Alopecia, or hair loss, is common among both men and women and typically affects the sufferers' social and emotional, rather than physical, well-being. While there are a number of reasons for hair loss, the pattern of the missing hair follicles, coupled with a detailed patient history, can usually help to uncover the cause.
Illnesses
Physical ailments often are at the root of hair loss. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, chronic illnesses such as autoimmune disorders and cancer can cause hair loss as well as the medications used to treat various diseases, such as chemotherapy drugs used to kill fatal cancer cells. Local or systemwide infections can cause temporary hair loss, while hormonal imbalances, particularly in women, are common causes of hair loss.
Emotions
Psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder can lead to alopecia, as well as complications form medications to used treat various psychoses. Stress is a common factor that doctors look for when diagnosing hair loss. Physical stress caused by surgery or pregnancy also can trigger sudden hair loss.
Style
While ponytails, cornrows and other hairstyles that require the hair to be pulled tightly back may be in vogue, continual pulling on the hair to hold it in place weakens the hair follicles and leads to permanent hair loss in patches. Intense chemicals used for permanents can damage the hair follicles and result in hair loss. The American Hair Loss Council warns that certain diets low in various vitamins and minerals and rapid, significant weight loss can lead to hair loss.
Genetics
Genes are the biggest culprit when it comes to male-pattern baldness, the most common type of hair loss. Male-pattern baldness, or permanent-pattern baldness, is an inherited trait that usually begins in young adulthood. Men begin to lose hair over forehead, and the hair loss causes the hairline to recede toward the back of the head. Women can inherit female-pattern baldness, where the hair begins to thin over the entire head, allowing the scalp to show through.
Skin Disorders
Psoriasis is a common illness that causes hair loss, reports the American Academy of Dermatology. Frequent and rough scratching and the chemical treatments that accompany psoriasis exacerbate the situation even more. Thick scales that form on the scalp also can create a barrier to follicle growth. In most cases when the psoriasis is cleared up and the stress of the condition passes, and the medication and scratching are stopped, hair will grow back in three to six months.
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