it is that in order to cause hair loss the stress needs to be a fairly massive shock to your system. Traumatic events can lead to hair loss, but the garden variety, everyday stress we all deal with isn't going to rise to that level. You should still do your best to relax and let go, since stress isn't good for you under any circumstances, but it's probably not going to start moving your hairline unless something with a huge impact hits you.
For more about hair loss, or to schedule a free, confidential consultation, simply contact us today!
