Before tackling any problem, no matter how complicated it may seem, the first step we have to take after recognizing the issue itself and admitting its existence, is to figure out its roots in the first place. In this article, we are going to underline the main causes that lie behind one of the most common issues in the world which is Hair loss, by answering some of the most reiterative questions such as; what are the types of Hair Loss? Do hats cause baldness? Can we consider mental health disorders or psychological instability as one of the main causes of hair loss? Does the lack of some vitamins may lead to hair thinning or baldness?
What Is Hair Loss?
First of all, before moving to the roots of hair loss, which is as we mentioned above the second phase of the solution, and before answering the recurrent question Do hats cause baldness, we need to answer the following query: What is Hair Loss? And How Can we scientifically define this issue?
According to Wikipedia, hair loss which is also alluded to as ” alopecia or baldness, refers to a loss of hair from part of the head or body. The severity of hair loss can vary from a small area to the entire body”( like the beard, the eyebrows….ect). And it has several types.
What are the various types of hair loss?
Generally, there are more than ten different types of hair loss, but the most common ones that we need to highlight are around five:
- The first and the most common type is called The Androgenetic Alopecia: this type affects both men and women. When it comes to men, it is referred to as male_pattern baldness. It starts from the sides and the temples of the head in the shape of the letter U. Later on, it may affect the crown area and the top of the head,and then it may lead to partial or full baldness over time. For women,on the other side,the symptoms of Androgenic Alopecia appear differently starting from a kind of thinning all over the head, but it rarely results in full baldness or receding hairline.
- The second type of hair loss is called Alopecia Areata: Also known as patchy or spot baldness, The Alopecia Areata is believed to be a disorder in the autoimmune system. that damages the hair follicles and the cells leading to a hair loss in the form of sporadic patches in different areas of the head, but mostly in the scalp area.
- The third type is called Alopecia Universalis: This type is a disease that leads to the hair loss from the full-body, such as the head, the eyebrows, the beard….ect.
- The fourth type of Hair loss is named The Telogen Effluvium: The hair growth cycle normally goes through three main stages: The Anagen phase, The Catagen phase, and The Telogen phase in which hair starts shedding, and new hair grows. The Telogen Effluvium is a scalp disorder that disturbs the hair growth cycle, and pushes around 30% of the hair to the Telogen phase which eventually leads to its shedding. When this type of hair loss occurs, we notice that the hair is falling out profusely on a daily basis in big amounts ( more than 300 hairs per day) starting from the scalp.
- The fifth type is called The Anagen Effluvium: This is a type of hair loss that occurs during the first phase of the hair growth cycle which is the Anagen phase.
After shedding light on the various common types of hair loss, What are the main causes behind this issue? Do hats cause baldness?
We can break down those causes into five categories as following:
- Heredity: This is the most common reason that leads to hair loss.
- Multiple medical conditions: There are a lot of diseases that result in hair loss; like, diabetes, blood pressure, cancer, hormonal disorders ( it takes place after childbirth, pregnancy, menopause, thyroid problems…etc ), Anemia, the lack of vitamins, and irons in the body, autoimmune disorders…etc.
- Psychological disturbances: Mental health and hair growth are closely intertwined. Thus, when any severe psychological disorder like anxiety, sadness, Trauma, acute depression takes place, the hair gets thin and starts falling.
- Chemotherapy: This is one of the other reasons for hair shedding.
- The use of chemical products: the excessive use of chemical hair products that contain damaging ingredients; like, sulfate, sodium, parabens, diethanolamine, the propylene glycol… cause the hair to fall.
- The lack of oxygen and vitamin D: Answering the recurrent question: do hats cause baldness, scientists proved that when we keep covering our hair permanently without exposing it to the sun and the oxygen continuously, the hair will get damaged, and eventually it will start falling significantly.
To conclude, Hair loss is a very common problem that may occur due to various physical, psychological, hereditary and environmental factors. In order to get rid of it, you need first to figure out the main reason behind it, and then you may start looking for possible solutions.
