Genetics
Thinning hair is often times referred to as a male condition, but it can also affect women. In fact, according to the American Hair Loss Council, women account for 40 percent of hair loss sufferers. One of the causes of thinning in women and men is called androgenetic alopecia. In women, diffuse thinning takes place evenly over the whole scalp, while male pattern baldness is a hereditary condition that affects men. The only difference between them and women, is the hair tends to become thin in the frontal scalp area and the top crown part of the head ultimately resembling an "M" shape.
Hormones
Women are prone to going through sporadic shifts in their hormone levels. This can be seen with pregnancy, menopause or when birth control pills are discontinued. In all of these situations, thinning hair can be the end result. But unlike hereditary baldness, the thinning normally stops and hair regrows again when the imbalance is corrected.
Thyroid
The thyroid is a gland in the front part of the neck that is responsible for regulating body temperature and the metabolization of every cell in the human body. When the thyroid becomes under active, hypothyroidism takes place. When the thyroid becomes over active, hyperthyroidism takes place. In either one of these situations, thinning hair can result.
Side Effects
Prescription medications are used to treat the symptoms that result from an illness or disease that takes place in the body. Even though these medications may do a good job at treating these symptoms, they can also come with unwanted side effects. One of them is hair loss. Some examples of these medications are lithium, Prozac, Zoloft, prednisone and warfarin.
Steroids
Steroids are used to build more muscle mass and gain more strength. They may be effective at doing this but they also come with some side effects. One of them is male pattern baldness. This is the result of steroids interacting with a hormone called dehydrotestosterone, or DHT. This hormone is responsible for male pattern baldness and steroids are either created from it or they promote the release of it.
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