3 Major Causes of Alopecia

Primary keyword: Alopecia

Alopecia (hair loss) is a pretty common occurrence that affects your scalp or entire body. While this condition mainly affects the elderly, it's prevalent across all age brackets, including children. If you have alopecia, you may see additional hair on pillows, shower drains, or bald patches on your scalp.

However, depending on the underlying cause, the hair loss may be temporary or permanent. Although alopecia is manageable, it has no known cure at the time. All in all, there are a couple of therapies and strategies that can help regrow the hair faster and conceal hair loss.

Even better, these treatments can help prevent further hair loss. With that said, let’s explore the three significant causes of alopecia.

1.     Hormone Imbalance

During pregnancy, menopause, and childbirth, hormonal changes cause temporary or permanent hair loss. The most prevalent type of alopecia is androgenic alopecia, often known as the female or male pattern of baldness.

It causes balding, a receding hairline in men, and overall thinning in women. Androgenic alopecia is both a hormonal and hereditary condition. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a male sex hormone generated from testosterone. Excessive production of DHT weakens hair follicles by binding the DHT to testosterone.

There is testosterone in both men and women. DHT can cause androgenic alopecia in women when the female sex hormone estrogen is out of balance and gets converted to testosterone. This mainly occurs in women with the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Therefore, alopecia can happen either before menopause or as a result of other hormonal issues.

2.     Metabolic Endocrine Disease

Hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid slows down your metabolism, causing issues such as alopecia. As your metabolism slows down, your body tends to expend more energy in an attempt to keep the critical body functions running.

 In such times, your body pays little to no attention to caring for your hair. For that reason, hair loss may occur, or your hair may become noticeably brittle or coarse.

3.     Poor Nutrition and Lifestyle

Nutritional deficiency is another major cause of alopecia. Your body needs essential vitamins and nutrients like proteins and iron obtained from a healthy and well-balanced diet to function correctly. Poor nutrition or highly restrictive fad diets can cause nutrient shortages in the body, contributing to hair loss, thinning hair, and baldness.

In Summary

A certain amount of hair falls out every day, which is pretty natural. Each day, people might lose up to 100 hairs. However, if you realize that you're losing more hair than usual, you might be having some underlying issues. In that case, individuals should consult a doctor for guidance on the best treatment alternatives.

You can treat hair loss in a variety of ways. Some may even be able to assist in its reversal. All in all, the best treatment for you is determined by the underlying causes of your hair loss. That’s why it's critical to consult a specialist and have your condition diagnosed. The sooner you address hair loss problems, the more likely you will avoid permanent damage.