Causes of hair loss

Causes of hair loss

A recent survey of over 1000 women found that a staggering 33% (or 1 in 3) reported hair
loss. This was observed as an increase in the amount of hair shed or a reduction in the length
grown, both of which contribute to a reduction in hair volume if the problem persists for any
length of time.
Hair volume varies between individuals with some people having finer (or thinner) hairs than
others. As we grow older, there is a tendency for our hair fibres to become finer and shorter
over successive hair cycles, but years may elapse before any obvious difference is seen.
Hair volume is determined by three factors (5, 6) :
the number of hairs present per square centimetre.
the proportion of hair follicles in the growing phase.
hair fibre thickness.
Almost all hair problems show up as a change in one or any combination of these three
factors (7) . Understanding what has changed is the key to identifying the underlying cause.
It is important to understand that 95% of hair loss complaints seen in women are caused by
just two conditions. These are:
Chronic telogen effluvium (CTE).
Genetic hair loss (androgen-dependent alopecia).
Both of these are covered in detail on this site and the causes of the remaining 5% of cases
are also summarised below.