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Hair Loss Problems

Human hair grows for about two to six years and then falls out. Each hair follicle is on its own cycle, so a person usually has about 90 percent of his hair follicles in the active growing phase on his head at the same time. When a hair falls out, a new one grows in its place after a resting phase of about three months. If more hair starts falling out than normal, or hair seems to be getting thinner, there could be a health problem.

  1. Normal Hair Loss

    • According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), "most hair shedding is due to the normal hair cycle, and losing 50 to 100 hairs per day is expected and is no cause for alarm."

    Male Pattern Baldness

    • The most common form of hair loss is male pattern baldness. This is a hereditary hair loss problem and can start at any age, most commonly to men in their 20s. In this type of hair loss, men will notice a receding hairline on the forehead or on the top of the head.

    Female Pattern Baldness

    • Women can also lose hair due to heredity, usually on the sides and crown of the head, according to the Mayo Clinic.

    Alopecia Areata

    • Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease where the hair falls out in patches about 1 inch in diameter. It can affect people of any age or sex, but usually the person is in excellent health. Usually the alopecia areata disease will simply go away and hair will grow back on its own, according to the AAD.

    Telogen Effluvium

    • Telogen Effluvium is hair loss due to stress or illness. Hair can thin over the entire head as hair falls out due to stress hormones in the body. The hair will also stay in the resting phase longer. This hair loss problem will usually correct itself in a few months as stress levels return to normal.

    Ringworm and Hair Pulling

    • Hair loss can be caused by ringworm, a fungal infection that causes the skin to scale on the head and hair to fall out.

      Hair pulling is a rare problem, but some children and adults will pull their hair out in patches due to habit or a serious psychological illness, according to the AAD.

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