6 Reasons You’re Losing Hair

Many men lose their hair as they age. It can feel like one day you have a full head of hair, and the next, your hairline is receding, or you’re losing hair at a faster rate in the shower. Losing your hair can be scary, but it’s usually natural and should not cause alarm. In this article, we’ll discuss the reasons why you might be losing your hair.

Reasons You’re Losing Hair

Losing your hair doesn’t necessarily mean that something is wrong. However, the reason for your hair loss can help you determine whether it can regrow on its own or will continue to fall out. Here are the causes of hair loss in men.

1.   Genetics

Hereditary hair loss is common in both men and women. Hereditary hair loss is the most common reason for hair loss. Male pattern hair loss means you’ve inherited genes from your relatives that cause your hair follicles to stop growing hair by shrinking. Shrinking hair follicles can occur in your teens, but it usually starts later in life.

Someone suffering from hereditary hair loss will notice a receding hairline or bald spot at the top of the head. Luckily, with treatment, you can stop or slow the hair loss process.

2.   Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is a medical condition in which the immune system attacks hair follicles, which results in hair loss. Those suffering from alopecia areata can lose hair anywhere on their bodies, including scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes. Treatment of alopecia areata can help hair regrow on its own.

3.   Hair Care

Not taking proper care of your hair and scalp can lead to damaged hair and hair loss. If you use heat on your hair, you could be damaging your hair follicles. If the cause of your hair loss is improper hair care, you can regrow your hair naturally on your own by properly caring for your hair and scalp through serums or treatments.

4.   Nutritional Deficiencies

If you’re not eating a healthy diet, your hair and follicles can suffer. Zinc and iron deficiency are linked to hair loss, but being deficient in any number of vitamins might also cause thinning hair and balding. Make sure you’re eating a proper diet and taking supplements if you’re deficient in:

Iron

Iron is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies associated with hair loss. Because iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen, it’s necessary to deliver oxygen to your entire body, including your skin and scalp. You can get more zinc by eating foods like red meat, seafood, and beans.

Zinc

Zinc is another common vitamin deficiency associated with hair loss because it plays an important role in immune function and protein synthesis. You can find zinc in oysters, beef, and pork.

Fatty Acids

Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids reduce inflammation and can improve hair growth. You can get fatty acids from fish, eggs, and walnuts.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for cell growth and immunity. It also stimulates hair follicles for thicker, healthier hair. Vitamin D may also be able to fight inflammatory responses that cause poor hair growth or thinning hair, including alopecia areata. All you have to do to get more VItamin D is spend a few minutes outside in the sun every day. Remember to wear sunscreen if you’ll be in the sun for prolonged periods!

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is essential for maintaining healthy skin, bones, and teeth. It also activates hair follicle stem cells and creates Sebum, which can moisturize a dry scalp. You can find vitamin A in carrots and sweet potatoes.

Biotin

Biotin is vitamin B7, which enhances hair growth through the keratin structure of the hair. You can find biotin in meat, eggs, and nuts.

Protein

Protein deficiency leads to hair thinning and hair loss because hair is made out of proteins. You can get more protein by consuming meat, seafood, nuts, and beans.

5.   Medical Conditions

Many medical conditions, including lupus, an autoimmune disease, can cause hair loss. Hair loss due to medical conditions can be pitchy and accompanied by lesions. Medications used to treat medical conditions can also cause hair loss.

Skin conditions, including dermatitis and psoriasis that impact the scalp, can also interfere with hair growth, while infections of the scalp can cause hair loss.

6.   Hormone Imbalance

One of the main causes of hair loss is low testosterone. Luckily, testosterone hair loss can be reversed with the right treatment. There are different kinds of testosterone in your body. This hormone is associated with bone mass, libido, and excessive amounts can contribute to mood swings and hair growth, while low testosterone is associated with hair loss.

Believe it or not, your age is not the main reason for testosterone hair loss. Synthetic testosterone can be used to treat hair loss, but you’ll need to know whether or not your hormones are the cause of your hair loss by visiting a doctor before you can get proper hair loss treatment.

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a type of testosterone hormone that can cause hair growth if the hormone is in the proper amount and hair loss if the levels of DHT are too high. In this instance, a doctor might prescribe you a DHT blocker to prevent further hair loss and allow your hair to regrow naturally on its own.

You can also choose to try to block DHT naturally with a healthy diet. Some foods are natural DHT blockers, including:

• Green tea
• Coconut oil
• Turmeric
• Edamame

Reducing Hair Loss in Men with Diet

Some factors cause hair loss in men that are unpreventable, including genetics. With proper hair care and using the right products and styles in your hair, you can prevent thinning due to improper hair care. While you can’t prevent all types of hair loss, you can prevent many on this list, such as hormone imbalances, health conditions, and nutritional deficiencies, with a proper diet.

A balanced diet ensures your entire body, including your skin and hair, is healthy. Lack of nutrients from a proper diet can impact your hair.