Are You Struggling With Hair Loss?

How hair loss starts

Have you noticed more hair collecting in your brush recently, or do you feel like you’re forever pulling your locks from the plughole? Hair loss can be distressing. If your tresses are thinning, your confidence could suffer and you might feel increasingly self-conscious about your appearance. However, there may be ways to slow or even reverse this process.

The important thing is to understand what exactly is triggering this problem. If you’re not sure what’s behind your hair loss, you can get information and advice from your doctor or by visiting sites like https://onlinedoctor.lloydspharmacy.com. Meanwhile, for a quick introduction to the causes of thinning hair, keep reading.

A natural part of the ageing process

The most common causes of this problem are female and male-pattern baldness. In fact, these conditions affect millions of people across the country. In men, this type of hair loss is characterised by a receding hairline and a thinning patch on top of the scalp. In women, it usually involves a general thinning of tresses across the head. While it’s known that male-pattern baldness is a genetic condition, experts are not sure about the precise trigger of female-pattern baldness. However, it is more common in postmenopausal women. If your hair has been thinning over a long period of time, the chances are it is a natural part of the ageing process.  

Although there is no cure for female or male-pattern baldness, you can access effective treatments. Both women and men can use minoxidil, which is available without prescription and is applied as a lotion directly to the scalp. Meanwhile, men also have the option of taking the prescription medicine finasteride, which comes in tablet form. It can take months for these treatments to show positive results, but many of those who use them experience noticeable benefits.  

You’ve experienced physical or emotional trauma

If your hair loss has been more sudden, you may have a condition known as telogen effluvium. This is a form of alopecia that is caused by physical or psychological trauma. It can follow an intense emotional episode or be brought on by physical events like childbirth or operations. Telogen effluvium can also be caused by illnesses, crash dieting and certain medications. This condition usually results in a widespread thinning of hair across the head and it typically stops within six months. After this point, hair generally starts to regrow.

You have an immune system disorder

Alternatively, if you’re losing hair in patches across your scalp, or on other parts of your body, you may have alopecia areata. This immune system disorder causes bald spots the size of large coins to appear. It’s more common among young people, but it can affect individuals of any age. In most cases, locks regrow within a few months. They can be fine and white at first, but they should become thicker and get their normal colour back over time. Alopecia areata can be treated with steroid injections, gels, creams or ointments.

By making sure you understand how your hair loss started, you stand a better chance of being able to treat it effectively.