What are the Causes of Hair Loss and Hair Damage?

Jul 7, 2010
Shweta Shah

Hair Loss is Attributed to Several Causes - Macgyver30

Hair loss can cause grave anxiety and distress, sometimes even causing panic and frustration. Here are the causative factors responsible for hair loss.

People normally lose about 50 to 100 hairs in a day. With 100,000 hairs on the scalp, losing 50 to 100 hairs won't cause a perceptible thinning of the hair.

It is important to bear in mind that gradual hair loss and thinning is a part of the aging process. However, hair loss could lead to balding, when the degree of shedding surpasses the speed of re-growth or when the new hair that grows is thinner than the hair shed or when the hair falls out profusely in patches.

The Hair Growth Cycle

The hair progresses through a cycle of growth, rest and shedding. The growth phase of hair is called the anagen and lasts for two to three years. During the anagen phase, the hair grows approximately one centimeter in a month.

The resting phase is called telogen, and it lasts for three to four months. Once the telogen phase is completed, the hair falls out, and new ones re-grow in their place. After shedding, the growth phase commences again.

Causes of Hair Loss

There are a multitude of factors that are responsible for hair loss. The following list will help one understand the specific causes of hair loss and decide on the most suitable line of treatment for it:

Androgenetic alopecia causes male- and female-pattern balding. Here, the growth stage is brief, and the hairs that re-grow are not thick and strong. With each cycle, the hair has weaker roots and falls out easily. Heredity has a significant role to play.
Cicatricial alopecia is an inflammation of the scalp that scars and damages the hair follicles to a large extent and prevents new hair from growing.
Alopecia areata is as an autoimmune disease with an unknown cause. Experts say that some individuals are genetically prone to alopecia areata, and a catalyst such as a virus or an environmental toxin sets off the disorder. With alopecia areata, hair usually grows back, but one may shed and re-grow hair a number of times.
Telogen effluvium occurs when a physical or emotional stressor causes hair roots to enter the resting phase ahead of time. It may be a consequence of a psychological set back (death of a loved one), or a physiological stress (dietary deficiency, fever, surgery or weight loss). Hair grows back once the stressor has been eliminated.
Traction alopecia: Pulling the hair too tightly or certain hairstyles cause traction or mechanical alopecia.
Hair treatments such as harsh chemicals used for coloring, bleaching, straightening or curling the hair can greatly damage the hair, making it brittle and increasing shedding.
Inadequate nutrition, including insufficient intake of protein, iron and vitamin B in the diet causes excessive hair loss.
Medications: Drugs used for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders, hypertension and arthritis may cause hair loss in a few people.
Medical treatments: Chemotherapy or radiation therapy can be responsible for the development of hair thinning. Nonetheless, after the treatment, hair begins to re-grow.
Disease: Diabetes mellitus and lupus could cause hair loss.
Hormonal changes: Hormone imbalances result in hair loss. This could occur during pregnancy and delivery, after stopping oral contraceptives, at menopause, or in cases of an under-active or over-active thyroid. Correcting the hormone inequity halts hair loss.
Scalp infection: Infections such as ringworm attack the scalp, leading to severe hair loss.
Trichotillomania is a psychiatric disorder wherein an individual pulls out their hair, thereby causing hair loss.

Understandably, the treatment and management plan for hair care and arresting hair loss greatly depends on the cause of the hair loss. Once, the cause has been ascertained, the appropriate line of treatment can be started.

Reference:

FamilyDoctor.org, "Hair loss and Its Causes," (accessed on July 7, 2010)