Hair Loss Happens: 10 Reasons Why You May be Losing Your Hair

Concerned about hair loss? While it's normal to lose  50 to 100 hairs per day, anything more than that, it might be time to call your primary physician, who can assess your condition and refer you to a specialist. Here are 10 reasons why you may be losing your hair: 

1. Alopecia, often referred to as male-patterned baldness— this condition is termed androgenic alopecia, and affects both men and women. Another common form of alopecia is alopecia areata, this is an autoimmune disease that causes hair to fall out in small circular or oval patches.



2. Medications such as chemotherapy drugs, blood thinners and Vitamin A, can cause hair loss.

3. Infections such as a fungal infection of the scalp may be a contributing factor as to why your hair is falling out. Treatment with anti-fungal medicines can remedy this quickly.

4. Hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as diabetes or lupus. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it's very important to investigate the issue so that it can be treated quickly. 

5. Tightly pulled hair can cause hair loss. This condition is referred to as  traction alopecia and affects people who wear tight pony tails, hair extensions, braids or cornrows, and tight hair rollers.

6. Malnutrition or a poor diet. According to WebMD foods such as fish, spinach, and lean poultry are great for your hair. Also, eating a variety of nuts and seeds may promote healthy hair—another tip, take a daily mutli-vitamin to boost your hair health.  

7.  Telogen effluvium, this is a scalp disorder which causes excessive shedding of hair due to a variety of factors such as illness, surgery, stress, poor nutrition, reactions to medications, thyroid disorders, anemia and many others. 



8. Pregnancy, some women experience hair loss after they have their baby.  Doctor Kapil Dua, MBBS explains that "this occurs because of withdrawal of female hormones estrogene and progesterone. This is also known as telogen effluvium post-partum." [Read more]



9. Lack of sleep, our nightly zzzz's are crucial, sleep deprivation can reduce the bodies ability to repair and regenerate and can even lead to hair loss. 



10.  Stress, "Hair loss can clearly be caused by high levels of stress."— Francis (Frank) William Rieger, MD  

Learn more about hair loss here

Are you experiencing hair loss? Leave your comments below and tell us what you're doing to save your hair. Got question, click here for expert answers from the board-certified doctors who participate on RealSelf.