Losing hair is never easy, but finding out what’s causing it can be. When you find out what’s causing your hair loss, you’re able to pinpoint it and start the road to recovery, and the road to confidence. In this article, we’re hoping to help point you in the proper direction, so you may combat hair loss before it gets bad.
At any time, 90% of hair on the average human head is growing. There are three phases of hair growth that promotes hair growth during these stages:
- Anagen – active hair growth which can last up to six years
- Catagen – transitional hair growth, which lasts up to three weeks
- Telogen – the rest phase of hair growth, which lasts up to three months
During the telogen phase, you may see more shedding, and then the cycle of growing begins again.
Hair Loss in Women
For women, society places a lot of value on hair. While we don’t necessarily agree with this, and think everyone should be entitled to wear their hair as they please, some people aren’t as open-minded, unfortunately. Because of this, combined with the possibility of hair loss in women, it doesn’t make for a good combination.
Symptoms of hair loss in women:
- Overall thinning of hair, most likely at the crown of the head
- Sudden patches of hair lost
- Complete loss of hair all over your body
- Patches of broken hair, incomplete hair
- Patchy eyebrows
- Excessive shedding, but not baldness
While women don’t have as many symptoms as men do when it comes to hair loss, women can usually get when something isn’t right because of how much hair many have.
Causes of hair loss in women:
- Eating disorders or shock diets are a huge reason for hair loss, as it promotes stress on your body’s routine
- Emotional stress and stress in general is yet another leading factor in hair loss
- Hormonal changes such as pregnancy, puberty, and even menopause can cause hair loss in women
- Iron deficiencies like anemia can promote hair loss
- Thyroid problems can also encourage hair to fall out
Your patchy hair loss may also be due to alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease in which you have no control over your hair falling out. They often look like coin-sized patches of baldness, but it can grow back within a few months.
Another form of alopecia is traction alopecia, in which tight ponytails or braids cause the hair to fall out. If these don’t cover what you have, you may have something called tinea capitis, which is a fungal infection, or you may have trichotillomania, a psychosis disorder that causes the person to twist or pull their hair.
Hair Loss in Men
Just because it’s more socially acceptable to bald as a man, doesn’t mean men are more confident when they lose their hair than women are. Causes of hair loss in men include:
- Low testosterone
- Too much working out
- Not enough movement
- Alopecia issues
- Trichotillomania
- Male pattern baldness
Symptoms of hair loss in men:
- Receding hairline
- Horseshoe shaped pattern, exposing the crown area
- Thinning hair on the scalp
- Sudden patches gone
- Patchy eyebrows
- Excessive shedding
- Complete loss of hair all over body
You shouldn’t use this article as a strict medical diagnosis, though, and you should schedule an appointment with your primary care physician to pinpoint what’s going on. In doing so, you can receive the proper treatment required for combatting insecurity and gaining back that confidence you once had.
