Although many of us would like to avoid it, losing our hair is part of the natural cycle of hair growth. Each hair on your head grows for about two to three years, before it reaches it growth capacity and falls out in order for a new hair to grow in its place. This natural process accounts for the stray hairs that are found at the bottom of your shower. In some cases, however, hair loss can become excessive, to the point where you may be losing more than the normal amount of hairs per day. How much hair you are expected to lose per day is based on the length, healthiness and amount of hair that you have in your current hairstyle.
Excessive hair loss can be attributed to several different factors, dependent on the type of hair loss you experience.
If you experience:
- Patchy Hair Loss, which affects both men and women, could be caused by a condition called alopecia areata, where a small bald spot appears on the head that will grow back within three to six months. Patchy hair loss can also be inflicted through certain hairstyles and habits; wearing a ponytail, or simply twisting your hair around your finger may be enough to pull hairs from their follicles. Fungal infections are an additional cause of patchy hair loss, when treated with antibiotics will allow hair to grow back.
- General Hair Loss, which is categorized by simply losing more hair than you ought to be, is generally caused by the development of androgenetic hair loss, or baldness patterns in both men and women. Baldness occurs in all adults, how fast and how much your hair will thin out depends on your genetics and hormones.
Losing your hair is natural parts of life; however, if you think that you may be losing too much hair, talk to your healthcare provider about options for treating your hair loss, which may include taking medications like Finasteride for men and Minoxidil for both men and women.
