Why Am I Losing My Hair?

Your body is completely covered in hair except for a few places such as the soles of your feet, the palms of your hands, your eyelids, and your belly button. While some of your hair might be thick and coarse, other portions are so fine that the hair isn’t even visible. 

Each person has an average of about 100,000-150,000 hairs on their head at any given time, and you lose up to 100 hairs each day. Since your hair follicles are constantly renewing hair growth, these shed hairs aren’t an issue. 

However, sometimes hair growth can start to slow down and you can start shedding more hair than usual. Hair loss — medically referred to as alopecia — may be embraced by some, but others may find this condition distressing.

Because hair loss can happen for numerous reasons, our team at Integrated Dermatology of 19th Street located in Washington, DC, wants to address some common factors that contribute to hair loss in this blog.

Common signs of hair loss

Since you lose so much hair from your head every single day, how can you tell if you’re actually going through hair loss or if your hairbrush and shower drain are simply catching more hair than normal? 

Here are some common telltale signs of significant hair loss:

• Widening part
• Itchy scalp
• Receding hairline
• More shedding than usual
• Clumps of hair falling out
• Circular or patchy bald spots

The things you notice about your hair loss will differ depending on what’s causing it. Your hair loss may strictly affect your scalp, but you could start losing the hair on your body as well.

Common reasons for hair loss

While hair loss is usually more prevalent in older adults and especially older men, it can happen to anyone, including children. The severity of your hair loss greatly depends on what’s causing it in the first place.

Let’s take a look at some factors that often contribute to hair loss.

Genetics

Family history is usually the culprit of hair loss. Genetics can give you a predisposition to start losing hair as you age, referred to as male-patterned or female-patterned baldness. While men tend to have a receding hairline and bald spots, women are more likely to have a widening part and thin hair at the crown of their scalp.

Hormones and stressful life events

Pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and thyroid issues can all cause drastic fluctuations in hormone levels which often leads to hair loss. You may also start to lose hair if you go through any type of event that causes mental or physical shock.

Medications and medical conditions

Hair loss can be a side effect of medications for gout, arthritis, cancer, depression, and high blood pressure. In addition, an autoimmune condition called alopecia areata can make your hair fall out in clumps as can scalp infections like ringworm.

Hairstyles and products

Wearing your hair in high ponytails or cornrows too often can damage your hair and cause it to start falling out as can getting a perm or hot oil treatment.

How we treat hair loss

We offer several different treatments for hair loss at Integrated Dermatology of 19th Street, including medication, laser therapy, and hair transplants. The one that works best for you will depend on your age, how much hair you have left, and underlying health issues. 

Before you decide which route you’d like to go, we sit down with you to talk through each option to help you make an informed decision.

If you’re struggling with hair loss, don’t wait to seek treatment. Contact our team by calling our office at 202-955-6995 or scheduling an appointment online for expert care.