What Are the Causes of Thining Hair?

Thinning of hair is a very common phenomenon found almost in all individuals at some stage of their lives. In most cases, hair thinning is followed by hair loss, also known as alopecia, which is a state wherein there is hair loss from various parts of the body such as the arms, head and legs. Thinning of hair is equally prevalent in both genders, but generally varies from person to person. There are various factors that lead to thinning of hair. Some of the most common factors are elucidated and discussed below.

Genetic and Hereditary Factors

• Certain hereditary factors have been found to be one of the prime contributers towards the condition of thinning of hair as often people inherit hair thinning from their ancestors. One of the most common examples of thinning of hair due to hereditary factors is androgenic alopecia, which is a condition wherein an individual experiences thinning of hair starting from the lateral sides of his head, which slowly progresses to other parts of the body as well.

Age

• Age of an individual is also one of the major factors leading to thinning of hair. Individuals often experience thinning of hair which gradually increases with progressing age. The natural process of thinning of hair generally starts between the ages 45 and 50 and is equally prevalent in both men and women. As it is a natural process, one cannot take any precautionary measures to prevent the process of thinning of hair.

Medications and Medical Conditions

• According to the leading health website Wrongdiagnosis, certain medications such as catapres, also known as clonidine tablets, generally used to treat medical conditions such as neuropathic pain and sleep hyperhidros, are often considered to be factors causing thinning of hair in individuals. Also, the chemotherapy technique used to treat patients suffering from cancer, often results in thinning and loss of hair.

  Also certain medical conditions such as hypothyroidism (deficiency of thyroid hormone), secondary syphilis and cellulitis often cause thinning of hair.

Stress and Nervousness

• According to an article published in "Hair News" magazine, written by Dr. Alan Bauman, who is the owner of the Bauman Medical Group, nervousness and stress often play an important role in causing thinning of hair in individuals, and the process of hair thinning generally occurs at a faster rate in individuals leading a stressful life than in individuals leading a less stressful life.

Other Common Factors

• Various other common factors such as exposure to pollution, infections like black dot, vitamin and iron deficiencies, chemicals that are present in the conditioners and shampoos, poor diet among others are often considered to be major factors contributing towards the process of thinning of hair in individuals.