About 90 percent of the hair on a person’s scalp is growing at any one time. The growth phase lasts between two to six years and 10 percent of the hair is in a resting phase that lasts two to three months. At the end of its resting stage, the hair is shed. When a hair is shed, a new hair from the same follicle replaces it and the growing cycle starts again. Scalp hair grows about one half inch a month. As people age, their rate of hair growth slows. Excessive hair loss can have many different causes. Hair will regrow spontaneously in some forms of hair loss. Other forms can be treated successfully by a dermatologist. Most hair shedding is due to the hair cycle. It is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs per day. However, if you are concerned about excessive hair loss or dramatic thinning, consult your dermatologist.
Causes of Excessive Hair Loss
- Improper Hair Cosmetic/Improper Hair Care
- Heredity Thinning or Balding
- Alopecia Areta (hair loss resulting in a totally smooth round patch about the size of a coin or larger)
- High Fever, Severe Infection, Severe Flu
- Thyroid Disease
- Inadequate Protein in Diet
- Medications
- Child Birth
- Cancer Treatments
- Birth Control Pills
- Low Serum Iron
- Major Surgery/Chronic Illness
- Fungus Infection (Ringworm) of the Scalp
- Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling)
Treatments for Hair Loss
Depending upon the type of hair loss experienced there are a variety of treatments including topical and oral prescriptions, injections, and hair transplantation.
