It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging. Anyone can lose hair on their head, but it's more common in men. Baldness typically refers to excessive hair loss from your scalp. Hereditary hair loss with age is the most common cause of baldness.
Possible causes of hair loss include stress, poor diet, and underlying medical conditions. Everyone experiences hair shedding, and it happens to each of us every day. Most people lose 50 to 100 hairs per day as part of this natural cycle, more on days you wash your hair.
When to see a doctor
See your doctor if you're concerned about how much hair you are losing every day. A gradual thinning on the top of your head, the appearance of patchy or bald spots on your scalp, and full-body hair loss are signs that there may be an underlying health condition.
There are a wide range of conditions that can bring on hair loss, with some of the most common being pregnancy, thyroid disorders, and anemia. Others include autoimmune diseases, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and skin conditions such as psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis, Rogers says.
Long-term side effects following COVID-19 infection have caused many devastating symptoms, from loss of taste and smell to brain fog and fatigue. Hair loss has also been reported as a common symptom. While this side effect could be one of the most alarming, it is short lived in most circumstances.
Biotin. Biotin (vitamin B7) is important for cells inside your body. Low levels of it can cause hair loss, skin rashes, and brittle nails.
Minoxidil (Rogaine).
Many people prefer the foam applied when the hair is wet. Products with minoxidil help many people regrow their hair or slow the rate of hair loss or both. It'll take at least six months of treatment to prevent further hair loss and to start hair regrowth.
If the reason for thinning hair is genetics, it will not grow back on its own. To grow back a healthy, full head of hair, you'll need to take action, and that involves reviewing different hair loss options.
Sometimes it's your styling routine that's to blame when your hair starts to break or fall out. Using too much shampoo, brushing or combing your hair when it's wet, rubbing hair dry with a towel, or brushing too hard or too often can all strain your strands and make them break.
"Losing over 100 hairs per day — or 700 hairs per week — would be classed as excessive and may indicate an underlying issue which is causing the hair cycle to shorten and shed more hairs than normal per day," Sallis told INSIDER.
You may notice it in the shower or in your hair brush. Hair shedding can involve a significant amount of hair falling out. However, it typically results in hair regrowing from the same follicle. This is unlike hair loss, which leads to permanent or semi-permanent loss.
In women, hereditary hair loss usually starts after the age of 40. Roughly 40% of women have detectable hair loss by the age of 50. And less than half of women get through life with a full head of hair.
Fun fact: Humans usually shed as many as 50 to 100 hairs each day during the telogen phase, per the American Academy of Dermatology, and this loss is most often noticed when you're washing, brushing or running fingers through your hair.
Hair often falls out in the shower because you stimulate your scalp when you shampoo or condition your hair. Your hairs that were already destined to fall out get the nudge they need from shampooing, and your hair comes off your head.
On average, normal hair loss is less than 100 hairs per day. Losing 200-300 hairs per day is abnormal, especially since you've noticed a sudden increase in the amount. This may be an indication of your body responding to a stressful event, illness, hormonal imbalance or medication.
In other cases, thinning hair is triggered by something going on inside the body — for instance, a thyroid problem, a shift in hormones, a recent pregnancy, or an inflammatory condition. Hair loss may also be genetic. The most common genetic condition is known as female-pattern hair loss, or androgenic alopecia.
Minoxidil (Rogaine) 5% is the only topical medication approved by the FDA for female-pattern hair loss. The once daily use foam treatment regrows hair in 81% of the women who try it. Liquid options of 2% and 5% solutions are available over the counter.
Hair grows from a root at the bottom of a follicle under your skin. The blood in your scalp goes to the follicle and supplies oxygen and nutrients to the hair root, which helps your hair grow. As your hair grows, it will push through your skin and pass by an oil gland.