Who Is at Risk of Losing Their Hair?

Though it’s true that genetics plays a major factor in hair loss and balding, there are many other different causes to consider as well. Some of them may be related to health conditions while other may be related to medical treatments and other factors. The team at our New York and Boston serving hair transplant surgery practice would like to take a moment right now to look at the different causes of hair loss and balding and list who is at risk of losing hair.

Genetic Factors

One of the most common causes of baldness is heredity and genetics. If male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness runs in your family, then it is very likely that you will experience pattern baldness as well. (Those old assumptions that if your maternal grandfather was bald, you’d be bald as well are only partially true given how complicated genetic factors are.)

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that you may have heard about before. It results in balding or total baldness on the scalp but may also cause hair to fall out on other parts of the body as well. When someone has alopecia areata, their immune system attacks and damages the hair follicles by mistake.

Chemotherapy

People undergoing chemotherapy will experience hair loss as one of the symptoms of treatment. The degree of balding varies, and the hair loss can occur on different parts of the body. The hair will regrow after chemotherapy is complete, however.

Hormonal Changes After Pregnancy

When a woman is pregnant, a rise in estrogen levels will result in additional hair growth. After giving birth to a child, the hormones will adjust to normal levels leading to some degree of hair loss. This is a normal part of the childbirth process and generally the hair loss will be minor.

Menopause

Menopause will involve hormonal changes in a woman’s body that can result in hair loss. This is mainly due to the drop in estrogen levels in the body. Hair growth can occur in different parts of the body as a result of menopause as well. Generally these conditions are only temporary.

Medication Side Effects

Certain medications may cause hair loss as a side effect. This includes Accutane®, Yasmin®, and other medications that alter hormone levels.

There are many other potential causes of hair loss. To discuss these as well as hair transplant costs Boston and other matters related to balding and hair replacement, contact our New York City hair transplant surgery center today.