Causes of Hair Loss & Hair Thinning and Successful Treatments

The dark abyss of your shower or tub drain, clogged up with once proud strands, the panic and undefined snake of dread crawling up your spine once you look at the graveyard of hair mocking you from the brush, the despair of noticing your hairline receding ever more into the background or your once razor thin parting gaining some hefty new girth. There is rarely such a katana cut to self-esteem as in the first moments you notice hair loss or thinning. We're all bound to our hair as an extension of the self-image we hold so dear. We are all vain and rarely does a panicking balding head remember that bald is beautiful or that the majesty of the bald eagle is respected by all in nature.

What is alopecia? A fancy word for baldness. But why does hair loss happen? What causes alopecia? Is it a final sentence, and can you slow down or even reverse hair thinning? Is minoxidil your only hair loss treatment option, or are there more things in your arsenal against the cruel, cruel Q-ball boogieman lurking at the darkest corners of pre-middle age?

Types of hair loss

It's normal to lose strands every day. The average rate of shedding is 50-100 hairs a day, which is a drop in the bucket, considering an average head of hair carries about 120,000 follicles. Shedding is just one of the body's ways of renewing itself constantly. The hair we shed gets quickly replaced by new baby hairs produced by the follicle. These are the strange, shorter, frizzy antennae you see when you try to smooth out your hair. But sometimes, this regular rhythm of shedding and new hair growth gets dysfunctional, and we start losing more hair than the body can replace in time, manifesting as visible hair thinning and hair loss.

Although alopecia is very liberal with locations and can affect all body areas as a result of multiple factors ( such as illnesses, medication, stress, nutritional deficiencies, or inadequate products), we're primarily concerned with the hair on our scalp and head (eyebrows, eyelashes). This distress is completely understandable because our head is the body part most often exposed to the world. You might even welcome the loss of unwanted body hair, but it is a sign that something is off in the body and should be discussed with your doctor.

Scalp hair loss types:

Androgenic alopecia 

Baldness that affects men and women equally and splits into male and female-pattern baldness.

Male-pattern baldness

George Costanza. Typical male pattern baldness. It will start as receding triangles vertically from the corners of your eyes and will affect the entire top of the head.

Female-pattern baldness

It is more focused on the top of the scalp, with increasingly thinning hair but no balding triangles in the front. In the early stages, you could start seeing more of the white scalp if you part your hair down the middle.

Alopecia areata

This one manifests as circular spots on the head that go completely bald. They may remain separate or overlap while the rest of the hair grows normally.

Traction alopecia

Traction alopecia is the one most under our control and is the result of mechanical over-manipulation, such as prolonged use of tight hairstyles, such as pigtails, cornrows, and braids, or overuse of tightly coiled hair rollers that intensely pull on the root.

Frontal fibrosing alopecia

Mainly associated with older women, it presents as pronounced balding at the hairline. Upper-class medieval ladies who plucked their hairlines back to get that sexy huge forehead would consider this alopecia a godsend.

Telogen effluvium

Stress- and hormone-related Telogen effluvium manifests as rapid hair loss after physical or psychological trauma or due to sudden large hormone changes, such as postpartum. The good news is that this is temporary, and your hair will return as you recover.

Anagen effluvium

It is mostly related to medication. It happens very rapidly and will affect the whole body. We most often see it with chemotherapy. Remember that the hair grows back once you're done with the treatment.

What causes alopecia?

When you start lamenting your balding fate, yelling with your fists clenched and raised up high to the sky: "Why?! Whyy? "Why meee?", you could consider one of the following causes of alopecia:

Genes

Well, this is just the luck of the draw of genetic roulette. The wheel spun, and you got what you've got. Androgenic alopecia is hereditary and can include female and male-pattern baldness. If you've had some bald or semi-bald heads around the family holiday dinner (on your mother's or father's side), it's your possible future. Blood is thicker than water, and most hair growth concoctions.

Hormonal fluctuations & illnesses

Hormonally affected hair loss is more likely to affect women due to our biology and the changes our bodies go through during pregnancy, childbirth, the postpartum period, and menopause. There are also thyroid problems, the risk of which is 10 times greater for women. Illnesses such as immune-related alopecia areata affect both sexes, just as type 2 diabetes or lupus.

Drugs

Medication can be lifesaving or greatly improve the quality of life for the ailing person, but it is also something artificially inserted into the body and can have unwanted side effects, such as hair loss. Some common medications that may lead to hair thinning or baldness are those for cancer, arthritis, depression, heart problems, gout, and high blood pressure.

Radiation

Getting radiation therapy to the head may disrupt hair growth and even cause hair never to grow back the same as it was.

Stress

Life can get difficult and unpredictable, and can pull the rug out beneath us. Getting severe enough fright, emotional trauma, or physical stress can result in excessive shedding a few months down the road. The hair will come back as the body recovers from trauma. Don't worry, the body is very good at recovering.

Hairstyle

We've mentioned tight hairstyles before that lead to traction alopecia, but keep in mind that hot oil treatments, unprofessionally done hair extensions, or long-term use of perms may damage the hair structure, hair shaft, and follicles, leading to a dead follicle that will not grow any new strands and, therefore, lead to hair loss.

Hair loss prevention

Well, if you've been affected by the genetic type of baldness, you may try to fight it, but unfortunately, the result is not preventable. So, it would be wise to start loving your hairline (or the lack thereof) as it is or consider making a fashion statement, including hats, head scarves, or wigs.

Diet

You'll need to focus on good-quality whole food. It doesn't all need to be organic, homegrown, or picked by unicorns during a full Moon, but refrain from living on processed junk and include a lot of fresh vegetables, fruit, quality protein (plant and animal-based), and healthy fats. If you're depleted of essential nutrients, your body will not consider hair a very important system to funnel nutrients into, and it will choose something more vital, like the brain, organs, muscles, or bones. The Mediterranean diet would be a good base diet to explore if you don't know where to start.

Gentle hair care

Have you seen what people do to their hair to make it look good for an event, photo, or whomever they're trying to impress this week? They burn, crush, intentionally mat, and change chemical structures. Try not to do more than necessary. Let your hair be, at least from time to time. Choose a gentle, nourishing shampoo and conditioner. Keep the chemical and mechanical interventions in your hair, such as dyes, highlights, peroxide treatments, perms, and really tight hairstyles, to a minimum.

Scalp care

Harsh treatments, shady, untested oils, serums, coloring, and especially bleaching will disrupt scalp health. A healthy scalp is a foundation for healthy hair and will allow the follicles to keep producing strong hair strands. Do a scalp massage on hair wash days, or get a gentle oil or hair serum and massage whenever you wish. The increased circulation in the scalp will deliver more oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles, and we want them satiated and happy.

No hot showers

Yes, there is nothing better than washing a hard day off you with a boiling hot shower that semi-cooks you alive (women will understand). As divine as this foggy paradise is, it's not the best news for your skin and scalp. Scalding hot water will over-strip your scalp of the natural protective oils - not the ones that make your hair look like a greasy mess, but the ones that serve as a protective layer just as the skin barrier on your face does.

Stress management

It does not need to be an expensive yoga class (maybe even incorporating hair growth yoga poses), you don't need equipment, or to run off to an ashram. Just figure out what works for you. It may really be yoga or meditation, staring at an aquarium, drawing, singing, talking to the crow on your balcony, or knitting. Find something, do it often, breathe, and enjoy.

Hair protection

If you're very prone to breakage, it would be a good idea to sleep on a silk pillowcase or buy a bit more practical and cheaper silk sleeping bonnet. Did you notice the state of your hair after a sun-soaked vacation? Please wear hats or airy headscarves when you are going to be in direct sunlight for a while. UV is not your friend. You can also get a leave-in conditioner that will protect your hair while on the beach. No need to wash your hair every day when you're in the ocean; just rinse it off with some fresh water, maybe do a blob of a leave-in conditioner... and put a hat on.

Underlying medical conditions

There are medical conditions that are more likely to cause alopecia, such as thyroid disruption, anemia, severe vitamin deficiencies, prediabetes, and diabetes.

Hair loss treatments

Minoxidil or Finasteride

You may know minoxidil best by the widespread brand name Rogaine. It is an over-the-counter FDA-approved medication initially used for blood pressure because of its vasodilatory (dilates the blood vessels) action. Still, it also helps with pattern hair loss. It can be used as a pill, a topical liquid, or as a foam. Finasteride, known under the brand names Proscar and Propecia, is also used to treat pattern hair loss and is typically taken orally, but topical options are also available.

Red LED and LLLT

Red light hair growth therapy involves the clinical or at-home use of a device equipped with LEDs. The wavelengths penetrate the scalp, reaching each individual hair follicle to stimulate cellular activity and promote new hair growth by boosting the efficacy of your own natural processes rather than introducing something foreign to the body.

At-home devices, such as FAQ™ 301 LED Hair Strengthening Scalp Massager, are getting really good at delivering results in hair thinning prevention. Clinically proven to significantly reduce hair loss and increase hair density and thickness in just 1 month, FAQ™ 301 features 637 ultra-hygienic silicone bristles that enhance LED light penetration while preventing bacterial accumulation, while a pleasant scalp massage feature dislodges buildup and boosts scalp circulation for a multi-layered effect.

You could also opt for a more intense combination of red LED and laser treatment for hair loss, such as FAQ™ 302 - the most powerful hair regrowth at-home solution. Technology fusion delivers a targeted treatment that helps regrow your hairline, temples & crown by reactivating dormant hair follicles with natural cellular energy, coaxing them into optimal performance.
 

You're not introducing anything harmful, and there are no side effects from the laser and LED light therapy, as you're just restoring natural processes in the follicle with perfectly calibrated, optimized wavelengths and LLLT (low-level laser therapy). FAQ™ 302 will increase hair density and length and decrease fallout as T-Sonic™ massage helps dislodge buildup on the scalp, allowing hair oils and serums to penetrate deep into the follicle, where they can actually work. The massage also stimulates blood flow, delivering oxygen and essential nutrients to starving hair follicles.

Laser energy is superior for severe hair loss because it forms a narrow and concentrated beam of light, penetrating directly into the core of each hair follicle to treat it individually, while red LED alone will stimulate a larger area. FAQ™ 302 decided to test what would happen if we used diffuse and concentrated energy simultaneously and realized that the interactions yielded better outcomes.

Clinical trials conducted by a 3rd party over 112 days confirmed that regular use of FAQ™ 302:

• Increases hair growth & density by up to 47%
• Increases hair glossiness by 46% in just 1 month
• Reduces hair loss by up to 46% 
• Results in up to 109 additional new hairs/square inch in just 4 months

REGROW WITH FAQ™ 302   

For even better results and if you feel like your scalp is imbalanced and frail, we'd warmly recommend using FAQ™ 302 with FAQ™ Scalp Recovery & Thick Hair Probiotic Serum, developed explicitly for synergistic effects with the laser hair regrowth device. This lightweight skincare-inspired scalp serum is formulated with microbiome-balancing Probiotics to combat flakiness or an oily scalp, hair-strengthening Red Clover Extract for added volume, and follicle-repairing Centella Asiatica to revitalize the hair. 

Vitamins D, B5, and B7

When it comes to vitamins, vitamin D takes the lead in teeth, bone, and hair health, keeping your follicles strong and healthy and stimulating new hair growth. If you suspect a deficiency, get checked out and supplement if needed. This will help support your body from the inside. From the B vitamin group, two stand out for moisturization and hair growth: vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and vitamin B7 (biotin).

PRP Therapy

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy injects platelets derived from the patient's blood sample into the scalp. Growth factors and proteins from the plasma stimulate hair growth in the injected areas. The procedure is not that risky, but you must be aware that it is a bit invasive. The risks include infection, pain at the injection site, scalp tenderness, and, in rare cases, injury to blood vessels or nerves.

Hair transplants

Quite effective and instantly visible, but with an enviable price tag, hair transplants split into Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE).

FUT will remove a strip of scalp from a less visible area, like the back of the head to harvest hair follicles. FUE is a more advanced method of extracting individual follicles with minimal scarring. It is less invasive, leading to faster recovery and better-quality results. But be ready to pay anywhere from $4,000 to $15,000. It is a surgical procedure, so don't do this in a shady clinic at the edge of town.

Conclusion

Subtle but insidious, an extra few strands stick to the brush, and the part gets ever so wider, giving the telltale signs of hair loss and thinning. The slow decline quickly becomes a deeply personal and emotional battle. The reasons for alopecia vary and overlap,  from the genetic enie-meenie-minie-mo, hormonal turbulence to stress, illness, or simply our styling habits; remember that there are steps you can take to prevent, reverse, or at least slow down the hair loss.

Losing your hair doesn't mean losing your identity. It just means you have fewer strands sticking to your scalp, and it defines nothing. The appeal of bald is ever-growing, so don't underestimate the raw, clean beauty of a well-shaped head. Still, there are solutions if you're not into the 'bald is beautiful' theme. Modern science meets smarter self-care and common sense to offer tools, treatments, and strategies that can slow down, reverse, or at least soften the blow of alopecia. Whether you opt for the tried-and-true minoxidil, red light, laser therapies, nourish your body and massage yourself silly while munching on a Mediterranean-inspired diet, or go all-in with a hair transplant, this is your personal choice on how invasive you're willing to go. You are not your hair, but we understand you'd like to keep it for as long as possible.

We hope we've offered some useful information today: that you didn't find many hairs in our information soup and got what you were looking for. Stay proud, curious, and beautiful, and enjoy living in your skin.