Understanding the Causes of Hair Loss

Hair growth starts in the womb, and every follicle on your body developed before you were born. From that point on, we have about 100,000 hairs on our heads, and despite losing 100 strands daily, we don’t generally notice it because they regrow so quickly. In fact, we grow an average of .35 millimeters of hair every day.

So when we start losing more hair than we grow on our scalps, it frequently affects how we see ourselves, which can lead to depression and other professional and personal emotional problems. We can help you manage hair loss issues. To explain how, let’s review the reasons you lose hair on your scalp, the types of hair loss that exist, and how we can treat it.

To help residents of Clarkston and Pullman, Washington, manage hair loss, Drs. Walter Williams, Lindsey Goddard, and the medical team at Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center have a range of methods to regrow and prevent further hair shedding.

Types of hair loss

All forms of hair loss fall under the term alopecia, though there are many different types of this condition, including:

Androgenic alopecia

A common form affecting both sexes, also known as male- and female-pattern baldness. In men, your hair recedes on the top of your head, and in women, it thins at the hair part.

Alopecia areata

This autoimmune condition occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy hair follicles, leading to patches of hair loss on your scalp. Additionally, it can also occur in other parts of the body.

Ophiasis alopecia

Another autoimmune disorder, this condition is more common in younger people and targets the scalp's sides.

Diffuse alopecia areata

Also known as telogen effluvium, this condition causes hair to thin and fall out in scattered areas of your scalp.

Alopecia universalis

An autoimmune problem that causes complete hair loss all over the body, and the reasons it develops are unclear.

Common risk factors

These various types of hair loss have numerous causes, such as hereditary traits from your parents, fungal infections, hairstyles that pull on your hair, haircare products that damage hair, medical treatments, hormonal changes, stress, and nutritional deficiencies. 

Not all forms of hair loss are permanent, such as those caused by hormonal issues or stress, but many types can eventually lead to baldness.

Treatment options

To help restore your hair, here’s what we can do:

Medications

Regular use of minoxidil and finasteride (Rogaine and Propecia, respectively) helps to restore scalp hair and prevent further loss.

Transplants

We can remove hair from other areas and place them in places on your scalp that need them using follicular unit extraction and transplant (FUE and FUT) 

Dietary and supplemental changes

We also offer supplements to support hair growth and recommend dietary changes to improve hair health.

Often, we use multiple treatments to maximize your chances of achieving the results you want. Hair loss can happen for many reasons, and fortunately, we have many ways to help you get it back. 

Make an appointment with Drs. Williams, Goddard, and the Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center today to see a full head of hair again.