Read on to help figure out which type of hair thinning you may be experiencing, and if it is possible to help it grow back or become thicker again.
Noticing progressively or quickly thinning hair on your head can be a stressful time for men and women.
You may just notice a few more strands here and there, lodged in your shower drain, or getting caught in your hairbrush, or the changes in your hair might be developing rapidly.
However, not all hair loss means that you are permanently “losing” your hair. Hair loss can develop from health issues, age, genetics, hormonal fluctuations, or conditions like scalp psoriasis and alopecia areata.
Read on to help figure out which type of hair thinning you may be experiencing, and if it is possible to help it grow back or become thicker again.
If you are noticing your hair thinning, the best thing to figure out is just what may have caused the thinning in the first place.
Hair thinning can occur from a highly stressful time in your life, nutrient deficiencies, certain health conditions and treatments, general aging, or your genetics.
Luckily, there are options to completely reverse hair thinning for some of these situations, or at least help slow the losses if it is age-related or genetic.
Alopecia Areata - Alopecia Areata is a health condition where the body starts attacking the hair follicles in the scalp. This commonly causes very patchy hair loss that occurs suddenly. If you notice very round or well-delineated hair loss patches that developed quickly, you are likely dealing with alopecia areata. Speak with a doctor about treatment options that may include occasional injections into the scalp to stop the body from attacking the follicles. These patches generally grow back into your normal hair thickness, but bouts of alopecia areata may continue to occur leading to more patches.
Stress-related - If you have gone through a prolonged stressful time in your life, had high fevers, extreme weight loss, a pregnancy, or a severe illness, it can show up as lots of hair on your head going into shedding mode at the same time. This type of hair loss and thinning is called “telogen effluvium.”
Health issues or nutrient deficiencies - Chronic and severe health issues and prolonged nutrient deficiencies can cause hair thinning. You can speak with your doctor about your hair loss concerns and they should be able to pinpoint conditions that may be contributing, as well as testing your nutrient levels to find any deficiencies. Iron, B vitamins, and vitamin D deficiency may be some of the culprits of hair loss and thinning hair.
Age-related/genetic hair loss - Not all hair loss means that there is something “wrong” in your body. Hair naturally becomes thinner in most people as they age. Some people also have the genetics for incremental hair loss after a certain age, and these hair losses tend to come on slowly and develop with the classic androgenic alopecia male pattern hair loss or female pattern hair loss presentation. Look at the members of your family for a good idea of what your hair may look like in the future (if left untreated.)
Learn More: What is Diffuse Hair Loss?: Definition, Causes, and Treatments
If your hair loss came about suddenly 2-4 months after a strong stressor like surgery, childbirth, significant weight loss, or a serious illness, you may be dealing with telogen effluvium.
Telogen effluvium hair loss rarely lasts longer than 6 months, and once the stressor is removed, the hair often returns to its previous thickness and health.
However, the noticeable hair recovery may appear to take a while as the hair will need time to regrow.
Focus on hair health, stress relief, and nutrient-dense food and supplements to help increase the health of your regrowing hair after telogen effluvium loses.
Hair loss that comes about from health conditions like thyroid diseases, skin conditions like psoriasis, diabetes, or lupus, will likely get better if the condition is better controlled by medications or lifestyle changes.
If you have concerns about condition-related hair loss, ask your doctor about ways to help improve the condition in order to potentially help improve your hair thinning.
Hair thinning stemming from nutrient deficiencies can likely be reversed simply by correcting the deficiency through eating a healthy well-balanced diet or taking supplements.
Also Read: How Long Does the Balding Process Take? Timeline for Male Pattern Hair Loss
Androgenic alopecia is the term for the most common form of hair loss in men and women.
This is sometimes also referred to as male or female pattern hair loss. In men, this appears as the thinning of hair on the temples, or a bald spot on the crown of the head, and may progress to full baldness.
In women, androgenic alopecia looks like an overall thinning of the hair which may be most obvious when looking at the part in the hair, but rarely progresses to baldness in women.
Androgenic alopecia has to do with a hormone derivative in the scalp called DHT, which shrinks the hair follicles, leading to thinner and shorter hairs being produced, and eventually the stopping of growth and loss of the hair follicle over time.
This process has to do with your genetics and age, and while you may not be able to fully stop the hair thinning, there are medications that can help slow hair losses and potentially regrow some lost hair if started early.
The sooner androgenic alopecia is noticed and treated, the better chance your hair has for slower thinning and losses.
Prescription medications for Finasteride for men, and Spironolactone for women, help block the DHT to help you keep the hair you have, and over the counter Minoxidil (the active ingredient in Rogaine) helps increase blood flow and growth factors to potentially regrow some lost hairs in men and women with androgenic alopecia.
At Strut Health, we have a passion for helping men and women look and feel their best with free online consultations for hair loss, skin concerns, and sexual health.
If you are ready to address your hair loss, you can have a free 10-15 minute online questionnaire-based consultation with our U.S. licensed doctors to see if our hair loss treatments for men and women may be a good fit for you.
If you are a good candidate for hair loss medications, your prescription medication containing validated hair loss ingredients like Finasteride, Spironolactone, and Minoxidil can be shipped to your front door with our free shipping.
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