Medical & Genetic Hair Loss Info
Losing your hair can affect just your scalp or your entire body. It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or medications. Anyone — men, women and children — can experience hair loss.
While we do not carry Rogaine products, we have learned from other professionals in our field that Rogaine has been working well for women with Covid related hair loss. This is great news, keep in mind there is no guarantee it will work. As time goes on we are sure that more information will be learned and shared.
The exact cause of your thinning may not be fully understood, but it’s usually related to one or more of the following factors:
- Family history (heredity)
- Hormonal changes
- Medical conditions
- Medications
- Stress
- Pregnancy
- Alopecia
- Trichotillomania (hair pulling)
- Side effect of having COVID-19
Family history (heredity) is the most common cause. This is an inherited condition often called male-pattern baldness or female-pattern baldness. It usually occurs gradually and in predictable patterns.
Heredity can also affect the age at which you begin to lose hair, the rate of loss and the extent of baldness. Some people begin losing hair as early as puberty while others experience moderate thinning later in life.
Hormonal Changes & Medical Conditions:
There are a variety of possible causes:
- Hormonal changes and imbalances can cause both temporary and permenant loss of hair. This could be due to pregnancy, childbirth or the onset of menopause. Hormone levels are also affected by the thyroid gland, so thyroid problems may cause hair loss.
- Alopecia areata (al-o-PEE-she-uh ar-e-A-tuh). This type of loss is called patchy. It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks hair follicles — causing sudden hair loss that leaves smooth, roundish bald patches on the skin.
- Scalp infections. Infections, such as ringworm, can invade the hair and skin of your scalp, leading to scaly patches and loss. Once infections are treated, hair generally grows back.
- Other skin disorders. Diseases that cause scarring alopecia may result in permanent loss at the scarred areas. These conditions include lichen planus, some types of lupus and sarcoidosis.
- Trichotillomania (trik-o-til-o-MAY-nee-uh). This condition, also called Hair-pulling disorder, causes people to have an irresistible urge to pull out their hair, whether it’s from the scalp, the eyebrows or other areas of the body.
Pharmaceutical hair thinning can be caused by drugs used for cancer, arthritis, depression, heart problems, high blood pressure and birth control.
Other causes can also be:
- Radiation therapy to the head. The hair may not grow back the same as it was before.
- A trigger event. Many people experience a general thinning of hair several months after a physical or emotional shock. This type of hair loss is temporary. Examples of trigger events include sudden or excessive weight loss, a high fever, surgery, or a death in the family.
- Certain hairstyles and treatments. Excessive hair styling or hairstyles that pull your hair tight, such as pigtails or cornrows, can cause traction alopecia. Hot oil hair treatments and permanents can cause inflammation of hair follicles that leads to hair loss. If scarring occurs, hair loss could be permanent.
More information about Hair Loss can be found on the American Hair Loss Council website.