Female hair loss can have many causes, not all of which you can do anything about (i.e. hereditary conditions). However, some types of hair loss can be caused by something you’re doing or more accurately – what you’re not doing.

The body needs certain vitamins, minerals and nutrients in order to stay healthy and specifically, create red blood cells. If you aren’t eating properly or getting enough of these nutrients as part of your daily diet, you could run the risk of developing anaemia. This condition has a wide range of symptoms, one of the most notable being hair loss.

There are three main types of anaemia that can trigger hair loss. These are:

Iron deficiency anaemia

This is the most common form of anaemia, caused by not getting enough vitamin C and iron in your diet. Symptoms include rapid hair loss, depression, dry hair, weight loss and paleness. Women are more susceptible to the condition than men due to menstruation.

Copper toxicity anaemia

This can be triggered by many things – eating too much meat, smoking, using prescription medications containing copper – and it can cause hair loss, insomnia, headaches and even hypoglycaemia.

Pernicious anaemia

This is a type of anaemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency and generally affecting people over 40 years old. It can cause weight loss, hair colour change, rapid hair loss and dry hair.

One of the worst things about suddenly or unexpectedly losing your hair is that you can often feel quite alone in what you are going through, like no one else could possibly understand.

It is true that it’s hard for people who haven’t experienced hair loss problems to really get how it feels, but sufferers tend to experience similar reactions. By knowing how other people with female hair loss feel about their condition, you needn’t feel alone.

The following are a few of the most common psychological responses to female hair loss. See if any of these sound familiar:

• Anxiety, panic and worry as hair starts to thin or fall out
• Feeling frustrated, helpless and desperate to take back control over your own body
• A drop in self-esteem and self-confidence
• Feeling unattractive and less feminine due to hair loss
• Worrying about the effect hair loss will have on relationships
• Endlessly thinking about hair loss and wishing you had more hair
• Trying anything and everything to get hair to grow back

If you have experienced any of these responses, you are not alone. Talking about your feelings with other hair loss sufferers who share them can really help you to cope, as will going to see a hair loss specialist for reassurance and professional advice.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affects approximately 5 to 10% of women aged 12 to 45. It is an endocrine (hormonal) disorder that can affect fertility, but it has lots of other side effects and symptoms too.

The following are the main symptoms of PCOS:

• Irregular menstruation or missing periods
• Hyperandrogenism – this means that women with condition generally have increased levels of male hormones such as androstenedione and testosterone
• Abnormal weight gain
• Excess body hair (hirstutism)
• Chronic pelvic pain
• Oily skin or acne

Along with these symptoms, women with PCOS may also experience hair loss. This can vary from thinning hair to bald patches and mass shedding.

This symptom is likely to be caused by a female hair loss condition called telogen effluvium, in which an increased number of hairs enter the resting (telogen) phase and fall out. Hairs go through three stages – anagen (growth), catagen (transitional) and telogen (resting) – and at different times.

In women with PCOS, telogen effluvium is likely to be triggered by the hormonal changes taking place in the body, as well as possible thyroid problems.

If you think you may be suffering from PCOS and telogen effluvium, you should see your doctor or a trichologist (hair loss specialist) as soon as possible for a diagnosis.

Alopecia universalis is an advanced for of alopecia areata, a condition where the hair falls out in patches. It causes hair loss all over the body, including eyebrows, eyelashes and even pubic hair.

The condition is extremely rare, affecting only approximately 1 in 100,000 people. However, those people who do have alopecia universalis can often feel alone in their predicament as they believe no one else knows what they are going through.

It may give alopecia universalis sufferers some comfort to know that there are people all over the world with the condition, some of whom are very well-known.

High-profile figures with alopecia universalis

• John D. Rockefeller – the oil magnate and businessman often thought of as the richest man in history
• Duncan Goodhew – the former Olympic swimmer
• Matt Lucas – comedy actor most famous for the Little Britain TV series
• Art Harris – CNN reporter and journalist
• Dave McPherson – the lead singer and guitarist for InMe, the British rock band
• Charlie Villanueva – the professional basketball player who plays for the Detroit Pistons
• Dean Canto – the Australian racing driver
• Pierluigi Collina – a referee with the Italian Football Referees Association (AIA)

When most people see a child with no hair, they often assume that the child has a form of cancer or other illness. However, although chemotherapy treatment for cancer does cause hair to fall out, it is not the only cause of children’s hair loss.

Some forms of hair loss in children are more temporary than others, but all can be diagnosed properly if you just keep calm and take your child to see your GP.

The following are a few of the most common causes of children’s hair loss:

• Ringworm (also known as tinea capitis when it occurs on the scalp) – this is a fungal infection which causes patches of hair loss, itchiness, inflammation and scaling on the scalp.

• Alopecia areata – another common cause of hair loss, this condition causes small spots or patches of baldness on the scalp. It is thought to be caused by a problem with the immune system.

• Trichotillomania – this is a condition in which the child feels the compulsive urge to pull out their own hair. It happens a lot amongst children, but most grow out of it given the proper attention.

• Telogen effluvium – like in adults, this is a condition triggered by stress, illness, fever or surgery. The stressful or traumatic event can cause more hair than normal to go into the resting phase, after which it falls out. However, the hair should grow back after six months or so.