Premature hair loss is often caused by androgenetic alopecia, which affects the hair growth cycle due to extra hormones. Women may experience hair loss due to hormonal decline, while medications, malnutrition, and trichotillomania can also cause hair loss. Treatment options include estrogen therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Premature hair loss or baldness has many causes, but the most common is androgenetic alopecia, also called male or female pattern baldness. In this condition, the presence of extra hormones, testosterone and DHT, affect the hair growth cycle, causing more than usual hair loss and hair follicle death. Doctors estimate that at least 90% of cases of premature hair loss are due to this cause.
Hair loss in women, particularly as they reach their 30s or 40s and start producing less estrogen, may be linked to this hormonal decline. Women who have been pregnant may have experienced particularly thick, lustrous hair during pregnancy due to excess estrogen. As levels begin to decline, hair growth slows and some follicles may die. Estrogen therapy can slow this hair loss, but there are some drawbacks to using it. It is linked to a much higher risk for some cancers, and HRT is used much less frequently than it used to be.
Scientists also point to many drugs that can cause premature hair loss. For example, thyroid hormone can cause hair loss, although a lack of thyroid hormone can cause hair loss. Certainly medications, such as those used for chemotherapy, also cause temporary hair loss, although it usually grows back after treatment is stopped. Some medications for mood disorders and seizures, such as carbamazepine, often used by people with bipolar disorder, can cause hair loss, as can a number of antidepressants. Medications that list hair loss as a side effect don’t necessarily mean it’s guaranteed or will be significant, just that there is potential for it.
Malnutrition can affect hair growth and lead to premature hair loss. When a person is severely malnourished or has a condition such as irritable bowel syndrome, the body doesn’t have access to or can’t absorb the necessary vitamins and minerals. Baldness can be a consequence, even in very young children. Again, this hair loss does not necessarily cause the hair follicles to die, and if you get adequate nutrition, the hair loss can be temporary.
Another condition that can cause patchy baldness is trichotillomania, a disorder characterized by a compulsive desire to pull out hair. Trichotillomania is considered to be similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder and may respond to treatment with some antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy. As it continues, excessive hair pulling can damage hair follicles to the point where they no longer function. It is best to treat this condition early whenever possible to avoid such damage.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
