If you have noticed that your hair is falling out, thinning or is more brittle than normal, it’s important to try not to panic. You may not be suffering from a serious hair loss condition such as alopecia or telogen effluvium; you might find it’s just a temporary problem.
Temporary hair loss can be caused by any of the following:
Medical
• Medical conditions – i.e. diabetes, thyroid disease.
• Drugs and medication – i.e. hormone replacement therapy medication, contraceptive pills
• Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy
Diet
• Lack of essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B-12, protein and iron
• Eating disorders – i.e. bulimia or anorexia
Poor hair care
• Aggressive over-brushing
• Too much heat used in styling
• Hairstyles which put too much tension on the scalp – this can cause a female hair loss condition called traction alopecia
• Excessive application of hair dyes, highlights or other chemical or bleaching treatments
A number of these factors and causes are easy to remedy, meaning that your hair loss is preventable. However, for hair loss caused by cancer treatment or a hereditary condition (i.e. telogen effluvium, or pattern baldness), you may have to face up to the fact that you will lose some of your hair.