There are many causes of hair loss; some are triggered by stress or medication. There is also a compulsive disorder called trichotillomania that is classed as one of the common causes of hair loss although it is hard to determine how prevalent the condition actually is.

Trichotillomania is the name given to compulsive hair pulling, which is often triggered by stress or depression. It is particularly common in teenagers, and can result in bald patches on the scalp, or missing eyebrow, eyelash or body hair.

Trichotillomania results in low self esteem and often sufferers find it difficult to seek help to treat such causes of hair loss. The condition is often linked with anxiety, and sufferers are often inclined to discontinue hair pulling when taken away from a stressful environment.

For more severe cases, there are treatments available to restore the hair, which should only be taken under the advice of a professional consultant.

It has been suggested in a recent study that smoking increases the rate of men’s hair loss; although some experts are warning that the results of the study may be unreliable. It is thought that smoking causes hair loss through restricting blood flow to the scalp and increasing hormone production which in turn damages follicles, contributing to hair loss. It seemed that the most likely candidates were men suffering from androgentic alopecia, also known as male pattern baldness.

The study was conducted to find potential causes of men’s hair loss, with control factors such as age, diet, height, weight and family history being taken into account. Researchers found that there was a strong correlation between smoking and male pattern baldness, the most common form of men’s hair loss. The results of the study were published in Archives of Dermatology with the conclusion that younger men who were experiencing the onset of androgenetic alopecia should be advised to give up smoking.

The study was conducted on 740 men in Taiwan, and the results are said to be evidence of the significant impact smoking has on hair loss. It has been noted however that hair loss between different ethnic groups varies significantly; therefore the study cannot be taken as conclusive proof across the board that smoking is a definite cause of men’s hair loss.

Experts do however point out that smoking is well known to reduce the health of individuals as well as decrease circulation. Both of these can be a cause of androgenetic alopecia; bringing the majority of professionals to the conclusion that giving up the cigarettes is a healthy option, whether or not it has been proven to have a significant impact on men’s hair loss.