Hair has two parts--a root and a shaft. The root is found inside the follicle and this is where hair originates, and the shaft is what you see on top of your head. The main component that gives strength to hair is keratin, which is a form of protein. With a normal growing cycle, hair grows, falls out and then regrows again. When hair falls out and does not grow back, there are several causes.
Heredity
Male-pattern baldness, permanent-pattern baldness and androgenetic alopecia are all terms used to describe hereditary hair loss. This type of loss takes place on the crown of the head and the hairline. After progressive hair loss, a horseshoe shape develops on the top of the head. This is most prominent in males, but women are not exempt. The difference is, with women the hair loss is more spread out. Androgenetic alopecia is permanent.
Stress
Surgery and illnesses have a tendency to increase stress levels. According to FamilyDoctor.org, about three or four months after an illness or a major surgery, you may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This type of hair loss is not permanent.
Traction
Wearing your hair in corn rows, dreadlocks, pigtails and ponytails places a high amount of stress on the hair shafts. This in turn can lead to a condition called traction alopecia, which causes hair to fall out. This is reversible, provided your scalp has not become scarred from the traction.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are given to cancer patients to stop cancer from spreading. This can affect the normal hair growing cycle and cause hair to fall out. After these treatments are over, the hair will grow back as normal.
Medication Side Effects
Medications are used to treat symptoms of underlying conditions. As a side effect, these can also cause hair loss. According to the National Institutes of Health, a number of medications, including retinoids, birth control pills, beta-blockers, certain antidepressants, NSAIDs (including ibuprofen) and calcium channel blockers can cause hair loss.
Poor Diet
Hair is made out of nutrients that you get from the food you eat. By going on crash diets and being malnourished, hair loss can occur.
Hormonal Imbalance
When the hormones in the body are out of sync, hair loss can occur. According to the Mayo Clinic, this could be due to pregnancy, childbirth, discontinuation of birth control pills, the onset of menopause, or an overactive or underactive thyroid gland.
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