The topic of what causes hair loss is one that most men and women never want to read about but sadly by the age of 50 over half of all men and a quarter of all women will fall victim to the physical aspects as well as the emotional side effects.
But the subject of what causes hair loss and does it affect men and women in the same way is not necessarily cut and dried? These are both questions that we will endeavor to answer along with presenting helpful ideas on how a person can take steps to reverse balding and/or thinning hair.
The primary cause of hair loss in men is androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness.
This condition is thought to cause upwards of eight out of ten cases of balding in men with the other 20 percent consisting of autoimmune disorders, diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, scalp scarring conditions such as lichen planus or persistent bacterial infection, as well as psychological conditions such as hair pulling or anxiety disorders just to name a few.
In women answering the question of what causes hair loss is much more complicated.
But generally speaking hormone related disorders such as pregnancy, child birth, menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome and androgen hormone driven female pattern baldness make up the bulk of causes with the remainder mimicking the secondary causes in men.
So without a doubt hormones are the most common cause and at the core of almost all cases of permanent balding.
In many instances once the hormonal issues are resolved hair re-growth will take place if no follicle (small pouch like sac which the hair shaft emerges) damage has occurred.
Sadly this is not the case with both male and female pattern baldness.
The process of testosterone being converted to dihydrotestosterone within the hair cell and the resulting binding of dihydrotestosterone to the hair follicle over time damages the follicle thus making it impossible for hair growth to occur.
By age 60 almost all men will be impacted and over 50 percent of all women.
Male and female pattern baldness are frustrating conditions in two regards: first they will not reverse themselves on their own and secondarily they are uninvited quests which may have occurred despite excellent hair care habits.
When you are experiencing hair loss probably the single most important piece of advice is to figure out the cause.
There are doctors who specialize in the balding process who will be able to do this through both ruling in and ruling out different possible causes.
Both a scalp biopsy and a blood workup will probably be required.
If the cost is an issue, you already know the cause, or you are interested in a more natural approach then you will have some excellent alternative hair re-growth options as well.
What Next? There are currently a few hair re-growth products which have been proven effective in both in blocking harmful hormones and bringing the all important dead hair follicles back to life.
These specially formulated products can be used both as a preventative tool, starting before hair loss becomes severe, or after loss of hair has become noticeable.
Whatever the level of balding or thinning you are experiencing these products could be just what is needed to never have to ask "What Causes Hair Loss" again.