Common causes of hair loss…

There are many direct or indirect causes for hair loss. Here are some explanations for the most common causes:

Male pattern baldness

Male pattern baldness is hereditary – which means it runs in families – and is thought to be caused by oversensitive hair follicles (holes in the skin that contain the roots of each hair). This is linked to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is made from the male hormone testosterone.

If there is too much DHT, the follicles react to it – the hair becomes thinner and grows for a shorter length of time than normal. The balding process is gradual and happens over time because different follicles are affected at different times.

Female pattern baldness

The causes of female-pattern baldness are less well understood. Women who have been through the menopause may have an increased chance of female-pattern baldness because they have fewer female hormones.

Alopecia areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition. Usually, our immune system attacks the cause of an infection, but in the case of alopecia areata it damages the hair follicles instead. Fortunately, the hair follicles are not permanently damaged and in many cases the hair grows back within a few months.

Scarring alopecia

Scarring alopecia is caused by permanent damage to the hair follicles. In many cases, it is not clear why this happens, although it is sometimes the result of another condition.

Anagen effluvium

Anagen effluvium is usually caused by medical treatments for cancer, most commonly chemotherapy – however, not all chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss and sometimes the hair loss is so small it is hardly noticeable.

Telogen effluvium

Telogen effluvium is a type of temporary hair loss that can be the result of many causes including your body reacting to hormonal changes, intense emotional stress, intense physical stress, a short or long-term illness or even changes in your diet.

At DialaChemist we have a range of products that can help with hair loss. Amongst the most effective is Regaine which is the only clinically-proven over the counter treatment for hair loss in both men and women.