7 Reasons You Are Losing Hair

According to professionals, losing a certain amount of hair every day is par for the course. “There is a range, and that range is anywhere from 50 to 100 hairs a day,” Cartersville, Georgia, trichologist Yvonne Solomon says. What is considered excessive? Whatever seems excessive to your normal standards is a good reason to get yourself checked out. If you are starting to notice your drain clogging up too often, there may be a reason behind it.

“When someone [comes in] with excessive hair loss, trichologists try to figure out when it started,” Solomon says. “We go back three months to see what significant events have taken place, because that’s how long it takes [the hair cycle to be disrupted].”

While everyone’s body is different, and getting checked out by a professional is always recommended, here are some common reasons you might be starting to shed.

Diet

Diet is the biggie. “Like with any cellular activity in your body, proper nutrition is necessary,” Solomon says. “Our diet today is sorely lacking in nutrients."

Iron, zinc, Vitamin D, omega-3s, and protein are all required nutrients for healthy hair.

Weight Loss

Rapid or extreme changes in your weight will cause a shock to your system, with hair being the first casualty. “Hair is always the first thing to react, so it’s important to pay attention to it,” Solomon says.

Change in Medication

A new medication might causes a shift in the body, Solomon says. “Certain medications will deplete certain nutrients in the body and cause hair fallout.” She says you don’t need to stop taking that medication, but to consult a trichologist about supplements you can take to amend the depletion.

Undiagnosed Medical Issue

“Hair is like a barometer,” Solomon says. “When internal disturbances occur, one of the first indicators might be hair loss. If your hair is shredding and you haven’t changed your diet or started a new medication, then you should be looking internally to see what could be going on.”

This should be your cue to meet with a trichologist to assess the situation.

Hormonal Changes

Pregnancy, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), thyroid issues, and birth control: These all can disrupt your hormones and lead to a rapid fallout of your hair, Solomon says. “Not all women respond to everything, which is why there are multiple types of birth control.”

If you are experiencing excessive amounts of hair falling out, your medical professional can find an alternate option for you.

Stress

A stress-inducing lifestyle can cause you to pack on the pounds, and may also be the reason you are shedding. “Stress causes a release in excess cortisol and those hormones actually slow down other bodily functions, to deal with it,” Solomon says. “That’s fine if it only lasts for an hour, but today our lives are so stressful that this can go on for weeks and months.”

Genetics

If you’re losing hair in the same places as your mom, it’s likely a case of androgenic alopecia, often referred to as male or female pattern baldness. “This is due to male hormones combining and creating an even stronger hormone, signaling the follicle to shrink,” Solomon says. With this condition, you’ll never see tons of hair falling in the shower, instead, just a gradual thinning.