What causes hair loss?
It’s a common belief that hair loss is a men’s issue, but while it does occur more frequently in males, it also affects plenty of women.
Hair loss can vary from cause. Some patients suffer from hair loss due to genetics and hormones, while others may have alopecia which is due to an autoimmune disorder, or thinning of the hair following pregnancy.
The cause of female pattern baldness is still not understood but is largely believed to be due to genetics.
There are three types of hair loss: anagen effluvium, telogen effluvium and FPHL.
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Anagen effluvium: This is caused by medications that poison a growing hair follicle (like chemotherapy).
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Telogen effluvium: This is caused by an increased number of hair follicles reaching the telogen phase, which is the stage where hair falls out.
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Androgenetic alopecia/female pattern alopecia/female pattern hair loss (FPHL)/baldness: This type is the most common. Hair most commonly thins over the top of the head and on the sides.