Causes of Hair Loss
Causes of Hair Loss
To understand the causes of hair loss should begin by understanding how hair grows. Human skin is covered with tiny hair follicles that produce the shafts of hair that we grow. Hair can grow on average about one inch per year and a typical hair shaft can be grown between a two and six year span of time. The hair shaft itself is not alive and is made up of a special type of protein called Keratin. The hair follicles nurture and produces the shafts of hair as the proteins are available for the follicle to use. When hair loss occurs the follicle itself has become shrunken and no longer produces a new shaft of hair.
Primary Causes of Hair Loss
Causes of hair loss can be tricky to pinpoint, but there are several conditions that may be involved. Stress is one of the primary causes of hair loss in both men and women. Stress is capable of producing many different body reactions and specifically how stress relates to hair loss is difficult to pinpoint. This is true because each person reacts differently to stress.
Medications, injury, surgery and illness are also causes of hair loss. Medications such as birth control can affect how the body produces specific types of proteins. Medications also can affect the production and balancing of hormones within the body. Hormones such as estrogen and testosterone can be directly listed as several of the causes of hair loss. Following illness and surgery the body may use the proteins need to create hair in other parts of the body. This can cause a temporary or permanent hair loss to occur. In women, menopause is another of the causes of hair loss that can produce dramatic patches of baldness and thinning of the hair.
Causes of Hair Loss – Treatment
In many cases, hair loss does not require medical treatment. Treatment to correct the causes of hair loss can be sought out if the person involved is uncomfortable with the way they look. Causes of hair loss can be isolated as a single incident or may be identified as being a combination of many different vectors. The causes of hair loss can sometimes be corrected, but, in many cases, the results are permanent.
Diet and malnutrition can lead be one of the causes of hair loss. Eating a diet that is balanced and nutritious can help prevent the causes of hair loss to take hold. A good diet can also help to reverse some of the hair loss that is caused by poor diet.
The causes of hair loss can affect both men and women. Typically, hair loss is an issue that men face more than it is for women. Regardless, the loss of hair can be detrimental to self esteem and self confidence in people who suffer hair loss. A good first step to fixing the problem is to determine the cause of hair loss.