What causes hair loss?

There are many causes of hair loss.

One of the most common forms of female hair loss is androgenic alopecia, also known as female pattern baldness. Female hair loss is a little less noticeable than male baldness. Rather than a receding hairline, hair loss for women often presents as a thinning of the hair behind the hairline.  

• Styling can cause hair loss if hair is excessively straightened, brushed, bleached or permed. Further, traction alopecia occurs when hair roots are damaged from over styling or pulling hair too tightly in hairstyles like ponytails, braids, or pigtails leading to significant hair loss.
• There are three autoimmune conditions with unknown causes that can cause hair loss. Alopecia areata, which causes patchy hair loss on the scalp; alopecia totalis leads to scalp baldness and alopecia universalis where one loses hair on their body and scalp.
• Hair loss can be a by-product of diseases, including cancer, diabetes and lupus.
• Hyperhidrosis, a condition which causes excessive sweating can lead to lactic acid secretion harming the scalp and hair, leading to hair loss.
• Some infections can cause patches of hair loss, such as tinea capitis (ringworm of the scalp), a contagious fungal infection.
• Medical treatments like radiation therapy and chemotherapy for cancer can cause hair loss.
• Medications including Accutane, blood thinners, anti-inflammatories, anti-fungal, drugs used to treat depression, high blood pressure, ulcers, thyroid disorders, Parkinson’s, heart disease, gout, glaucoma, epilepsy, cholesterol can all lead to hair loss.
• Unhealthy dieting, eating disorders or generally poor nutrition can cause hair loss.
• Trichotillomania is a psychological disorder which causes people to compulsively pull out their hair from the scalp, brows, or elsewhere on their body.