In this Article
Top 10 Popular Causes of Hair Loss Explained by Dermatologists
Reviewed by Dr. Ramkrishna Podder
MBBS, MD in Dermatology, Venerelogy & Leprosy
Written By: Vivekanand Sharma
Updated on : January 10 2025
Long, luscious, beautiful hair, the ultimate standard of beauty. But what happens when you cannot adhere to that standard? That is when your confidence and self-esteem takes a hit. But don’t worry, hair loss is rather common and happens on a daily basis. Do not confuse this with hair fall. The words are used interchangeably but they are not the same. Hair fall is when you lose stands of hair, typically 50-100 hairs daily, for new hair to grow. Whereas, hair loss is a more excessive condition where hair does regrow, leading to bald patches or thinning of hair. Medically termed Alopecia, hair loss can be both temporary and permanent. There are various types of hair loss and causes for it. Relax, in this article, we will talk about top 10 causes of hair loss and how to prevent it.
What is hair loss and their types?
Hair loss, or alopecia, is a gender neutral condition where you shed more hair than you can regrow. This is because of the disruption in the hair production cycle. Although hair loss can affect your entire body, you can find it mostly starting from the scalp.
There are various types of hair loss. The popular ones include:
- ANDROGENIC ALOPECIA
Male or female pattern baldness, medically termed as androgenic alopecia, is the most common type of hair loss. This condition is mostly hereditary, i.e. passed down from previous generations. This condition affects males and females differently. So, if you are a man, you will start losing hair from the temples and crown of the head. In case, if you are a woman, your hair will start thinning from all over.
Androgenic alopecia mostly affects people who have reached their old age, but it can start to occur anytime post puberty. Hormones also play a part in this condition. Hence, women experience androgenic alopecia when they are going through menopause or after it.
- ALOPECIA AREATA
Alopecia areata is an auto-immune disease, and is one of the most severe cases of hair loss. Here, your immune system attacks the hair follicles along with other healthy parts of your body. It often occurs in small bald patches on your scalp and sometimes eyebrows. To treat this condition, it is important to check with a dermatologist.
- TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM
Telogen effluvium is a type of hair loss where a larger-than-normal number of hair follicles enter the resting phase (telogen). In this condition, the loss of hair is temporary. This condition is mostly linked to your emotional and physical well being, as it occurs after a few stressful months or hormonal fluctuations. Unlike other types of hair loss, Telogen effluvium typically doesn’t lead to complete baldness and is easily treatable.
- NAGEN EFFLUVIUM
Anagen effluvium surfaces as a rapid and extensive form of hair loss that occurs during the growth phase (anagen) of the hair cycle. Unlike Telogen effluvium, Anagen effluvium leads to shedding of hair during the active phase of hair growth, disrupting the growth cycle. This condition is mostly caused due to external reasons like:
- Chemotherapy or radiation
- Drugs or harmful chemicals
- Severe infections
- TRACTION ALOPECIA
Traction alopecia is a condition where hair loss occurs due to intense hair pulling leading it to break away. This kind of hair loss occurs due to pulling of hair by tying it up in tight buns, ponytails or hair styles like cornrows or braids.
Is hair loss really that common?
Hair loss is more common than you think. Baldness affects almost 85% of males and 20%-30% in case of females in India itself. Almost 2% of the world population is affected by alopecia areata.
What causes hair loss?
The cause of hair loss is not totally identified yet, but some of the main causes of hair loss include:
- GENETICS
Genetics play a very important role in hair loss. Androgenic alopecia or male or female pattern baldness is mainly driven due to genetic predisposition and sensitivity to DHT or dihydrotestosterone (a hormone which stimulates hair growth).
- HORMONAL IMBALANCE
Conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome, pregnancy, menopause, or thyroid disorders (hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism) can disrupt the hair growth cycle. This can lead to hair thinning or shedding. Post-partum hair loss is a common example where hormonal fluctuations after childbirth cause noticeable hair fall.
- STRESS
Physical stress and emotional distress can push a large number of hair follicles into resting (telogen) phase prematurely.
- AGE
Ageing slows the process of hair growth. At a certain point, the hair follicles stop growing, leading to hair thinning or receding hair line.
- NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES
Poor diet and lack of proper nutrients leads to hair loss. Nutrients like zinc, vitamin D, biotin, and protein are the key components of hair growth. Without these nutrients, the hair becomes brittle and breaks off easily.
- AUTO-IMMUNE DISORDERS
Auto-immune disorders like alopecia areata, where the hair follicles are mistakenly attacked by your immune system. This leads to patchy baldness in our hair.
- MEDICAL TREATMENTS
Treatments like chemotherapy or radiation can damage your hair rapidly by dividing cells. This causes sudden, widespread hair loss. Medications like antidepressants, blood thinners and beta blockers result in diffuse thinning.
- SCALP INFECTIONS
Inflammatory scalp conditions like psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis and fungal infections like ringworm can severely damage the scalp’s environment. This leads to disrupted hair growth, weakened hair growth, or patches of hair loss.
- HAIR STYLING PRACTICES
Tight hairstyles like braids and ponytails pull out the hair from its roots. If this is continued there is irreversible damage to the scalp. Same goes for colouring hair or bleaching it.
- ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
Pollution, humidity, sun exposure impacts scalp health, production of natural oil production of our hair, and disrupts hair growth. All of these factors result in slow or no regeneration of hair, causing hair loss.
How to identify the symptoms of hair loss?
Symptoms of hair loss are easily identified. The most common ones are right in front of your eyes. Those include:
- Thinning of hair or receding of hairline. These are the most common symptoms of hair loss. Usually it happens due to age. For a man, the hair starts to recede from the forehead. In the case of a woman, the hair parting area becomes wider.
- You may be noticing patchy or coin-sized bald spots on scalp, eyebrows, or beard then maybe noticing signs of alopecia areata. In this case you may also experience itchy skin before the hair loss.
- Large clumps of hair falling out when brushing, washing, or running your fingers through your hair.
- Loss of hair from the entire body due to medical treatments like chemotherapy for cancer.
- Loss of hair from the entire body due to medical treatments like chemotherapy for cancer.
- Patches of scaling on the scalp is the primary cause of ringworm. It also includes broken hair, redness, and swelling.
Hair Loss in Women: A Different Beast
You cannot completely stop the process of hair loss but you can definitely slow it down. Here are some easy ways you can prevent hair loss:
- Try to always include a clean and healthy diet that includes enough calories and proteins.
- Destress yourself regularly.
- Manage conditions and diseases that can lead up to hair loss like thyroids.
- Try to avoid hairstyles that tugs on your hair too much.
- Avoid any harmful habits like smoking or alcohol consumption.
- Brush your hair as gently as you can.
- Minimize the usage of styling products that include heat like hair straighteners and curling irons.
When To See a Medical Professional?
If you start noticing persistent hair loss or patchy baldness, it is high time you should check with a dermatologist. This kind of condition needs an expert dermatologist’s consultation. One of the best in the town, which you can trust with your eyes closed, is Wizderm Skin and Hair Clinic. Wizderm’s advanced hair treatments are convenient, and painless. Just get a consultation as soon as you notice the symptoms of hair loss. That’s all!
FAQs
Can hair loss due to stress be reversed?
Yes, absolutely! It is very important to destress yourself everyday to reduce hair loss. You can use any kind of destressing methods, like aroma therapy, meditation etc, to calm your mind and body.
How do I know if my hair loss is genetic or due to other causes?
The best way to check if your hair loss is hereditary is to find the older generations of the family suffering from the same.
Are over-the-counter hair loss products effective?
Most of the time, over-the-counter products are highly effective. In case of severe conditions like alopecia areata, dermatological intervention is necessary.
What diet changes can help prevent hair loss?
You don’t necessarily need to make a huge change in your diet (except, if you are always consuming junk). All you have to do is to have a healthy and clean diet.
