Losing about 100 hairs each day is normal, says the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. You will usually see hairs in your brush, comb, in the sink, shower or on your pillow. In a normal growth cycle, hair grows for a few years and then rests for a few months, sheds, then the cycle starts over. When this cycle is disrupted, when hair begins falling out in patches or falls out evenly over the entire scalp, women can look to hormones, illness or genetics to blame.
Telogen Effluvium
Telogen effluvium is a condition that occurs when your system is shocked or stressed. An article on "The Today Show" website indicates that telogen effluvium can be to blame following a drop in hormone levels, after giving birth, stopping birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy.
This type of hair loss is characterized by scalp hairs shedding in large numbers. Hair loss will also occur just on the head, no other parts of the body like eyebrows or the pubic area. Often, this condition stops on it own, especially if it's related to pregnancy, shock or an illness.
Medications that can cause this type of hair loss may be substituted with ones that better agrees with your system.
Traction Alopecia
Traction alopecia occurs when too much stress is placed on the hair follicles for extended periods of time. Certain hairstyles, like ponytails, pigtails, cornrows, braids and tight buns are the most common cause of traction alopecia.
This type of hair loss is typically temporary, especially if the follicle gets a break from the stress. However, for hair that is chronically stressed, permanent loss can occur. The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery reports that traction alopecia is most prominent in black women due to hairstyle preferences.
Androgenetic Alopecia
American Family Physician reports that androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss in females. More popularly known as pattern baldness, androgenetic alopecia is characterized in women by hair thinning evenly over the entire head. Unlike men, females with this condition do not get a receding hairline. This type of hair loss will also not cause total baldness, like it can in men.
Medical conditions associated with androgenetic alopecia include heart disease, diabetes, obesity and hypertension. Polycystic overran syndrome, a condition that affects the female reproductive system and disrupts hormone production, can cause androgenetic alopecia.
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune skin disorder that causes hair loss on the scalp and other areas of the body. The National Alopecia Areata Foundation reports that 4.7 million Americans have this disorder. People with this type of hair loss, according to American Family Physician, are typically otherwise healthy.
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