What are common causes of hair loss?

Common Causes to your Hair Loss Woes

Some hair loss is a common and perfectly normal occurrence to many people where the average person loses 50 to 100 strands of hair per day. It may sound like a lot, but it’s nothing compared to the thousands of hair follicles on your head. You have nothing to be worried about since you are constantly growing hair everyday. However, if you notice that you are shedding way more than usual or have some bald spots, you probably need to look into at what is causing your increased hair fall. Here are some common causes to your increased hair loss.

Sex Hormonal Imbalances

Hair loss due to hormonal imbalance for women is a common symptom of menopause and also occurs during postpartum period.

Hormonal imbalances in women occur when there are lower levels of estrogen and/or higher levels of androgens in the body. Androgens are male hormones that both males and females have (females have them in trace amounts). They operate in balance with estrogen to keep our bodily functions in check, including hair.

During menopause, women will have lower levels of estrogen and higher levels of androgen, specifically dihydrotestosterone. Dihydrotestosterone binds with our hair follicles and shrink them, leading to thinner hair and eventually to hair loss. It can even cause facial hair growth to some women.

During postpartum period, the mother’s body will have low levels of estrogen. But before that, during pregnancy, the mother-to-be has higher estrogen levels, leading to longer resting phases for her hair (some people would say that a pregnant mom’s hair is much more thicker and luscious!). Her hair will stay on her head for a longer period of time. After giving birth, the hair moves out from its resting phase and begin to fall out in huge amounts. This condition is temporary but to some, it can be a concern.

Stress

Studies have shown that stress disrupts the growing and resting phase of your hair.

When you go through a stressful event or experience chronic stress, your body releases stress hormones thats trigger the fight or flight bodily response (signs include heightened awareness, faster heart rates and tense muscles). However during that response, more strands of your hair will go through shorter growth and rest periods and fall out in larger amounts. Usually, the shedding occurs typically after three months from the stressful period due to the hair cycle.

In current times, there are many more triggers that would lead to stress-related hair loss. These can range from everyday work stress, anxiety or trauma. You may need to relieve your stress in order to reduce your hair loss.

Genetics

Hair loss runs in the family; it is determined by both your mother’s and father’s genes (rather than the notion that only your mom’s genes are to be blamed). So if either your mother’s or father’s side has a history of thinning and balding, there is a higher chance that you would get it too. For some, this process can start at an earlier age, which can be a distressing issue.

There is no cure to genetic hair loss; that would take some genetic modification at the molecular level. However, there are ways to manage hair thinning and baldness like hair transplants, medications or scalp treatments.

Hairstyling and Harsh Chemical Treatments

Everyday hairstyling and frequent use of harsh chemicals can lead to hair loss too.

For the case of hairstyling, you could be exerting too much tension onto your hair follicles. This can weaken your hair follicles where your hair will grow thinner and eventually may even stop growing altogether. A general rule is that, if you feel pain when you do up your hair, your hairstyle is too tight.

You can also lose your hair by going through frequent chemical treatments. Even though chemical treatments like bleaching usually do not come into contact with the hair follicles, they can cause frizziness and brittle hair strands that are more prone to breakage. If the chemicals indeed come into contact with the follicles, it could lead burns and permanent hair loss.

Of course, there are many more causes to hair loss, but these are some of the common ones. Once you have identified the cause with a trichologist in Singapore, you can explore the ways where you can control your hair loss. At Papilla By Kim Lim we have professional trichologists to analysis your scalp concerns. Using science and protocols designed by dermatologists, we will formulate a personalised solution to your hair concerns.