Hair Loss: The Latest Science on Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

It is perfectly normal for people to shed between 50 and 100 hairs from their heads every day, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association.

However, excessive hair loss that causes progressive thinning of the hair, bald patches, or even total hair loss can be very distressing.

There are several possible causes of hair loss. These include:

  • major stressors, such as a prolonged illness, job loss, or a bereavement — this kind of hair loss is known as telogen effluvium
  • some medications, including antidepressants, beta-blockers, levodopa, and chemotherapy drugs
  • illnesses such as thyroid disorders, a sex hormone imbalance, or a dietary deficiency of protein, iron, zinc, or biotin, for example
  • autoimmunity, which can cause hair to fall out in one or more small patches on the scalp, eyebrows, or eyelashes — this is known as alopecia areataTrusted Source
  • tight hairstyles that strain the hair follicles, known as traumatic or traction alopecia
  • a combination of genetics, male hormones, and increasing age, known as pattern hair loss or androgenetic alopecia; this can affect both males and females.

The biology of hair growth is complex, but in recent years scientists have made strides toward understanding how the various factors listed above cause hair loss. They hope that in time this will lead to new, more effective treatments.

Growth cycles in hair follicles

A hair follicle is a tube-like skin pore that encloses the shaft and root of the hair. Most healthy adults have around 80,000–120,000Trusted Source hairs on their scalps.

Each hair follicle repeatedly undergoes a growth cycle that comprises three distinct phases: anagen, catagen, and telogen.

During anagen, which lasts between 2 and 7 years, the hair within the follicle grows about 1 centimeter per month.

The follicle then enters catagen, a 2-week transitional phase during which the hair detaches from the blood supply.

During the final, inactive stage, or telogen, the follicle sheds the hair. It can then take up to 4 months before the follicle starts to grow a new one.

Two to 3 months after a person experiences a traumatic or stressful event they can develop telogen effluviumTrusted Source — a type of hair loss in which the follicles remain stuck in the inactive, hair-shedding stage.