Causes of Hair Loss, Diagnosis, Treatment Options

Hair loss can be a problem that affects both men and women alike. Hair is one of the most important elements of a person’s appearance—whether it’s men or women. Hair greatly influences the characteristics of the face, and a carefully chosen, well-maintained hairstyle can make a person more attractive and, as a result, more confident.

Causes of Hair Loss

The most common cause of hair loss, thinning hair, and balding is genetic, meaning an inherited tendency for male or female pattern hair loss. The combined effect of lifestyle and dietary factors associated with this predisposition should not be overlooked, but hair loss can also be complex, involving the combined effects of multiple diseases. Hair loss can also be a symptom of a short-term event, after which the hair grows back, such as stress, pregnancy, or a side effect of some medication.

Various hormones, medications, and diseases can independently alter hair growth and condition, leading to hair loss. Once the causes are identified and treated, hair returns to its normal growth and shedding cycle. Hair loss can be caused by something as simple as an inflammatory lesion or allergen, such as a drug ingredient.

In addition, there are some ingrained habits that also lead to hair thinning,  so we’ve compiled 9 bad habits that are harmful to hair.

When Should We Be Concerned About Hair Loss? – Causes and Explanations

Losing 100-150 hairs per day is considered completely normal; this is part of the natural hair cycle. So, as long as the follicular units, i.e., the hair groups, are healthy and intact, there’s no need to worry. However, if you lose more than an average of 150 hairs per day, there is an underlying problem that needs to be addressed.

Hair loss can be a temporary or long-term process. Temporary hair loss is easy to treat if the causes are identified.

Excessive hair loss indicates that an abnormal process is occurring in the body. The cause of hair loss can be a hormonal imbalance, illness, or external influences, such as medications or poisoning.

What Treatment Options Are Available?

The causes of certain types of hair loss, including the most common hormonal, androgenic balding, are already partially known. Therefore, there are products with clinically proven extracts that address the actual causes of hair loss, but none offer a complete solution, and their effectiveness may vary from person to person.

Generally speaking, the topical hair tonics, shampoos, vitamins, and internal agents available at our clinic, as well as regenerative therapies, PRP therapy, primarily slow down or stop hair loss in both sexes. The therapies we recommend are also suitable for partial hair restoration, but for more extensive hair loss caused by androgenic balding, only a properly performed hair transplant currently provides a truly natural result.

Androgenic hair loss—commonly known as male-pattern baldness—accounts for 90-95% of hair loss in men. This affects about 40% of men aged 35 and about 55% of men in their early fifties in the Hungarian population.

The hair follicles of those affected are sensitive to a specific sex hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Due to the presence of this hormone, the hair follicles undergo miniaturization, i.e., atrophy. This shortens the cycle of the hair follicles and thus the hair itself.

As a result, follicular units that previously produced terminal hair start producing vellus hair or baby hairs. In the final stage, these hair follicles no longer produce normal hair at all.

A characteristic feature of androgenic alopecia (AGA) is the typical recession of the hairline, according to the Norwood scale, while the scalp thins at the same time. The end result of this process—depending on the individual’s hormone sensitivity—is often just a horseshoe-shaped area of hair near the nape of the neck and the neck, where the hair remains.

Why Doesn’t Hair Fall Out from This Area?

Hair from this horseshoe-shaped area never falls out because the hair in this area is resistant to the effects of DHT. This exact genetic trait is utilized during hair transplantation.

Female Hair Loss

About 80-85% of hair loss in women is hormone-related. Events affecting the hormonal system, such as ovarian tumors, taking male hormone-containing contraceptives, pregnancy, menopause, or temporary hormonal changes, cause this condition. In the remaining 15-20% of women suffering from hair loss, stress, inflammatory, or immune-based causes are the underlying factors.

Similar to men, in women suffering from androgenic hair loss—hormone-based hair loss—dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is responsible for the miniaturization and atrophy of the hair follicles. Most women do not go bald but suffer from so-called diffuse hair loss, which affects the entire head. So, women experience hair loss all over the scalp, but completely bald patches are relatively rare, with hair thinning everywhere. This is caused by androgens—male hormones—that are present in only small amounts in the female body.