Hair Loss: Main Causes and When It's Normal

Everyone loses hair, and most often it isn't a disease. The difference between normal and a problem lies in the amount, the duration, and what else is happening in the body. Below are the boundaries of normal, the real causes, and the point at which talking to a doctor stops being optional.

How much hair loss is normal

The norm is 50 to 100 hairs per day, and most people don't notice it. New hairs usually grow in place of the lost ones, so daily shedding by itself does not lead to baldness. What should raise concern is not a single hair in your hand or on the pillow, but a change in the pattern: the part has become wider, the scalp shows through, the ponytail has become thinner.

If shedding has increased, the logic for finding the cause is the same: a recent illness, stress, iron deficiency, weight loss, medications.

What causes hair loss: main causes

Some hair loss is irreversible. Androgenetic alopecia is thinning in the male or female pattern, and it is usually hereditary. Other types are more often temporary: they begin after an illness or stress, during cancer treatment, with weight loss and iron deficiency.

The list of causes is broader than "a bad shampoo." Hair loss accompanies thyroid disease, diabetes, lupus, the use of certain medications, a low-protein diet, and generally poor nutrition.

• a recent illness or severe stress;
• iron deficiency, a low-protein diet, poor nutrition;
• cancer treatment and the use of certain medications;
• thyroid disease, diabetes, lupus;
• heredity and age-related changes.

Hair loss in women: specific features

In women, androgenetic alopecia looks different than in men: hair thins in the area of the central part and further along the sides of the head. Data on what proportion of cases it accounts for vary more widely than in men — from 20 to 90%: female thinning is less noticeable and harder to diagnose.

Hormonal fluctuations are a separate story. Estradiol prolongs the hair growth phase, which is especially noticeable during pregnancy: the number of growing hairs and the total number of hairs on the head increase. Hairs that have remained in the growth phase longer than usual are shed relatively synchronously.

Hair loss in men and adolescents

Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of baldness in men. It affects the frontal and parietal areas. Hair does not disappear immediately: it miniaturizes, becoming thin, short, and colorless, and after 10–12 years the follicular openings become overgrown with connective tissue. The point of seeing a doctor is not to "save your hair in a week" but to understand the type of hair loss.

In children and adolescents, alopecia areata occurs — patches of complete hair absence. Another cause at this age is trichotillomania, when a person pulls out their own hair. Neither situation is solved by choosing a product from an advertisement.

How to find the cause: diagnosis

The first step is an examination. A doctor can often determine the cause by looking at the hair and scalp: where exactly the thinning occurs matters. Tell the doctor how the hair loss affects your life — this is part of the picture, not a complaint for the sake of politeness. The doctor then decides whether additional tests and consultations with other specialists are needed. Commercial hair growth clinics are reasonably left for later: first, a conversation about the cause.

When hair loss requires seeing a doctor

See a doctor if the hair loss worries you. This is the only formal criterion, and it works. Most hair loss does not require treatment: it is either temporary and resolves, or a normal part of aging. Hair loss associated with an illness usually stops when the person recovers.

Hair loss by itself is not a reason to call an ambulance. 103 or 112 are needed if signs of an emergency appear: sudden weakness, facial asymmetry or speech impairment, chest pain, loss of consciousness.

This material is for reference and does not replace a doctor's consultation.

This content is for reference and does not replace a doctor's consultation. Medical disclaimer