Cause of Hair Loss -- Which One Do You Suffer From?
Genetic and hormones are the main culprits of hair loss. One
leading form of hereditary hair loss in men and women is
Androgenetic Alopecia (otherwise known as pattern baldness),
which is responsible for 95% of hair loss. Androgenetic Alopecia
is characterized by receding hairline and thinning from the
crown of the head in the shape of a horseshoe.
With Androgenetic Alopecia hair loss is caused by an increase in
testosterone, which leads to too much dihydrotestosterone (DHT),
a derivative of testosterone. DHT can cause the blood supply
that feeds the hair to become damaged, and it can eventually
thin the hair follicle, causing hair to grow out thinner and
shorter, until the follicle withers away. Furthermore, the
body's immune system senses the follicle is dying, and as part
of its defense system tries further to shut it down and get rid
of it.
Other lesser causes include immune system disorder which leads
to Alopecia Areata. This condition causes patches of hair loss
on the head and sometimes over the body. Another condition is a
stress or trauma-induced hair loss called Telogen Effluvium
where hair growth slows, or hair thins or sheds over a period of
time. Fortunately this shedding is natural, such as after
childbirth, and is temporary and reversible.
Other temporary hair loss causes include lack of nutrition to
the hair, lack of circulation to the hair root, scalp infection,
or medical treatments/ conditions. Furthermore, product buildup
on the hair root, and deep dirt on the hair root, when mixed
with sebum, oxidizes into a thick hardened substance on the
scalp, which then clogs the entrance of the hair follicle and
blocks nutrient absorption by the follicle. The new strand of
hair has to fight through the clogged follicle, resulting in a
thinner hair strand and smaller bulb at the root of the strand
each time the old one falls out. The end result is a hair
follicle so damaged from bacteria, sebum and DHT production that
the follicle dies.
Women's hair loss tends to be caused by product and dirt buildup
on the root, lack of circulation and nutrition, irregular
hormone levels and stress. After menopause women become more
vulnerable to DHT hormones when their declining estrogen level
is not enough to counteract testosterone and DHT, contributing
to hair loss.
For men the number one cause of hair loss is DHT. Other factors
may include lack of nutrition to the hair or sebum on the hair
root.