Hair loss is a widespread problem. Approximately 60 million men and 30 million women in America are affected by it. Hair fall is not life-threatening, but it can have a lot of psychological effects, generally in women.

An adult has about 100,000 to 150,000 hair and can lose a number of them in a day. It’s very normal and not even noticeable.

Hair fall can be temporary or permanent. It can also develop over time. It is impossible to count how many hairs you are losing in a day but if it is more than the usual number you will be able to notice the thinning of the hair or bald patches on your scalp.

If you notice a lot of hair loss then you should consult your doctor, he can diagnose your problem and suggest the correct treatment to it.

Types of hair loss

There are several types of hair fall, characterized by if the hair fall is localized, patchy or if it affects the entire scalp.

Alopecia areata

This condition often starts at an early stage when you are young. It is a sudden loss of hair in the form of patches.

This condition may bring about complete hair loss. But, 90% of individuals with this condition have experienced that the hair returns in a couple of years or so.

Involutional alopecia

It is a natural hair fall condition, in which the hair thins with age. Various hair follicles go to the resting phase, which leads to shorter and thin hair.

Androgenic alopecia

A genetic condition of hair fall, affecting both male and female. Male with this pattern on hair fall called male pattern baldness can start suffering from this in their teenage.

And women with this condition don’t encounter recognizable hair loss until their 40s or later. Women experience a general hair fall over the whole scalp, with the most hair loss at the crown.

Alopecia Universalis

It causes hair from all parts of the body to shed, including eyebrows, eyelashes and pubic hair.

Trichotillomania

This is generally seen in children, where a person pulls out their hair. It’s a psychological disorder.

Telogen effluvium

This happens due to the development pattern of hair. Countless hair enters the resting stage simultaneously, causing hair shedding and thinning of hair. This is impermanent hair loss over the scalp.

Scarring alopecia

This is a permanent kind of hair loss. Hot brushes and hair excessively firmly woven and pulled can result in permanent hair fall. Fiery skin conditions and other skin issues frequently leave scars that do not allow hair to grow

Hair fall can be linked to personal genetics. A person’s behavioural or medical condition may interrupt the cycle of growth and cause hair fall.

Symptoms of hair loss

Signs of hair fall are different in men, women and children. People of any age can suffer from hair fall. You can find shredded hair in your hairbrush or shower drain.

Few signs of hair loss conditions found in men:

• Thinning of hair loss on the scalp
• Receding of hairline
• A Horseshoe-shaped pattern that leaves the crown of the head exposed

Signs of hair fall conditions in women:

• Thinning of hair, especially at the crown of the head.

Signs of hair fall conditions in young adults and children:

• Loss of patches of hair suddenly
• Loss of all hair on body completely
• Patches of broken hair and incomplete hair loss on the scalp and eyebrows
• Excessive shedding of hair, but no baldness completely, after illnesses and drug treatments, rapid weight loss, anaemia, or stress.

Contact your doctor if these types of symptoms are shown:

• If you or your kids have a loss of hair suddenly.
• Your child has patches of broken hair and incomplete hair loss on the scalp and eyebrows.
• Your child is rubbing or pulling out their hair.
• You or your child suffers an unexplained loss of hair on any part of the body, like eyebrows, eyelashes, or pubic hair.

Hair loss can extend from gentle hair diminishing to complete hairlessness.

Causes of hair loss

Your doctor or dermatologist will try to understand what is the main cause of your hair fall.

Here are a few causes of hair fall you will generally find in people:

• Hereditary

The most common cause of hair fall is hereditary in males and females. If there is a family history of baldness, then you may have it too.

• Hair cycle

Sometimes hair fall may occur with normal hair in the growth cycle of hair. In this, your hair will naturally grow back without any treatment.

• Hormonal change

Certain sex hormones can also cause hair to fall. Hormonal changes can cause hair fall, examples:

1. Pregnancy
2. Childbirth
3. Birth control pills
4. Menopause

• Medical conditions

1. Thyroid disease
2. Alopecia areata
3. Scalp infections like ringworm
4. Medications
5. Cancer
6. High blood pressure
7. Arthritis
8. Depression
9. Heart problems

• Physical and emotional shock

1. A death in the family
2. Extreme weight loss
3. A high fever
4. Emotional trauma from abuse

Tests for Hair loss 

Here are a few tests you should get if you are having a lot of hair fall:

• Diagnosing androgenetic alopecia

The presence of your balding analyzes this, the rate of male pattern baldness in your family (particularly mother, father, sibling or sister) and clinical history.

• Savin Scale

This scale records and characterizes hair fall designs in ladies influenced by androgenetic alopecia (female example hair loss).

Utilizing a straightforward pictorial characterization of nine PC outlines, it permits a specialist to evaluate both hair fall and thickness of hair outwardly.

• Norwood Hamilton Scale

This is utilized to quantify the degree of hair loss. Numerous specialists think that it is a valuable measure of the degree of general balding and can prevent misdiagnosis.

It includes an outline of pictures indicating the most common male pattern baldness designs in men influenced by androgenetic alopecia.

Other are normal tests such as blood tests, hair pull test, and densitometry.

Your doctor or dermatologist can determine the reason behind your hair fall with a physical examination and your health history.

In some cases, simply changing your diet can help. Your doctor might also change your prescription medications.

If your dermatologist suspects an autoimmune or disease of the skin, they could take a biopsy of the skin on your scalp.

Preventions of hair loss

Here are a few ways in which you can prevent hair fall:

• Eat a healthy diet and limit processed food
• Do a regular detox to eliminate toxins from your body
• Use natural and organic products on your hair
• Wash your hair properly and avoid using a blow dryer
• Expose your hair to the morning sunlight
• Work on healing your emotional trauma
• Release stress stored in the body regularly
• You can release stress with exercise, dancing, listening to calm music or anything that helps you feel relaxed and stress-free.

Hair fall is normal, but excessive hair fall when you see a lot of hair on your hair brush or in the shower, you should see your doctor. Curing hair fall in an early stage is necessary for everyone. Keep a watch on your medications and do not use a lot of chemicals and heating products on your hair.