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Author:
Christopher Luck

What are the factors that contribute to hair loss? I know I have friends and relative that have suffered hair loss, but they are so different. As I checked into it farther, I found that there are a lot of factors that can contribute to hair loss. Some are natural and others are not caused by natural factors. It seems that there are as many hair loss factors as there are individuals. However, there are some main factors that contribute to a majority of cases.

Perhaps the most common factor in hair loss is genetics. Likely when you hear the words “hair loss,” you think of male pattern baldness. To be fair, it is probably the most common form of hair loss. Male pattern baldness is greatly affected by genetics. The genes can be carried on both the mother’s side of the family and the father’s. Some men will even start to lose their hair by their late teens or early 20’s. Genetics is one of the most powerful factors when it comes to hair loss, but make no mistake, there are plenty of other factors that can contribute.

Another factor that can cause hair loss, though to a lesser extent, is high levels of stress. If a person, male or females, is experiencing high levels of continual stress, they will sometimes begin to lose their hair. A classic historical example is that of Roger Maris as he pursued Babe Ruth’s single season home run record. As the pressure mounted and he approached the record, Maris began to lose the hair on his head in chunks. The only reason for this hair loss was the stress he was experiencing. Stress is a powerful force, but some don’t realize it is powerful enough to cause people to lose their hair.

A third factor in hair loss, and one that is, sadly, becoming more common is cancer treatment. Sometimes cancers are treated via chemotherapy. That means radiation is used to kill the infected cells. A common side effect of this treatment is hair loss. The radiation cannot magically attack only the cancer cells, so the body does end up reacting to the radiation all over. Often this includes a mal function of the hair follicles causing the hair loss. Fortunately for those who are lucky enough to recover, the hair generally grows back when the therapy has concluded.

In experiencing day to day life, you likely see people suffering from hair loss. Those people also likely vary in race, age, sex, and lifestyle, so what are the factors of their hair loss. The truth is that the factors causing hair loss are as varied as the people losing their hair. There are however, certain common factors that are found across the board: genetics, stress, and chemotherapy are just three of the more common of those reasons. In the end, those who suffer from hair loss must conclude the cause of their problem and decide on the best treatment for their particular situation.

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A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Hair Loss... Coping With Male Hair Loss Male hair loss is truly not an uncommon thing. An estimated 75 percent of all men experience hair loss in one form or another, mostly through genetic alopecia. Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss, and that's right - there's a gene for it. Even women may carry the gene, and suffer from genetic alopecia, but noticeably, these women are very few. Hair loss among both males and females are caused by the presence of androgens, or male hormones, which we are all born with. Understandably, male hair loss is more common because males have more androgens in their system. Testosterone is an androgen, and with age it converts into dihyrotestosterone (DHT) in males. DHTs are much stronger androgens than testosterone, and they accelerate genetic conditions like hair loss much faster. Bald or balding men have been found to contain a lot more DHTs in their system than normal men; however, they exhibit no significant advantage in regular testosterone count. There are different ways to remedy this condition... although as a whole, alopecia does not stop once it begins. While complete baldness is uncommon, hair will continue to fall out as a man with the alopecia condition continues to grow older. This is why it is necessary to take anti-hair loss medicine - such as Propecia and Rogaine, the more well-known brand names - regularly for the rest of one's life. This will slow the process of alopecia dramatically, and even promote hair growth. But they will not make the alopecia condition go away on their own. Surgery is also an option. Advancements in medical technology have brought about significant improvements in hair surgery techniques. Microscopic follicular unit grafting is among them. Traditionally, surgeons used multi-bladed scalpels to graft patches of skin onto the...