The Basics of Hair Loss


by Steven Yeoh - Date: 2007-03-26 - Word Count: 449 Share This!

At any one point in time, about 10 percent of the hair on your scalp is in a resting phase. After 2 to 3 months, the resting hair begins to fall out and new hair begins to regenerate in its place. This growing phase lasts for 2 to 6 years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimeter per month during this phase. About 90 percent of the hair on your scalp is growing at any one time. It is normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle. However, some people may experience excessive (more than normal) hair loss - and this is not discriminatory - it affects men, women and children alike.

There are plenty of reasons for hair loss. For instance, hormonal problems may cause hair loss. If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, your hair may fall out. This hair loss usually can be helped by treatment of the thyroid disease. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop your hair loss.

Many women also notice sometime significant hair loss about 3 months after they've had a baby. This loss is also related to hormones. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. When the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts again. This is just the body readjusting itself to life after pregnancy.

Some medicines can cause hair loss. This type of hair loss improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners (also called anticoagulants), medicines used for gout, medicines used in chemotherapy to treat cancer, vitamin A (if too much is taken), birth control pills and antidepressants.

Certain infections can cause hair loss. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children. The infection is easily treated with antifungal medicines. Finally, hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be treated.

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.


Related Tags: hair loss, hair loss in women, hair loss in men

Steven Yeoh is the owner of the hair loss site, HairLossConfidant.com . If you find the information in this article helpful and would like to know more about hair loss causes and treatments, make sure that you sign up for his TWO FREE email mini reports titled "How To Fight Hair Loss In Men" and "Hair Loss In Women. Are Women Big Losers?".

For a FREE copy of his two mini reports on hair loss, please go to http://www.HairLossConfidant.com/hairlossez to get it right now.

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