Through aging, stress, and numerous other factors, both men and women are likely to experience some kind of hair loss throughout their life. Here, we share some causes and some top symptoms to be aware of.
Causes of Hair Loss
Hair loss takes place when your hair follicles fail to replace themselves, but there are dozens of reasons why this can happen. Androgenetic alopecia, aka male pattern baldness, affects as many as 50 million men and 30 million women in the US alone and is usually a sign of aging.
Other causes include:
- Hormone imbalance
- Medication
- Cancer treatments
- Stress and illness
- Childbirth
- Tight hairstyles
- Toxic products
- Scalp infection
- Alopecia
- Poor nutrition
- Weight loss
Symptoms of Hair Loss
At a first glance, the symptoms of hair loss are very obvious – simply, your locks begin to fall out. However, the symptoms vary hugely and include:
- Thinning – This is when you still have a full mane, but it has become much less thick than usual.
- Patching – There are suddenly patches or circles of missing hair.
- Falling Strands – You start to find more fallen strands around the house. They might be in the shower, on the pillow, on your carpets, or in your hairbrush.
- Full-body loss – Sometimes, people might lose all the hair from their bodies.
Less noticeable symptoms include:
- Hard patches on your scalp – This is likely to be psoriasis and can cause short-term patchiness.
- A scratchy scalp – This could be a condition called folliculitis decalvans. Your scalp may also go red and swell.
- An itchy or burning scalp – You might have an infection.
- Stinging or burning – Some people affected by alopecia experience stinging or a burning sensation before further patches fall out.
Things to Remember
Losing your locks is not always gradual. Sometimes it can happen almost overnight, and it can happen anywhere on your body. It’s important to remember that if your hair suddenly falls out, your head becomes itchy or burns, or you are losing volume in big chunks, you should book an appointment with a doctor.
Final Thoughts
By following this quick guide, you should now feel that you better understand hair loss, its causes, and its symptoms. Although hair loss symptoms are often quite obvious, there are some cases when they may begin gradually or indicate further issues. We recommend setting up an appointment with a doctor to address any concerns you have and discuss possible treatments like hair transplants and scalp micropigmentation.
