What Causes Baldness and Hair Loss - Possible Reasons

What causes baldness and hair loss?

The average person sheds approximately 50 to 100 hairs in any given day. With over 100,000 hairs on the human scalp, this natural loss does not cause noticeable thinning or baldness. However, hair loss can lead to baldness when shedding begins to exceed the rate of re-growth.

This pattern has a variety of causes, depending upon the nature of the baldness. The following include some of the most frequently encountered types of baldness and their causes.

• Alopecia areata - Classified as an autoimmune disease, the exact cause of alopecia areata remains undiscovered. People who develop the condition generally appear to be in good health, though some may have underlying autoimmune conditions like thyroid disease. Some experts believe that certain individuals may be predisposed to the condition, and that certain stresses, viruses or environmental factors can trigger the condition. There also appears to be a hereditary link. Affected individuals may lose a good deal of hair, only to have it grow back again, and this cyclic pattern may occur several times.
  
  
• Cicatricial (scarring alopecia) - What causes baldness? This is a permanent type of hair loss caused by an inflammation that damages and scars the scalp’s delicate hair follicles. The condition may develop in association with other skin conditions, such as lupus erythematosus. The exact triggers for the inflammation remain undetermined.
  
  
• Pattern baldness - Also called androgenetic alopecia, male or female pattern baldness shows a marked thinning of the hair. With each growth cycle, the hairs root more superficially, and thus fall out easily and sooner than normal. This reason for what causes baldness appears to be largely hereditary, with family history affecting age of onset, progression of hair loss and likelihood of developing the condition in general.
  
  
• Telogen effluvium - This condition or reason for what causes baldness results after a change in the normal hair cycle, which can be triggered by a stressful episode during which hair roots prematurely move into the resting stage. The affected follicles lose their hairs, and drastic thinning occurs. However, after a few months, the follicles become active again and the hairs begin to regrow. This condition can follow a period of illness, a highly emotional event like death in the family, or other physiological stress such as high grade fever, sudden weight loss, nutritional deficiency, surgery or other drastic life altering events. It may take a number of months for the hair to grow back to its pre-event state.
  
  
• Traction alopecia - Wondering what causes baldness? Take note - excessive styling or pulling of the hair (into braids, hair bands, and so on) can lead to thinning. Certain styling procedures like perms or chemical dyeing can scar the scalp, in which case the hair will be less likely to grow back. Chemicals used for dyeing, tinting, bleaching, straightening or ‘perming’ waves can cause hair to become damaged and to break off if an individual overuses or incorrectly applies these products. In the same vein, over styling and excessive brushing can cause hair to fall out and be part of what causes baldness, especially if the hair shaft has been damaged.

Other reasons for what causes baldness and hair loss

Several other factors can lead to hair loss or premature baldness, including an inadequate diet. Lack of protein or iron can impact hair growth and speed hair loss, as can drastic dieting or eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia.

Certain medications, especially those used to treat gout, depression, arthritis, high blood pressure and other conditions, may lead to hair loss in some individuals, and may be part of what causes baldness.

For some women, prescription birth control pills can upset delicate hormonal balances, and that can also lead to hair thinning. Certain diseases like lupus and diabetes have been known to cause hair loss, as do certain medical treatments, most notably chemotherapy and radiation treatments. However, after treatment concludes, the hairs generally grow back.

Hormonal changes, especially those experienced during pregnancy, the post partum period, and menopause may, too, cause hair loss. In fact, many women report having an unusually luxuriant head of hair during pregnancy and then rapid hair loss soon after giving birth. This phenomenon may be traced to fluctuating hormone levels that impact the hairs’ growth cycle. In the same way, a thyroid condition can lead to changes in hair growth.

Some infections can also lead to hair loss or even baldness, including certain scalp infections, such as ringworm. Once treated, however, the hair should grow back normally.

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