How to Assess Hair Loss

When you brush or shampoo your hair and notice that your hair is coming out, that is normal. People lose up to 100 hairs from their head every day. These hairs usually grow back. If you are losing substantially more than 100 hairs, or if your hair is thinning and not growing back, you may be experiencing hair loss or alopecia. Many factors lead to this condition, such as aging, thyroid problems, diabetes, lupus, or if you take certain medications, according to Medline Plus. Once you assess the cause of your hair loss, you may be able to treat it.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine if you hair loss is gradual. Eighty percent of hair loss is gradual and is due to heredity factors and aging. Men usually experience this as a receding hairline and/or hair loss at the top of the head. Women usually experience gradual hair loss as thinning at the front and top of the head. Women do not usually go completely bald as men can.

• 2

  Get your thyroid checked for problems and check to see if you are anemic. These are two common medical reasons for hair loss. With treatment for the underlying condition, you can often stop the hair loss.

• 3

  Consider if you are undergoing cancer treatments. If so, your hair loss, in most cases, is only temporary. The hair will grow back when you are done with your treatments.

• 4

  Check for ringworm, a fungal infection common in children. If the ringworm is on the scalp, hair loss can result. There are treatments for ringworm.

• 5

  Determine if hair pulling, also called trichotillomania, is involved. Some people may not realize they are pulling out their own hair, or at least may not realize the extent of the problem. Or it may be your child who is pulling out his hair while alone. If you see patches of hair loss, it may be from an uncontrollable urge to pull out hair.

• 6

  Assess if you recently lost a lot of weight. Sometimes, you will lose hair when you lose more than 15 pounds, but the hair will return. However, if you have an eating disorder, such as anorexia or bulimia, that can lead to hair loss that won't come back until normal eating habits resume.

• 7

  Check the side effects of your medications. Blood thinners, vitamin A, arthritis medicine and birth control pills, among other medications, can cause hair loss.

• 8

  Determine if you are too rough on your hair. If you bleach or perm your hair, overuse a blow-dryer or flat iron, use rubber bands in your hair or brush your hair when it is wet, all this can cause hair loss.