Hair loss

Hair loss is hair that is thinning or is falling out of your scalp. It's fairly common. Everyone loses some hair every day. Losing up to 100 hairs a day is normal.

But if hair loss runs in your family, you could lose a lot more hair. With this kind of hair loss, you may end up with bald spots if you're a man. If you're a woman, you may find that the hair on the top of your head is slowly thinning.

Your symptoms will depend on what kind of hair loss you have.

If your hair is thinning, it happens slowly over time. You may not notice the hairs falling out. If your hair is shedding, then clumps of hair fall out. You may lose hair all over your scalp, which is called general hair loss. Or you may lose hair only in one area. This is called focal hair loss.

With inherited hair loss, men usually get bald spots around the forehead or on the top of the head. Women have some thinning all over the scalp, but mostly on the top of the head.

Your doctor will ask you about your past health and will do a physical exam. Your doctor will look closely at your scalp and hair loss pattern and may gently pull out a few hairs for tests.

Your doctor will also ask you some questions about your hair loss, like how much hair you're losing, when it started, and whether your parents have hair loss.

The most common cause of hair loss—inherited hair loss—is easy to recognize. Men tend to lose hair from the forehead area and top of the head, but they have normal amounts of hair on other areas of the scalp. Women tend to keep their front hairline but have thinning hair on the top of the head.

Your doctor will look closely at your hair and scalp. If it's not clear what's causing your hair loss, your doctor may take a sample of your hair or have other tests done.

Treatment for hair loss depends on the cause. It also depends on your feelings. You may decide that you need treatment, or you may not be worried about thinning hair or baldness. The choice is up to you.

If hair loss is caused by something that won't last or can be treated, your hair is likely to grow back. For example, if an underactive thyroid is causing the problem, taking thyroid medicine may help. And most hair lost during chemotherapy will grow back after the treatment ends.

Hair loss that runs in the family can be treated with medicines or hair transplant surgery. Some people choose to wear hairpieces, like wigs or toupees. Finding different ways of styling your hair, like dyeing or combing, can help.

If hair loss is caused by something you can control, like stress or medicines, you can treat it by getting rid of the cause.

Home treatment for hair loss includes hair care and hairstyling techniques that may help cover thinning or bald spots on the scalp.

Hair care products

With inherited hair loss, hair care and sometimes using grooming products, hair sprays, hair color, teasing, or frequent washing won't increase hair loss. But if your hair loss is caused by hair care such as perms and dyes, you may want to try:

• Scalp concealers or hair thickeners.
• A hairpiece. These are made from human or synthetic hair that is implanted into a nylon netting.
• Certain hair care products and styling techniques.
• Laser phototherapy combs. These combs use low levels of light to increase hair growth on the scalp.

Skin cancer protection

Hair thinning and baldness increase the risk of sunburn and skin cancer on the scalp. When in the sun, wear a hat or use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more to prevent sun damage to the scalp.