Some common reasons include nutritional deficiencies, aging, hormonal fluctuations, or high levels of stress. If you aren't sure what is causing you to lose hair on your legs, we recommend speaking with one of our vascular specialists to determine if it's PAD or not.
If baldness runs in your family, hair loss can occur on your legs as well as your head. Losing hair on your legs is also connected with a number of health issues, like poor circulation, diabetes, thyroid conditions, fungal infections, folliculitis, hormone changes, and pituitary gland disorders.
Yes, it's normal for some people to have little to no hair on their arms and legs. Hair growth varies widely among individuals due to genetic factors, hormonal levels, and ethnic background. Some people naturally have finer or sparser hair, while others may have more.
Hair loss (alopecia) can affect just your scalp or your entire body, and it can be temporary or permanent. It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging.
Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus or diabetes, can cause the body to literally attack itself. One of the effects of such an immune reaction is the loss of body hair, usually in areas most afflicted by the disease.
Severe and prolonged hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can cause loss of hair. The loss is diffuse and involves the entire scalp rather than discrete areas. The hair appears uniformly sparse.
Certain hereditary, autoimmune disorders like alopecia areata or vascular conditions like PAD may cause hair loss on the legs. If you have any of these medical issues, your leg hair either starts to grow slower or falls off completely.
If you've lost hair as a result of stress or anxiety, there's every chance it will start to grow back once your stress levels are back to normal. Try working on reducing your stress levels as well as improving your general health and wellbeing. Any hair lost due to stress should grow back on its own in a few months.
Androgenic alopecia is generally used to describe female pattern hair loss, it is the most common cause of hair loss in women. It usually occurs after menopause because of an excess of androgens (“male hormones”) such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) caused by rapidly decreasing estrogen.
Since our estrogen levels drop as we reach middle to later age, body hair growth corresponds by becoming sparser and thinner, too. In fact, most people will see a significant slow down in the production of leg and arm hair.
Most or all axillary hair was lost in one sixth of the males and half of the females. This loss was progressive with age.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is often thought to be one of the causes of hair loss. After all, this micronutrient is needed for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis and red blood cell production, both of which are critical to growing new hair fibers.
Hair loss is a common and progressive condition in men that stems from genetic, hormonal, and lifestyle factors. It often stops or slows between the ages of 30 and 50. Although male pattern baldness is inevitable for most individuals, lifestyle changes and medical treatments provide potential ways to stop hair loss.
Stress and hair loss don't have to be permanent. And if you get your stress under control, your hair might grow back. If you notice sudden or patchy hair loss or more than usual hair loss when combing or washing your hair, talk to your doctor.
Iron deficiency can cause hair loss and increased hair shedding. Hair loss from low iron isn't permanent. Your hair will start to grow back once your iron levels return to normal. Taking oral iron supplements can help get your iron stores back to normal.
The medical term for hair loss is alopecia. It can affect any part of the body, including the legs. Causes include medications and medical conditions, such as diabetes. Hair loss on the legs is known as anterolateral leg alopecia.
Unfortunately, this type of diabetes is often accompanied by other immune issues such as alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that may cause your hair to fall in patches that resemble a large coin.
When blood flow to the legs is restricted due to PAD, the hair follicles may receive insufficient nourishment, resulting in thinning or loss of hair. Leg hair loss can serve as a visual cue that there may be an underlying issue with the blood circulation in your legs.
Menke′s syndrome and Elejalde disease are the two neurodegenerative disorders of dermatological interest. These patients present with characteristic hair changes which may be of diagnostic value in resource-poor setup where facilities for specific genetic analysis are not available.
A common symptom of an underactive thyroid is weight gain, often around the abdomen. However, the American Thyroid Association states that the weight gain may not necessarily be due to the build up of fat, but the accumulation of salt and water.