There are a lot of medical conditions that can cause hair loss. This is a non-exhaustive list of some common medical conditions that can cause hair loss.
Remember that if you are worried that a medical condition you have might be causing hair loss, check with your GP. There are lots of different combinations of medications that can cause hair loss, and it would be impossible to cover them all, so it is best to check with your GP or a hair loss specialist.
Anaemia
Anaemia, or iron deficiency, is known to cause anaemia. This is because a lack of iron causes the blood to be less effective at carrying oxygen, causing less oxygen to get to the hair follicles. As a result, the hair is less able to grow and therefore has the appearance of falling out.
Cancer
Those who are undergoing treatments for cancer may experience hair loss as a side effect of these treatments. Chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation therapy, or bone marrow/stem cell transplants are all known to cause hair loss, because they damage the cells responsible for hair growth.
Diabetes
Diabetes can cause hair loss in one of two ways. Firstly, unchecked blood sugar levels in people with diabetes can cause damage to tissues and blood vessels, which can affect the ability of the hair to grow.
Secondly, people with diabetes can often form secondary medical conditions that are likely to cause hair loss, such as alopecia areata or thyroid problems.
Lupus
Lupus is known to cause hair loss in two ways. Firstly, the inflammation that lupus causes means that the hair does sometimes fall out as a direct result. Secondly, lupus can also cause the hair the become very fragile, and break off easily, giving the appearance of hair loss.
Scalp Infections
Some scalp infections, such as ringworm, are known to cause hair loss. This is because they cause the hair to break off at the root, giving the appearance of hair loss.
If you have either an itchy scalp or dry flaky scalp skin and are experiencing hair loss, it could be connected to a scalp infection.
