What Causes Alopecia?

The answer to this question is that there are several types of alopecia or hair loss conditions with differing causes, but, by far the most common is male pattern baldness, or Androgenetic alopecia. This is primarily genetic in origin in that there is an inherited tendency for the hair follicles in certain individuals to be especially sensitive to the action of a naturally occurring male hormone – dihydrotestosterone or DHT (this type of hair loss can be treated by a DHT blocker, Saw Palmetto). It seems the predisposition can be passed on by either the father or mother, and can affect both males and females. Men are more commonly affected however and the hair loss tends to follow a similar pattern in most cases with a gradual receding of the hairline, together with thinning and then loss of hair on the crown of the head. This leads to the familiar sight of a chap with the horseshoe shaped ring of hair but otherwise bald scalp. In women there seems to be a more diffuse loss of hair leading to general thinning, but in both sexes the condition gives rise to a lot of embarrassment and distress. Fortunately there are many treatments to slow or reverse the hair loss, or in severe cases there are cosmetic devices to cover up the loss.

Other causes of alopecia can be auto-immune in conditions such as lupus and other diseases which cause the body to neglect the health of the hair follicles, or even attack them directly. Some of these attacks might be triggered by environmental toxins, the side effects of drugs, nutrient deficiencies, irregularities of hormone metabolism, or poor elimination of wastes.

Stressful events can sometimes trigger hair loss. For example, if a person undergoes a series of radiation treatments to kill cancer, the treatments incur a major stress on the body. The body’s priority in these situations is to preserve its vital functions and so whatever nutrients are available are directed towards that rather than for the hair. As a result, hair loss is often the consequence of radiation treatments. Hair regrowth after this type of trauma is possible, however, depending on the state of the hair follicles and the person’s overall capacity to return to health.

Hair loss might also be caused by various types of injury to the scalp, such as burns, radiation, acid spills or trauma. If the follicles are destroyed then it may be difficult to get much in the way of hair regrowth and covering the scalp or hair transplantation may be the only options.

Stress is reckoned to have an adverse effect on the hair, probably due to disruption of hormonal systems in the body. Chronic stress may induce gradual loss of hairs at a greater rate than normal while a severe psycho-physical stress such as illness, childbirth, menopause, losing one’s job or losing a loved one, can trigger a more sudden and severe hair loss that occurs within a matter of weeks. This type of hair loss is often spontaneously reversible given time and emotional support.

Women do not seem to suffer so much or so often the alopecia of genetic origin. They do though experience hair loss from the other factors all ready mentioned, plus some others. Women are more commonly consumers of hair treatments that are known to damage hair and cause breakage and thinning. Repeated combing, use of heated tongs, hair colour and bleach can all damage the follicles which in time may become less productive.

Alopecia is the term for loss of hair and the main cause can said to be heredity. There are however, as we have mentioned, a number of other possible causes, and, at the end of the day , there are means and ways of mitigating the effects of alopecia on one’s life and lifestyle.