Everyone loses hair every day, it's just a fact of life. Your hair and scalp, to remain healthy, casts off old hair and grows new hair all the time. However, if you're losing more hair than normal, or you have thinning hair, you could be suffering from hair loss, and there are many hair loss causes you should be aware of. Some of them are actually diseases that you can fight and then grow back your hair.

PATTERN BALDNESS (ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA)

Pattern baldness can affect men and women, and it's a condition where hair grows for a shorter period and the hairs that do grow aren't as thick and strong as they once were. It's also one of the most common hair loss causes. Every time the hair undergoes a growth cycle, the hairs aren't rooted as deeply in the scalp, and they can fall out easier. This is a story of heredity, and if there is a history of pattern baldness on either side of your family, it can increase your risk of having the same condition.

CICATRICIAL (SCARRING) ALOPECIA

This is a condition that also leads to permanent hair loss due to specific skin conditions, such as lichen planus or lupus erythematosus. The scalp becomes inflamed and damages the hair follicle, which keeps new hair from growing in the area.

ALOPECIA AREATA

This is known as an autoimmune disease, but doctors don't know what causes it. Some researchers think that some people develop alopecia areata because they are predisposed to it, and something triggers it to go off, such as a virus, illness, or even stress. If the condition runs in your family you're more likely to have it yourself. The good news is that usually your hair will grow back after you manage and treat this condition.

TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM

This type of hair loss usually isn't permanent, it actually results from a shock to the system, such as high fever, surgery, stress, or sudden weight loss, that cause the hair roots to go into a resting state. After a couple of months, the hair should begin to grow out again.

POOR NUTRITION AND THINNING HAIR

If you don't have enough iron or protein in your diet, or you have poor nutrition, you can have hair loss. Eating disorders, fad diets, and some diseases can cause this condition.

MEDICATIONS

Some drugs that treat conditions like high blood pressure, gout, depression, arthritis, and heart problems can create hair loss or thinning hair in some people. Women on birth control pills may have hair loss in some cases, too.

MEDICAL TREATMENTS

Most people know that chemotherapy or radiation therapy can cause hair loss. The hair usually grows back after the treatment stops.

HORMONAL CHANGES

Changes in the hormones or hormone imbalances can cause hair loss. Several causes, including getting pregnant, giving birth, stopping birth control pills, starting menopause, or a thyroid gland that is over- or underactive can cause this type of hair loss. You may not notice thinning hair until three months or so after a hormonal change, and it can be another three months for the hair to start to come back.

HAIR TREATMENTS

Usually. chemicals used on the hair for bleaching, tinting, dying, straightening or permanents don't cause problems, but if you use too many of them they can damage the hair and break it off. You can damage the hair shaft by too much brushing and styling, too.

SCALP INFECTION

Scalp infections are another of the hair loss causes that are treatable. Infections like ringworm can attack hair and scalp, which leads to hair loss. When you manage the infection, the hair usually grows back. skin of your scalp, leading to hair loss. Once infections are treated, hair generally grows back.

If you feel as if you're losing more hair than normal, or something's just not right with your hair, talk to a doctor. They can decide if your hair loss is related to a condition or disease, or if you're suffering from another form of baldness. There are treatments available that can help you with your hair loss problem, so don't despair, just get some treatment and head down the road to hair recovery!