It is healthy to lose about 50 to 100 strands of hair in a day. They can become loose when you brush the hair, or when sleeping. However, when you notice that your hair is falling out more than usual or is thinning at a high rate, that is nothing within normal and you should do something about it. So, why is this happening?
1. Weight loss
Extreme weight loss and crash dieting might result in hair loss for various reasons. Lack of enough nutrients implies that hair may fall out faster than it grows; also, quick weight loss can be quite stressful to the body. Although you might not feel mentally stressed, our bodies have a way of dealing with changes in its normal functions. You might lose all hair, but it will be reinstated when the body resumes normal functioning.
2. Medications
Various drugs can lead to hair loss. They include birth control pills, steroids and other drugs meant to sustain a healthy heart. The reasons behind this vary from one drug to another. However, for birth control pills and steroids, it is due to increase in dehydrotestosterone levels in the body.
3. Physical stress
Any type of physical trauma surgery, serious illness, car accident, and any other reason for stress can cause temporary hair loss. Hair follows a programmed life cycle, which includes a rest phase, shedding phase and a growth phase. When you experience a very stressful event, it might shock the hair cycle, pushing it to the shedding and resting phases.
4. Over styling
Anything to do with too much tugging of the hair is bound to lead to hair loss. When doing it, it might not occur to you that whatever you are doing will damage the hair. Unfortunately, over time the strands fall out or break, and the problem worsens. Using heated tools such as hair dryers and straightness might also cause hair to break off.