For most of us it is extremely difficult to talk about hair loss. It is understandable, as this issue affects millions and it is a highly sensitive subject amongst men and women alike. Our hair is one of the key elements of our appearance, which is worn with pride by those who are blessed with a full head of beautiful hair. Those, on the other hand, suffering from excessive hair loss often lose their self-confidence as a result. If you are one of the many losing his or her hair for seemingly no reason, you may wonder why all this is happening. While millions of people experience hair loss, and some will see their hair re-grow without doing anything, many will need treatment.

Natural process or a problem requiring medical treatment?

First, let’s define what exactly is considered excessive hair loss. On average we lose about 50-100 pieces of hair per day, out of the 100,000 on the average scalp. This is considered normal and is due to a few contributing factors:

Hair Life Cycle:

The average lifespan of a single hair is 4.5 years.

Hair Styling:

The daily torture we put our hair through may rid us from some of our hair. Shampooing, blow drying, and brushing hair can all cause a few hairs to fall out.

Aging:

After the age of 30 (sometimes even before), men and women both start losing hair, though men tend to do so at a faster rate.

When we lose more than about 100 hairs per day, we must investigate as the reasons could be numerous.

Possible reasons for excessive hair loss:

Genetic hair loss:

This tends to be due to an insufficient amount of hairs growing back to replace the hairs that have fallen out as part of their natural life cycle

Physical or emotional stress:

Injury, chronic illness or major surgery can put enormous stress on our body and can lead to hair loss. The more common type is called telogen effluvium, the less severe type of hair loss. In this case the hair stops growing, then falls out 2 or 3 months later. 6 to 9 month later it typically reappears.

The other type of stress-induced hair loss is known as alopecia areata, which involves a white blood cell attack on the hair follicles. The hair falls out usually in patches within weeks, but can involve the entire scalp. Hair may grow back on its own, but treatment may also be required.

Other causes:

• Pregnancy
• Childbirth
• Birth control pills
• Thyroid disease: overactive or underactive thyroid
• Deficient diet: this type of hair loss can be reversed and prevented by insuring that you get all the necessary nutrients. Hair supplements may be a great way to go if you are unable to eat a nutritionally complete diet
• Medications
• Cancer treatments

It is nearly impossible to determine by yourself what is at the root of your problems. It is always a good idea to seek the help of a healthcare professional with expertise in dealing with hair loss. He will most likely run some tests to pinpoint exactly what the underlying issues are and propose appropriate therapy.