Male pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia, is behind 95% of the hair loss that men experience. By the time American men reach 35 years old, two-thirds of them will have begun to lose enough of their hair to really notice. Although a man has to lose half of his hair before really becomes visible in a cosmetic way, you know if you’re balding long before anyone else does.
Hair loss is a significant issue and one that can be difficult to deal with when it comes to confidence at work or at home. That is why a lot of people are interested in hair loss treatment and visits to the hair clinic. You might also be interested in knowing some of the other reasons for hair loss besides male pattern baldness.
- You are under some kind of serious physical stress. Many people don’t know this, but it’s possible for both men and women to experience sudden and even serious hair loss because of a traumatic illness, and accident, a surgery, or even a stressful situation like a job loss. Hair grows and falls out in regular cycles, but according to hair specialists, the shock of the stressful event can push hair into the shedding phase. Should you visit the hair clinic for this type of hair loss? Maybe to find out what’s happening, but you’ll be glad to know that it will almost certainly start growing back as you recover from the stress.
- You’re getting too little protein. Another reason that some people lose their hair is that they are not eating enough protein. When starved of protein, the body will start shutting down certain non-essential functions like hair growth. In many cases, you may not realize that this is the problem, but a visit to the hair clinic could reveal what’s going on. If you recently switched to a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, this could be behind your hair loss. The best sources of protein for bioavailability for the human animal are meat, fish, and eggs. If you can’t eat these or choose not to, it’s important to research vegan protein sources. You’ll need to eat more of these then you would of traditional protein sources because it’s harder for your body to get the protein it needs from them.
- You’re pregnant! Okay, guys, this probably is not the reason for your hair loss. But for women experiencing hair loss, pregnancy is a common trigger. Both the physical stress of pregnancy and giving birth as well as hormonal changes can result in temporary hair loss. For most women, hair will grow back a few months later.
- You have anemia. Anemia is an iron deficiency. This is more common in women than in men, but it is possible for men to be iron deficient as well, particularly if they follow a strict vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Again, this is because while certain vegetables have plenty of iron in them, that iron is not easily bioavailable to the human animal. Furthermore, it is a slightly different type of iron than that which we most need. A simple supplement will usually fix this situation, though it’s important to get a doctor or expert at the hair clinic to help you understand whether your hair loss could be related to an iron deficiency.
- You are not getting enough vitamin B. Vitamin B is another essential nutrient that can cause hair loss. This is not a terribly common problem in the United States, fortunately, largely due to the fortification of grains and the prevalence of multivitamins. Vitamin B is naturally found in fish, meat, fruits, and starchy vegetables.
- You recently lost a lot of weight. Losing a lot of weight is great, but it is a taxing experience for your body. The process of losing weight or mineral or vitamin deficiencies could be driving your hair loss. If you are otherwise healthy, give it six months. After that, your hair should grow back.
Hair loss can be discouraging and difficult to deal with. For most people, hair loss is a normal result of aging and best treated at a hair clinic. Ask your hair loss specialist for more information about what’s causing your baldness.