What Causes Hair Loss?

People lose hair every day; that’s normal. About 10 percent of your hair is not growing, but resting. The resting hair eventually falls out. But, sometimes hair loss becomes excessive, which can be quite distressing. Both men and women can experience hair loss. There are many reasons for hair loss, some of which are treatable.

Illness, surgery or certain medicines can cause hair loss, but this is usually only temporary. Imbalanced hormones are another cause. Correcting the imbalance can correct the problem. Some women, for example, lose hair after having a baby due to high levels of certain hormones. When the body returns to normal, so does the hair growth cycle.

Hair loss can be inherited, as in the cases of men with male-pattern baldness or women with female-pattern baldness. People who inherit this condition find that their hair falls out easily when they reach a certain age.

People who don’t get enough protein or iron in their diets can experience hair loss. Chemotherapy causes hair loss, too. Some hair treatments, such as bleaching, straightening or perming can damage hair, causing it to break off.