What Causes Excessive Hair Loss?

By HelloLife

Hair loss is a common concern in our society today. A full and healthy head of hair is closely associated with youth, vitality, and virility. Usually, baldness is an embarrassing and humiliating condition that most of us wish to avoid. It is normal to lose between 50 to 150 hairs per day. Our hair goes through a natural cycle of growth that lasts from 2-6 years depending on individual body chemistry. At the end of the hair's life cycle, it falls out and the follicle grows a new one. However, sometimes hair loss exceeds regrowth. This can have many causes, some of which are easily reversed.

Disease

Certain diseases, especially endocrine diseases can cause hair loss.

Some common examples are uncontrolled diabetes, lupus, polycystic ovary disease, and kidney, liver or thyroid diseases. Usually, if these diseases are controlled or cured, hair growth will return to normal.
Colds, the flu, and surgery can stress the body to the point where hair loss occurs, but usually this problem will go away with time.
Bacterial or fungal scalp infections can also cause hair loss, but these can be cured and normal hair growth will return.

Poor Nutrition

The body requires certain essential nutrients to properly function. This applies to hair as well. Hair is made of keratin, the same thing that your fingernails are made of. The body requires a certain amount of iron and protein to produce healthy amounts of keratin. If your diet is deficient in these vital nutrients, you may experience hair loss. In order to nutritionally support healthy hair growth, you should:

Eat a balanced diet with enough protein and iron
Avoid dangerous crash or fad diets
If you have an eating disorder, seek treatment
Take a multivitamin (Vita-Male or Vita-Female are high quality natural supplements)

Medications

Certain medications can cause hair loss. For example, some medications that are prescribed to treat the following diseases may cause hair loss:

Depression
Gout
Arthritis
Heart problems
Hypertension/high blood pressure
Birth control pills may cause hair loss in some women

If you are experiencing hair loss, talk to your health practitioner. It might be possible to change your medication in order to reduce hair loss.

Cosmetic Hair Treatments

Certain cosmetic procedures can damage hair or the scalp and cause hair loss, for example:

Bleaching
Permanents
Straightening
Dyeing
Tinting
Hairstyles that are too tight

Pregnancy and Childbirth

Some women experience a change in hair thickness during pregnancy. This is due to hormones. Often during pregnancy, fewer hairs are shed, making hair seem thicker. A few months after childbirth, this excess hair is lost. Although it might seem like you are losing more hair than normal, your hair is just returning to its pre-pregnancy state.
It is not necessary to use any hair treatments during or after pregnancy to correct hair loss as this condition usually normalizes on its own.

Medical Treatments

Some medical treatments can cause hair loss. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancers often cause hair loss, but hair usually regrows after the treatment is finished.

Common Baldness

Some hair loss is simply genetic. Men and women can both experience baldness due to genetics, which is called androgenetic alopecia. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/men/general/081.html http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hair-loss/DS00278/DSECTION=3