By: Cheryl Gregory
Hair loss can occur at any age and there are many factors that contribute to this problem including genetics, disease or medication. Women may be going through hormonal changes. A lot of women have the best hair of their life while they are pregnant. Once the baby is born, their hormone level changes dramatically and they can experience hair loss.
It certainly is no myth that over styling can cause hair loss. Hot oil hair treatments or chemicals used in perms may cause inflammation or (swelling) of the hair follicle, which can result in scarring and hair loss. Over-bleaching your hair or even tight ponytails or pigtails will damage the hair follicle causing you to lose your hair.
Scalp hair grows about a half inch per month and does slow down a bit as we age. There are about 100,000 hair follicles on our head with 90 % of these in growing stages. 10% are in a resting phase which lasts about 2 to 3 months. At the end of this time your resting hair will shed. On a typical day doing normal activities such as shampooing, combing or brushing, you will lose anywhere from 50-100 hairs. Fortunately, when one hair is shed, a new hair from the same follicle will replace it.
If your hair is shedding in large amounts, go and see your physician. Although usually genetic in nature, extreme hair loss may signal a disease process. Your doctor will ask you about your diet, which also may contribute to your hair loss. He also may ask you if you have had any recent illness or surgery. Sometimes a few months after surgery, patients may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This is due to the stress of the illness and is temporary. Again, excessive hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease such as diabetes or possibly lupus, so it is very important to find the cause in order to treat it.
