How Normal is Hair Loss?

Everyone loses hair every day.  Most people lose between 50 and 100 strands per day.  This can sometimes be because hair loss runs in the family or is genetic.  If hair loss is genetic in your family, you may lose a lot more hair than the average person.

Doctor Talking to Patient

Other factors can contribute to hair loss too, such as medications and certain illnesses.  Either one can cause more hair loss than normal.  Hair loss can be extremely tough for some individuals, because it can so drastically change the way a person looks.

Causes of Hair Loss

Causes of hair loss are important, because some of them can be prevented.  Whether it has to do with heredity, stress or something else, if you can do something to prevent or stop the hair loss, you’ll be much better in the long run.  This is where your family doctor may come in handy.  Sometimes your doctor can help determine exactly why you are losing your hair and can help you fix the problem.

Common Causes of Hair Loss Include:

• Heredity:  In most cases, hair loss is inherited.  That means that it is passed down from one or both of the individual’s parents.  In these cases, it is called male or female-pattern baldness.
• Stress:  This includes stress from illness, physical stress from surgery and a high fever associated with illness.
• Chemotherapy:  Can also cause hair loss.  It is a powerful medicine used in cancer treatment that can destroy cancer cells.
• Damage from Hairstyles:  You can damage your hair by pulling at too tightly with tight braids and ponytails.  Constantly wearing these types of hairdos can cause too much tension on your hair, which may cause damage or breakage.

If you think you may be suffering from hair loss or thinning hair, you must first decide whether or not your hair loss is unusual.  Learn to identify your diagnosis:

• Is your hair just thinner?
• Is your “part” wider?
• Is your hairline receding or different in some way?
• Are there any bald spots or patches, which appeared recently?
• Does thinning hair or hair loss run in your family?

If you are having problems with thinning hair, talk with your hairstylist first.  There are some very normal reasons why your hair may be thinning and your hairstylist can be of help in figuring out why.  If your hairstylist isn’t helpful, speak to your doctor, or do a combination of both.  Your doctor can help you determine if your hair loss is a result of something you’re doing, your dietary habits or an illness or disease.