You may change the style, color and length of your hair many times over the course of your life. While you may not always love the way your hair looks, you probably can't imagine living without it. Though many men lose hair as they age, the causes of hair loss in women vary. Identifying the cause of your hair loss can help you make changes to stop or slow the loss.
Hormone Imbalance
Hormone imbalances can cause your hair to thin or fall out, according to Joannie Dobbs, PhD, and Alan Titchenal, PhD, both nutritionists at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. While women produce testosterone, too much of this hormone may lead to hair loss. This occurs more often following menopause, when levels of the female hormone, estrogen, naturally decline and levels of testosterone rise. Thyroid disorders may also lead to thinning hair in women. Artificial hormones may help correct this problem.
Autoimmune Diseases
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that causes hair to fall out in patches, leaving bald spots. In addition to losing hair on their head, women with alopecia may lose their eyebrows and eyelashes, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. Some women with lupus lose their hair or find their hair growing thinner. Lupus is an autoimmune disease.
Childbirth
Women may lose hair after childbirth. Higher levels of estrogen during pregnancy may result in a thicker head of hair, but once your estrogen levels decline after you give birth, you may shed much of the extra hair you gained. This extra shedding can last for months after your baby is born, but the BabyCenter website reports that by the time your child is six to 12 months old, you'll be back to your normal hair-growing pattern.
Stress
Physical stress from illness or an accident may cause your hair to thin or fall out. Though some people report losing hair when they are mentally stressed, Dr. Philip S. Chua of CEBU Cardiovascular Center says there's no solid evidence to demonstrate a link between mental stress and hair loss.
Crash Dieting
Crash dieting may cause hair loss. Severely limiting the number of calories available for your body places the same kinds of stress on you as physical illness. In addition, crash diets often lack essential nutrients, such as iron, protein or B vitamins that are needed for hair growth. The result is hair loss, which usually reverses once proper nutritional balance returns.
Medications
Medications, including birth control pills, anti-inflammatory drugs and antidepressants, may cause you to lose more hair than normal. If you suspect a medication you're taking is causing you to lose hair, ask your doctor about alternate medications.
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