Cause of Hair LossThere are many misconceptions on what actually causes hair loss. Can using the wrong kind of shampoo and conditioner actually cause you to loss your hair? Can wearing a hat to often deprive you head of oxygen and cause your hair to start to fall out? The answer to both of these questions is no. The cause of hair loss is genetic, but not quite like it was once thought. It was thought that the baldness gene was passed down from your mother's father, however this gene can be passed down by both the mother and the father. Around 35 million men in America are affected by male pattern baldness. Hair loss can now be treated by a wide variety of drugs, topical creams, and shampoos, as well as transplants and such cosmetic devices as toupees and hair weaves. There are a number of reasons for hair loss. Common baldness, or pattern hair loss (the cause of 95% of all baldness), is generally the result of heredity, age and/or hormones. For both men and women, hair loss typically begins at early adulthood or middle age. The earlier the onset of hair loss, the more excessive the hair loss becomes over a lifetime. Male hair loss may involve total loss in frontal areas and top of the head. Female hair loss tends to be more diffuse over the entire scalp. Normally, 10% of a person's hair is in a resting phase. When resting hair falls out after two to three months, new hair starts to grow in its place. While it is normal to lose hair daily, some people may experience excessive hair loss. A person can be genetically predisposed to hair loss at birth with their hair follicles sensitive to dihydrotestosterone or DHT. The hair follicles have receptors for DHT meaning that the hair follicles are genetically engineered to start shrinking at early adulthood or middle age. Once the shrinking begins, it will continue throughout a person's lifetime and cause hair loss. The telltale signs are thinning hair caused by shrinking follicles resulting in a receding hairline or actual baldness. As the hair follicles shrink, they spend less time growing hair and the hair that is grown is thinner. Aging weakens the hair follicle and consequently the hair shaft itself. Generally, hair loss begins between the ages of 25-40 years old. Aging increases the production of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, which transforms normal testosterone into DHT, the principal cause of common baldness hair loss. The active growth phase of hair (anagen) becomes shorter as age progresses. Conversely, the resting phase of hair (telegen) increases over time. In the resting phase, hair loss increases through washing, drying and combining as replacement hair diminishes.
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