In general, humans drop between 50 and 100 single hairs a day, which is part of the natural balance, but when a woman experiences unexpected and heavy hair loss, what to do Here are the causes of abundant hair loss.
Types of hair loss
- Anagen effluvium: this is caused by drugs that poison the developing hair follicles (eg chemotherapy).
- Telogen effluvium: this is caused by an increase in the number of hair follicles that reach the telogen phase, which is the phase in which hair falls out .
- Male pattern alopecia / female pattern alopecia / female pattern hair loss (FPHL) / baldness: this type is the most common. The hair lightens from the top of the head and on the sides.
Causes of hair loss
- Hormonal imbalances
Excess androgens, or male sex hormones, and hormonal imbalances are the most common cause of hair loss such as androgenetic alopecia and thick hair loss
- Thyroid problems
Other types of hormone-related conditions may also contribute to hair loss. Some of them may include thyroid hormones .
Either an underactive thyroid (a medical condition called hypothyroidism ) or an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can lead to hair loss because each condition causes a hormonal imbalance
- After childbirth
Estrogen levels rise dramatically during pregnancy, which can temporarily alter your hair growth cycles. During this time, you are likely to experience less hair loss than usual.
As estrogen levels return to normal after pregnancy, you may notice more hair loss than usual.
- Some medicines
Hair loss caused by medications, such as blood-thinning medications, oral contraceptives, depression medications, anti-inflammatories, calcium and beta channel blockers, and drugs containing vitamin A and vitamin A called retinoids can also cause hair loss.
Some chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer are known to cause complete hair loss because they work to destroy cancer cells.
- Different types of alopecia areata (AA)
Alopecia areata is the medical term for hair loss, and alopecia areata describes an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks and destroys your hair follicles, hindering new hair growth.
- Other autoimmune diseases
Alopecia areata is one of the many types of autoimmune diseases that can cause hair loss, such as thyroiditis and lupus are two examples of other autoimmune diseases that can lead to hair loss.
- Physical trauma
When your body is under serious physical stress, the natural cycle of hair growth and rest can be disrupted; this leads to hair loss, often in the form of thinning hair, and your hair may come out in lumps.
- Stress
Hair loss can be caused by a great deal of stress, such as having an illness or undergoing surgery that puts stress on the body and mind, or having Corona, and emotional shocks also cause severe telogen effluvium.
- Plucking hair
While stress is often a short-term cause of hair loss, severe stress or anxiety may be associated with trichotillomania disorder or trichotillomania, causing hair loss
- Lack of vitamins
Deficiency in certain vitamins and minerals can lead to hair loss and reduced hair growth because they help in the hair growth cycle and cell turnover.
- Cruel hairstyles
Trying to create a stylish hairstyle, you can cause significant damage and brittleness, which can lead to hair loss and thinning, especially frequent shampooing or blow – drying, frequent use of hot styling tools, pulling hair-both while blow-drying and styling in a very tight ponytail.
Hair growth cycles
Hair goes through three cycles as follows:
- Anagen phase (growth phase): it can last from two to eight years. This stage generally refers to about 85% to 90% of the hair on your head.
- Regression phase (transition phase): is the time when the hair follicles shrink and takes about two to three weeks.
- The telogen phase (resting phase) lasts: about two to four months. At the end of this stage, the hair falls out.
Your shorter hairs such as eyelashes, arm and leg hair, and eyebrows have a short sleep phase, about one month. The hair on your scalp can last up to six years or even longer.
Hair loss treatment
The treatment depends on the cause of your hair loss as follows:
In cases where the loss is due to stress or hormonal changes such as pregnancy: there may be no need for treatment. Hair loss will stop after a while.
In cases of hair loss caused by hairdressing practices such as tight braids, ponytails or certain chemicals: the treatment means not doing the things that caused the damage.
In cases of nutritional deficiencies: you may be asked to take dietary supplements, for example you may be asked to take a multivitamin and three to five milligrams of biotin per day.
Hair loss medications
- Minoxidil
- Lasers
- Spironolactone and other antiandrogens.
- Finasteride and other alpha-reductase inhibitors.
- Estrogen.
- Analogues of prostaglandins.
- Stimulants.
- Hair transplantation
Here we come to the conclusion of the article after showing the causes of abundant hair loss, and how to treat it in various ways.
Sources and references
“Hair loss in women”, the article is published on the website my.clevelandclinic.org
“Hair loss: its causes and causes”, the article is published on the website aad.org
