Why Do People Lose Hair And What Can Be Done About It? | HuffPost Life

Why Do People Lose Hair And What Can Be Done About It?

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Although it is quite common for people to lose hair as they get older, it can be upsetting when you realise your hair is getting thinner - and even more distressing, if you start to develop balding patches.

Why do people lose hair?

Androgenetic alopecia (also known as male-pattern or female-pattern baldness) is the most common cause of hair loss in men and women. In men, the hair usually starts to thin around the hairline and the crown, which with time can progress to a bald scalp. Most men will take 15 to 25 years to become bald, but in some men the process occurs in a few years.

Women tend to lose hair from the top of the head but not the sides, or they may experience a generalised thinning of the hair. Hair loss in women is more likely to occur in the years after menopause.

In men and women, there is a genetic predisposition to this condition, with those affected inheriting the genes associated with hair loss from either one or both of their parents.

The male sex hormones also play a role, although their role is more clearly understood in male-pattern baldness. In balding men, the main male sex hormone, testosterone, is present at normal levels, but when it is converted to dihydrotestosterone by cells in the scalp, the hair follicles there become over-sensitive to the effects of the dihydrotestosterone. As a result, the hair follicles shrink and each new hair strand coming out of the hair follicle to replace the shed one becomes thinner. Eventually, the hair follicle does not produce any new strands at all.

Other factors that are not related to androgenetic alopecia can cause hair loss. For example, the hormonal changes due to thyroid problems or following the birth of a baby can induce hair loss, as can the stress after surgery and a diet that is very low in iron. Also, some cancer therapies or anabolic steroid usage can lead to hair loss. In these cases, however, the hair loss is generally temporary; once the hormone levels and diet are sorted, or the medication is stopped, the hair resumes its normal growth cycle.

What treatment options are there for hereditary causes of hair loss?

A range of treatment options are available for people with androgenetic alopecia. However, the most permanent, natural-looking solution is provided by hair transplantation.

Scalp Reduction

In scalp reduction, the balding skin is surgically removed and replaced by stretching the adjacent skin that is covered with hair. This procedure works best on the top and back of the hair, but not the front hairline. Nowadays, scalp reduction is generally not used on its own but rather in conjunction with either Follicular Unit Transplantation or Follicular Unit Extraction.

Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)

In this procedure, a highly skilled doctor removes a section of scalp - the donor strip - that is covered with hair and dissects it into smaller grafts or follicular units. These follicular units are then inserted into tiny incision sites in the balding area. The procedure, which only requires a local anaesthetic, uses a microscope to help minimise hair damage and is suitable for someone with larger areas of baldness.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

This is a similar procedure to FUT but more advanced. In this method, rather than removing a strip of scalp, the individual hair follicles are removed from the donor site using a specialised extraction tool, resulting in less damage and bleeding at the donor site, as well as a quicker recovery time. The implanted hair is able to grow and feel as it did in the past.

For more information on FUE Hair transplants, and how it can help you, click here.

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Also on HuffPost UK:

11 Causes Of Hair Loss

Trichotillomania(01 of11)

Trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder. Although the underlying causes for this disorder are not concretely understood, its most obvious symptom is the urge to break or pull out one's own hair. Individuals that have trichotillomania cannot control these urges and often pull out entire patches of their hair -- often from the scalp or eyebrows. The disorder is fairly rare -- 4 percent of people in the U.S. are affected by it -- although men are less likely to experience these urges than women are. (credit:Thinkstock)

Hair Care(02 of11)

Are you a hair dye junkie or someone who consistently flat irons? You could be damaging your hair with these hair care practices. Both excessive use of hair treatments (i.e. bleaching, perms, relaxers) and products (i.e. blow dryers, straighteners and curling irons) can make hair brittle. Luckily, these types of hair damage are not permanent -- change the bad-for-your-hair habit and your hair should restore itself! (credit:Thinkstock)

Tight Hairstyles(03 of11)

Over time, men and women who consistently wear their hair in styles that pull at the scalp (i.e. tight braids, weaves, tight ponytails) may develop a condition termed "traction alopecia." According to Dr. Alexis, traction alopecia is a hair loss condition that is seen far more often in women than men. A couple of the experts we spoke to also said that in their practices they most often saw traction alopecia in African-American and Hispanic women -- although the condition spans all ethnic groups. Chris Rock's 2009 documentary film, "Good Hair," addressed some of these issues as they effect the African-American community. "Women put up with a lot of pain," Dr. Cotsarelis told The Huffington Post. "Pain to your scalp should be avoided." Sounds like a good rule of thumb to us! (credit:Thinkstock)

Nutritional Deficiencies(04 of11)

Iron and protein deficiencies are two of the most common nutritional triggers for hair loss. If individuals have low levels of iron -- even if they are not anemic -- hair loss may occur. An article published in the May 2006 edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology concluded that hair loss treatment was made more effective when a patient's iron deficiency was treated. Dr. Cotsarelis says that he consistenly checks the iron levels of any patient that comes to him experiencing hair loss. However, the exact reason behind this correlation has not been proven.Protein deficiency is more straightforward. Hair growth requires protein, and when the body is not getting enough, it moves these protein supplies to other, more necessary functions. Once an individual's diet is adjusted hair growth usually returns to normal within a couple months.While not a deficiency, for those that have Celiac Disease or gluten-sensitivity, the introduction of the gluten protein into the system may also lead to hair thinning or loss. In this case, it is the immune system that attacks hair growth. (credit:Thinkstock)

Major Weight Loss(05 of11)

Although this trigger technically falls under nutritional deficiencies, we felt that it warranted specific attention. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, individuals who lose 15 or more pounds (even through healthy means) often experience some amount of hair loss. This type of hair loss usually self-corrects without any need for treatment.More concerning is hair loss as a result of an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia. These eating disorders do not allow the body to receive the necessary vitamins, minerals and protein that it needs to function healthfully -- which in turn can shut down hair growth. "Anorexics can have very extreme hair loss," says Dr. Cotsarelis. "I had a patient in her 20s who was anorexic -- her hair was just coming out in gobs because of poor protein intake."

Thyroid Disease(06 of11)

Hair loss is a common symptom of an imbalance in one's thyroid hormones. Both hypothryoidism (an underactive thyroid) or hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid) can lead to excessive hair shedding. Once the thyroid imbalance is treated, the hair generally regrows. (credit:Getty)

Menopause(07 of11)

Doctors still are unsure what the scientific connection is between menopause and hair thinning -- but many women, in their perimenopausal years, experience some sort of generalized hair loss. Some combination of hormonal changes are likely at play. "We don't really understand exactly why, but it's pretty clear [that there is a connection]," says Dr. Cotsarelis. "[Many] women have very thick hair their whole life and then when they go through menopause, they [experience] thinning." (credit:Thinkstock)

Alopecia Areata(08 of11)

When we hear talk of "alopecia," most likely what is being referred to is alopecia areata. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body attacks itself. Alopecia areata is usually characterized by hair loss in round patches on the scalp or other parts of the body and affects men, women and children. (credit:Flickr: Urban Aquarium Video and Light)

Trauma/Stress(09 of11)

Telogen effluvium is defined by Dr. McMichael as "shedding due to physiologic stress." McMichael told The Huffington Post that a traumatic or particularly stressful event is a common reason that individuals experience this type of hair loss (even more so for women than men). The most common emotional causes of telogen effluvium are life-altering occurrences such as a death or going through a divorce. These events can cause hair to be forced into the resting state before they normally would be.According to Dr. Cotsarelis, this type of hair shedding often does not show up until two to four months after the trigger occurs. (credit:Thinkstock)

Illness(10 of11)

Illness is another possible cause of telogen effluvium -- most often triggered by a high fever. The stress on the body that illness causes can become a disruption to the hair cycle. Once the illness is gone, the cycle gets itself back on track. (credit:Thinkstock)

Medications(11 of11)

Many medications have hair loss listed as a possible side effect, although various types tend to affect each person differently. Medications that contain hormones -- such as the birth control pill are common hair loss culprits. According to Mayo Clinic, antidepressants, blood pressure medications and arthritis treatments are also frequent offenders. (credit:Thinkstock)

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