Hair Loss – the 5 Main Causes Other Than Genetic Reason

Most people think that hair loss is a genetic condition. This is, perhaps, the most widely-accepted reason for losing hair. But the truth is, a parent’s genes are just one of the many factors that could cause the loss of hair. There are many other factors that could attribute to hair loss:

1. Hormonal Imbalance

The level of hormones (especially in a woman’s body) could play a great role on whether or not an individual would experience hair loss. Many women have noticed that hair loss ensues at about three months after giving birth. The level of hormones for pregnant women could be so high that the hairs that would normally fall out are retained. This, however, would result into a massive hair loss when the hormone levels decrease after giving birth.

2. Chemotherapy

Cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy have to use drugs that are specifically designed to attack both the good and bad cells. When this happens, all types of cells (including cells on hair follicles and roots) are subjected to the same level of attack as the deadly cancer cells. This results in hair loss on the patient’s scalp and even on the underarm, leg, and pubic areas. Chemotherapy is so strong that even eyebrows and eyelashes would fall out.

Currently, there is no treatment for hair loss caused by chemotherapy. Most people believe that they could slow down the process of hair loss if they place an ice pack on the affected scalp. This might be able to help but most people also feel much discomfort while placing an ice pack on their scalp. Besides, too much cold applied to the scalp could result into cancer on that region.

It could take a month or more after the last chemotherapy session before the hair fall stops. This condition could range from rapid hair loss to gradual hair fall, and this is depending on the present condition of the patient.

3. Lack of Biotin

Biotin is an essential element for hair growth and strength. On the absence of this element, the body hairs weaken and gradually would fall off. The only way to cure hair loss on this condition would be to take biotin once more. Biotin could be taken as a food or dietary supplement. If you would want to stock up on biotin, better start eating liver and egg yolks (two types of food that have high biotin content).

4. Infection

Having dandruff can be a cause of hair loss. When this condition is prolonged, the hair follicles and the scalp are weakened by the fungi that cause this condition. Also, there are certain fungal and bacterial infections that can cause hair loss. Infections such as these are common among children. The treatments include antifungal and anti-bacterial medicines.

5. Exposure to Heat & Excessive Hair Pulling

Styling can be fun but when the hair becomes stressed by such an activity, it’s time to give it a rest. Hair blowers should not be constantly used as exposure to heat would cause the hair in the scalp to become brittle and eventually fall out. Conditioners and other moisturizers could be used to treat severely damaged hair and, to some degree, falling hair.

Genetic roots of some hair loss identified

  Alopecia areata affects more than five million Americans June 2010

A common form of hair loss called alopecia areata is linked to eight genes, researchers have found.

Alopecia areata can begin with a sudden whitening of the hair and then loss of patches of hair on the scalp that in some cases may progress to total loss of hair on the scalp or body. Currently, progression of the disorder is unpredictable, but the new findings could help determine which patients will have severe forms, scientists say.

In Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, Angela Christiano, a professor of dermatology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, and her colleagues report eight genes contribute to the condition.

Alopecia areata was originally thought to be related to psoriasis, but psoriasis treatments failed to help. It is now considered an autoimmune disorder, and many of the genetic regions implicated in the new study are also associated with other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Type 1 diabetes that have treatments, the report said.

"Finally, we have the possibility of developing drugs that specifically target the mechanism behind the disease,

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