10 common causes of hair loss

 

Hair loss can be very scary and can negatively affect your self-esteem. On average we lose around 80-90 strands of hair daily. Once you start losing more strands than usual or you realize your hair is thinning more than it is growing, it could be anything really.

Hair loss can be due to so many triggers it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. It can go from tight braids pulling and causing strain on your hair to a hormonal imbalance or even genes.

Good thing is, hair can be grown back or bought so don’t freak out.

To help you figure out what could be going on with your mane, here are possible causes for your hair loss.

Physical stress

When you are really stressed it can shock the hair cycle which is a programmed cycle that helps in hair growth, rest stage and shedding stage. When you become stressed it triggers the hair cycle and it tends to lead to shedding. This causes a hair loss called telogen effluvium. Stress can also trigger other scalp problems such as dandruff.

Hormonal imbalance

This can cause you so much grief with annoying health and beauty issues such as acne. Hormones play a huge role in regulating the growth cycle and should your hormones be in turmoil, the effects will be seen all over your body including your hair.

Pregnancy

The reason hair loss happens during pregnancy is due to the physical stress your body undergoes. Due to the traumatic birth experience hair loss is common after the baby comes. This is normal and your hair should grow back a few months later.

Anemia

When you suffer from anemia due to iron deficiency it can cause hair loss. Iron helps produce hemoglobin and a deficiency can result to oxygen not being transferred to the body cells for growth and repair. Hair is made up of cells.

Drastic weight loss

This can lead to thinning of the hair due to sudden weight changes and shock your body goes through. Weight loss is in itself stresses the body and not eating right will lead to deficiencies of vitamins and minerals.

Lack of protein

If you don’t get enough protein in your diet your body will be forced to limit what it has and this means your hair growth will have to take a back seat.

Chemotherapy

Some drugs used to fight cancer cause major side effects and one of those is your hair falling out. Chemotherapy is like an explosion. It destroys rapidly developing cells and hair being made up of cells it is affected.

Over-styling

Every woman can relate to this! Years of having tight braids, weaves, using heat and putting chemicals which are harsh to the scalp will lead to hair loss eventually. This usually affects the hair root and most times it usually doesn’t grow back.

Aging

When we grow older the hair tends to become thin and most times they fall out. This is due to changes in the body and cells not regenerating unlike when you are in your youth.

Vitamin B deficiency

Common in vegans who lack vitamin B12 which is found only in animal protein, this deficiency can take a toll on your hair. Not having food rich in vitamin B not only leads to hair loss but will also affect your overall health.