What is the leading cause of hair loss?
- Androgenetic Alopecia, also known as male pattern hair loss, is known to be the most common form of hair loss which can account for 95% of hair loss in men.
- Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is a distinctive form of hair loss that can occur in women with androgenetic alopecia. Many women can be affected by FPHL. Around 40% of women by age 50 may show signs of hair loss.
- Individuals with pattern hair loss can have an increased sensitivity to DHT. DHT can bind onto susceptible hair follicles, and can cause them to shrink. Over time this can impact the hair growth cycle where hair starts to thin, shorten and eventually stop growing.
Is it normal that I am losing hair every day?
- It may be normal to shed between 50 to 100 hairs per day. This is because of the hair’s growth cycle, which consists of 3 phases: anagen, catagen and telogen. The anagen phase is the growth phase of the hair in which the hair is actively growing. This phase usually lasts 2 to 7 years, and normally 85-90% of scalp hairs are in this phase at any given time. The catagen phase is known as the transition phase in which hair shaft production is completed. The telogen phase, otherwise known as the rest phase, is the last phase of the growth cycle. In this phase, a club hair is fully formed and can result in a hard, white and dry material at the root and the hair is eventually shed from the scalp.
- Those with Androgenetic Alopecia, hair shedding can be in excess of 100 hairs per day, as follicular miniaturisation can cause the hair’s growth cycle to become progressively shorter. This may result in significantly less hairs in the anagen phase at any given time, which can be the reason why hair shedding is more frequent in those with Androgenetic Alopecia.
