Other Hair Loss Reasons

The reasons for hair loss range from genetic predisposition to hormonal disorders to overuse of hair dye. Medical treatments such as chemotherapy as a reason for hair loss are familiar as well. While hair loss in men is well accepted if still troublesome problem, hair loss in women is less well understood and is attracting significant medical attention as more women feel ready to seek medical help to determine the reasons of hair loss. The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that as many as 30 million women in the United States are battling hair loss, and that number is growing.

If the reason for hair loss is genetic—as it is in 95 percent of hair loss in men—prescription medication can help. In men, such hair loss is generally associated with androgenic alopecia—also known as male pattern baldness—and high levels of testosterone.

Genetic hair loss in women used to be defined under the same terms, but recent research into the reasons for a woman’s loss of hair indicate that the process is different, although for some women an excess of testosterone could be an issue. Most dermatologists today refer to genetic hair loss in women as “female pattern hair loss,” a term that can refer not just to loss due to testosterone but to other hair loss reasons. Also, unlike in men, hair loss for women can occur at nearly any stage of life. Most men experience hair loss as a result of age and genetics.

Reasons for hair loss in women can include genetics but also encompass a wide range of additional possibilities. Autoimmune disorders that primarily attack women—such as lupus—can be one reason for extreme, rapid hair loss. Lupus is one reason for body hair loss as well. Extreme weight loss because of crash dieting or an eating disorder is another reason for sudden hair loss. PCOS, a hormonal disorder with mysterious origins that affects as many as 10 percent of women of reproductive age, is another common reason that young women can lose hair.

Of course, some hair loss is normal, particularly after pregnancy or following a woman’s decision to stop taking birth control pills. Hormones, after all, are the primary determinants of hair growth in both men and women.

The possible reasons given for hair loss address only human hair loss, naturally. The reasons for cat hair loss—when it involves more than normal shedding of coat—should be discussed with a qualified veterinarian.