Pretty much everyone would have noticed hair fall at some point in their lives, daily hair loss is something that is completely normal. Some people do not know when they should be concerned about hair loss and when it is normal.
How much hair is normal to lose?
Hair loss is a daily part of life, everyone will notice that their hair sheds throughout the day – you might notice it at the bottom of the shower, in your hairbrush or all over the wooden floor when it comes to hoovering this is totally normal and is nothing to worry about.
The average person loses around 80 strands of hair every day and this has no major impact on the appearance of our hair. If you start to notice your hair is shedding more so than normal, or you feel as if your hair is thinning it could be time to research hair loss. The first thing we advise is not to worry. Not all types of hair loss are permanent and you might have nothing to worry about at all.
When it comes to hair loss, there are many different causes and factors that could cause it. The first thing to do when you notice excessive hair loss is to find out the cause, you could visit a hair loss specialist such as our team at the Harley Street Hair Clinic, or your GP. Finding out the cause of your hair loss makes finding the hair loss treatment a lot easier.
H2: What causes hair loss?
Temporary hair loss can happen for a number of different reasons, a few of the most common types include;
Pregnancy
When you’re pregnant, you’ll notice a lot of changes to your body and you’ll also notice changes to your hair. Your hormones are constantly changing throughout your pregnancy and this can affect the body in a number of different ways. Oestrogen is one hormone that causes hair to remain in the growth stage, this means when you’re pregnant your hair growth will increase, making the hair thicker and fuller.
Post pregnancy is a different story. Your hormones will begin to normalise, and this means the amount of oestrogen produced will normalise and will cause a shock to the body. This can cause up to 60% of the hair to enter the resting stage at once, meaning your hair will suddenly shed. Over time your hormones will begin to normalise, and your hair growth cycle will too – with nothing to worry about.
Stress
One of the most common causes of hair loss in both men and women is stress, so it’s true what they say – stress does make your hair fall out. When the body is under a lot of stress, physical or mental, more androgens are produced by the body. These androgens can attack the hair follicles and shorten the hair growth cycle, causing hair loss.
The most important thing to remember is that stress related hair loss is not permanent. Once the stress stops your hair growth cycle will return to normal and your hair will go back to normal in time.
A change in hormones
Females will notice different changes in their body throughout the month and a lot of these changes are due to their hormones constantly changing. Some issues such as acne, weight gain and hair loss can happen due to a hormone imbalance.
Hormones play a huge role in the hair growth cycle, they’re what regulates the hair growth cycle and ensures it remains stable. Oestrogen, a female hormone is ‘hair friendly’ and keeps the hair in the growth phase, androgens, are typically male hormones and they are not ‘hair friendly’ and can shorten the growth phase.
If the hair growth cycle is shortened, it can result in the body losing hair faster than it can grow, which results in hair loss. An excess of androgens in the body, which can occur for those with conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) can cause hair loss.
Other forms of temporary hair loss can include, menopause, iron deficiency and even poor diet.
Do I need treatments for temporary hair loss?
Probably not, no. If you’re experiencing hair loss for a temporary reason such as stress, post-pregnancy, hormones, etc the chances are that over time your hair growth cycle will resume to normal and your hair will grow as it once did.
However, it is important to visit your GP or a hair loss specialist to determine the cause of your hair loss to ensure it is due to a temporary reason. A hair loss specialist would also be able to let you know if treatment is required and why.
If you would like more information on any of our treatments or how we might be able to help you please contact us today for a no obligation consultation.