Did you know that approximately 40% of women have visible hair loss by the time they reach 40? While it’s a pretty common condition that women suffer from, it’s not always clear why hair loss is happening.
Hair grows in three stages, and for the majority of the time that hair is on the scalp, it’s growing. But if something interferes with the growth cycle, that’s when things start to go wrong. Here are a few common things that can negatively affect the hair growth cycle and cause women’s hair loss.
Physical Stress
Believe it or not, simple physical stresses can affect your hair growth and actually cause it to fall out. Any kind of physical trauma like surgery, car accidents, or even pregnancy can result in a women’s hair loss. A stressful event can push the hair into its final growth stage, which in turn pushes more hair to fall out. This type of hair loss is called telogen effluvium. Fortunately, hair will start to grow back as you recover, but it may take three to six months for the hair loss to become noticeable.
Too Much Vitamin A
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, too much vitamin A in your system can result in hair loss. The daily value for vitamin A is 5,000 IU, but supplements can contain as much as 10,000 IU in a single dosage, so make sure you’re being careful when you buy vitamins! The good news is that if this is the reason you’re experiencing hair loss, you simply need to cut back on vitamin A consumption.
Genetics
Androgenetic alopecia is more commonly referred to as female-pattern hair loss, but it’s one of the leading causes for hair loss in both men and women. DHT, a product of testosterone, is thought to be the culprit of this genetic disorder. Fortunately, there are a variety of hair rejuvenation therapies available to those suffering from this type of hair loss.
Hair loss is a serious medical issue, but once you determine the cause, it can be treated with the right course of hair rejuvenation therapy.