Top Reasons for Hair Loss

Losing a strand of hair here and there is completely normal. But when you start losing your strands en masse, you should start considering hair restoration, by finding out the reason behind your thinning hair.

On a daily basis, you lose up to 100 strands due to brushing, showering etc. which is completely ok, considering you have more than 100k hairs on your head.

But when you start losing more hair, to the point where you notice that your entire mane is becoming thinner and thinner by the day, or that your hairline is receding in addition to developing a bald patch on your crown, then the worry starts to settle in.

Hair loss is a problem faced by many people. Statistics show that about 50 per cent of women and 40 per cent of men suffer different kinds of hair loss at different stages in their lives, which starts in the late teens to their 80s. The percentage of course increases with age.

Although there are a lot of ways to restore thinning hair which includes hair transplant using the latest treatments and technologies like Stem Cell FUE Hair Transplantation (it is available at Dubai Cosmetic Surgery), most people do not really understand the root causes of their hair loss. Either that or they are misinformed about what is causing their hair to fall. And for one to effectively combat hair loss, he/she must know the root cause.

Here are the top reasons why you might be losing your hair:

Genetics: I have met several of our clients who are convinced that the weather and water in Dubai is causing them to lose their hair. But when I ask them if they have relatives back home who have bald heads or receding hairlines, the answer is always yes. So, in reality, the UAE weather and water is not doing anything to you hair, the root cause is genetics. And it is ok to blame your dad or grandpa for the male pattern baldness you are facing, because you can always go through a hair transplant and get a full head of hair in no time.

Hormones: The development of certain hormones in the human body can signal the onset of baldness. This can happen as early as in your early 20s. The hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the biggest culprit when it comes to androgenetic alopecia. DHT basically causes hair follicles to die leading to baldness or a receding hairline.

Stress: Severe stress, whether physical or psychological can easily lead to excessive shedding of hair. This happens when your body goes into shock, and as a result produces various hormones and metabolites, which lead to your loss of hair.

Traction alopecia: Although this is more common among women, men also face it. It happens when you pull your hair too tight, e.g. by braiding or holding it in a ponytail. I have seen boys and men who have their hair in cornrows that are too tight, without realising the damage they are doing to their hairline. To prevent this type of hair loss, try to loosen the hair a bit.

Medication: Other than chemotherapy drugs, there are other medications that can easily lead to excessive shedding of hair. These include migraine medications like beta-blockers, anti-thyroid drugs and some epilepsy medications; though not all.

Age: Although hair loss can begin from as early as 20 years of age, there are people who can have a full head of hair well into their 50s then start losing it as they approach their 70s. This can also occur to those who are not genetically predisposed to hair loss. This happens because as we age, some hairs begin to shrink, and eventually fall off, leading to thinning.

Anisa Vrabac is the Head of Hair Transplant Department at Dubai Cosmetic Surgery.