There are so many myths and misconceptions surrounding female hair loss, it can be difficult for people looking for information about it to sort fact from fiction.
One of the main myths about hair loss – particularly sudden, seemingly unexplained hair loss – is that it is contagious in some way. This is not true, as most conditions which cause female hair loss cannot be passed on from person to person. You can’t ‘catch it’ from breathing the same air as the affected person, nor by touching them, using their hairbrush (although you shouldn’t really do this anyway, for hygiene reasons) or any other form of contact.
Tinea capitis (ringworm)
This condition is one of the only exceptions to the rule that hair loss is not contagious. Tinea capitis, or ringworm, is a fungal infection mostly found in children. In some cases, it causes patchy hair loss. There is a possibility that you can catch ringworm from an infected person, but it is incredibly easy to treat.
Androgenic alopecia
Although it doesn’t count as being ‘infectious’, some hair loss conditions are caused by hereditary/genetic factors. This means that your mother, father, grandparents or other family members could technically ‘pass on’ the condition to you.