Normal Hair Loss

Everyone experiences hair loss at some point, but do you know when you are experiencing normal hair loss, or if something is wrong? There are many instances when you may lose hair due to an illness or treatment, and hair loss is sometimes caused by heredity. When you think your hair is coming out faster than usual, you need to be sure its normal hair loss and not an indication that something is wrong.

The most common type of normal hair loss is heredity. If there is baldness in your family, you may expect to lose some of your hair as you age. What surprises some people is that it can happen at a young age. Some men (and women) lose hair early, and are shocked to find their hair coming out and leaving bald spots. Even when there seems to be no balding gene in your family, it may happen.

If you are a woman with long, naturally curly hair, you may become worried about the amount of hair that comes out in your brush. Most people lose up to a hundred strands of hair a day. This may seem like a lot, but you are also growing new hair at the same time. When you have curly hair, the strands fall out, but stay tangled in your healthy hair. This is why it may seem to all come out at once when you brush or wash your hair. It’s normal, and you will soon learn what to expect.

There are times when your normal hair loss seems to accelerate. Hair tends to grow in cycles, so there may be times when you lose more than usual. While women tend to keep most of their hair, there are medical conditions that cause hair loss. One common condition is PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome. Some women with this condition lose hair and will have bald and thinning patches. If this is happening to you, you may want to see your doctor to discuss the possibility that you may have PCOS.

Some medical treatments result in hair loss as well. If you are receiving cancer treatments, you may notice you are losing hair. This isn’t as common as it used to be, but it still happens to many cancer patients. This hair loss can go way beyond normal hair loss, and leave you with no hair at all. Don’t worry though, in many cases, it will grow back after your treatment is finished.