It’s that dreadful time when you realize that the extra hair falling out in the shower translates into thin looking hair. The question, “Why am I losing my hair?” is one that crosses the minds of many men and women who may be as young as early 20’s. The answer to the question is not often easy to pinpoint. However, there are factors to consider in finding the cause of hair loss.

• Genetic
  
• Stress
  
• Diet
  
• Health
  
• Medication
  
• Environment

Let’s expand each cause.

• Genetic
  This is the most common and most obvious. “Baldness runs in the family.” The tendency towards hair loss can be inherited from either side of your family. Men look at their father, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers to see if they may be prone to hair loss. Women may have cause for worry if their mother, grandmothers or great-grandmothers had thin hair. This type of hair loss is usually caused by a higher level of testosterone in the body. Testosterone changes into dihydrotestosterone, (DHT) which is toxic to hair growth. Men naturally have a higher level of testosterone. As women age, testosterone levels may increase.
  
• Stress
  How many of us do not have stress in our life? – work load, financial or family obligations, death in the family, etc. High levels of emotional stress can cause a generalized hair loss called Telogen Effluvium. The hair go into the resting phase prematurely. The hair stays in the resting stage about 3 months and will fall out. Because of this, hair loss may occur after the stressful event has ended. In this case, the hair loss is temporary and hair growth returns to normal.
  
• Diet
  If you are successful in your weight loss plan, you may be causing your own thin hair. Rapid weight loss can cause hair loss. It can disrupt the body’s hormone levels causing a change in the growth cycle of hair. Also, when the body is deprived of nutrients, it will direct the nutrients it receives to vital organs. Hair follicles are not necessary for life, so they are the last to receive the limited supply of nutrition.
  Gastric bypass surgery is known to often lead to hair loss.
  
• Health
  Pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and thyroid conditions can cause hair loss.
  Many women experience hair loss about 3 months after childbirth triggered by the change in hormone levels. Similar reactions can occur during pregnancy and menopause.
  Thyroid conditions, both hyper-thyroid and hypo-thyroid have been know to cause hair loss.
  
• Medications
  Birth control pills affect hormone levels in the body and thus have an effect on hair growth.
  Read the side effect information on prescription medication to see if hair loss is listed.
  
• Environment
  Sun exposure and swimming in chlorinated water are aging to the scalp skin and can cause thinning hair. Using styling products that coat the scalp skin and clog pores and hair follicles can prevent hair growth.

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