You might have noticed that as people age, their hair appears to be thinner than before. As time passes, hair thins out. But ageing is not the only cause for hair thinning. There are a variety of conditions that carry it as a symptom.
Hair thinning is not necessarily a sign of permanent hair loss to come; it could be, but just not in most cases. It is important you are able to pinpoint which might be causing your hair to thin before rushing out to treating it. Therefore, first, know what causes hair thinning before taking any action.
Conditions That Cause Hair Thinning
The following are the known conditions responsible for hair thinning as either a main or secondary symptom.
Androgenetic Alopecia
Better known by the name “baldness,” it’s a hereditary condition. It means it is passed down from either mother, father, or both of them. When active, the genes make their carrier sensitive to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Once formed, DHT goes on to attach itself to the hormonal receptors located in the hair follicles of the scalp.
This said bonding creates a reaction in which DHT ends up making the hair follicles start shrinking. As the hair follicles begin to shrink, your hair starts to thin. The hair follicles continue shrinking progressively as time goes by until they are unable to grow anymore, thus finally causing baldness.
Androgenetic alopecia is one of the few conditions in which hair thinning leads to permanent hair loss. Many reversible conditions feature hair thinning as a symptom, but the hair grows once controlled. If one is suffering from any of those, and the thinning hair does not grow back, it may be due to it accelerating the hair loss from androgenetic alopecia.
Alopecia Areata
It is an autoimmune disorder that causes the hair to start falling in circular patterns that are the size of a quarter coin. These can develop close to each other and end up forming a much bigger, notable bald spot.
The autoimmune condition happens when your body’s own immune system can no longer distinguish between viruses and your own cells. Therefore, it will start attacking any rapidly dividing cells within the body.
Since your hair follicles constantly have cells diving in there to continue to produce hair, your hair becomes a prime target. Once the condition is under control, the lost hair will grow back after at least six months.
An injection of corticosteroids directly into the scalp can accelerate the rate in which your hair grows back. It causes inflammation though and, thus, requires monitoring after application.
Childbirth
Pregnancy features an increase of oestrogen in the body. After childbirth, the level abruptly readjusts to normal. The hormonal imbalance caused by the sudden shifts triggers hair thinning and hair loss on women. Hair loss from it starts growing back six to nine months after childbirth.
Psychological Stress
Continuous exposure to psychological stress for a rather long period of time produces an excess of the hormone cortisol. A surge in the levels of cortisol, besides stressing and debilitating you, messes the hormonal balance of the body.
It ultimately triggers “telogen effluvium,” a state in which your hair stops growing and awaits to fall, leading to hair shedding. Removing yourself from the stressful situation starts the process of reversing the hair loss.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Not obtaining enough vitamins A, B, C, and E in your diet starves your hair follicles of these much-needed nutrients. Equally, iron deficiency leads to anaemia, which leads to hair thinning and hair loss. Get enough iron and zinc as well.
Overall, avoid malnutrition, and eat plenty of lean meats, organ meats, eggs, spinach, fish, potatoes, avocados, nuts, seeds. That should be enough to keep your hair in great shape.
Conclusion
Hair thinning is in no way a sure signal that your hair is going away permanently. But it does mean that something might not be entirely right on your body. If you happen to find yourself shedding more hair than usual and you need some answers, don’t hesitate to contact us.