Leading Causes of Hair Loss and Procedures That Can Help Treat Them

Humans lose their hair every day; this is a fact of life. Since birth, our bodies are in a constant state of renewal. Every minute, our bodies shed thousands of skin cells and millions per day as part of their constant renewal cycle.

Hair follicles also follow this pattern, albeit at a much slower pace. It is common to lose between 50 and 100 hair follicles a day, all without even noticing.

However, issues arise when the hair renewal process halts, and new growth fails to replace fallen follicles. This is when the signs of thinning and balding hair start to show.

Hair loss can be an emotional experience for those who suffer from it. Embarrassment, anger, denial, and dread are all common reactions expressed during this time. Many of the clients we see daily are seeking an experienced plastic surgeon in Toronto to address their hair loss.

But why does follicle production cease in the first place, and what causes hair loss in men?

These are some common causes of hair loss and how we can treat them.

Our Experience with Treating Hair Loss

Led by the incomparable Dr. Pirani, with 25+ years of experience and thousands of hair transplant procedures performed, the skilled Toronto Plastic Surgeons Wellness Centre team uses advanced plastic surgery techniques and state-of-the-art equipment to deliver incredible results that treat hair loss while reducing the risk of complications.

Signs and Symptoms of Hair Loss

There are many signs and symptoms of hair loss. This can include any of the following:

Gradual Thinning

Gradual hair loss is the most common symptom. The human head usually sheds around 50-100 hair follicles a day, which may sound like a lot, but considering there are hundreds of thousands of hairs on your head, this hair loss is generally not noticed and is gradually replaced with more growth as the follicles renew themselves. However, thinning can become a noticeable symptom of hair loss when hair follicles cease their renewal, typically due to natural aging.

Hair follicles require a supply of nutrients from the body, like iron, protein, biotin, and zinc. When we age, the signals that tell our brain to deliver these nutrients to the hair can stop, resulting in the follicles on the head dying off and falling out.

For men, thinning often begins at the hairline along the forehead, while women typically notice that the part in their hair broadens over time. Natural thinning hair is a gradual process, versus all the hair on the head falling out at once, because each of those 100,000 hairs on your head has its own lifespan that receives its own supplies of nutrients.

Hair thinning doesn’t just start when you’re older, either. While we previously mentioned that roughly 85% of men experience a form of hair loss by the age of 50, roughly 25% of men will begin to notice male pattern baldness before the young age of 21.

Circular Patches and Bald Spots

Bald spots, also known as Alopecia Areata, are a hair-loss condition in which hair falls out in clumps, leading to circular patches of missing hair. Like gradual thinning, bald spots may not be particularly noticeable at first when hidden amongst the rest of your hair. However, the signs may become more visible as the balding spot increases or another patch forms and connects with the initial patch.

Moreover, bald patches can form on the scalp and in the beard, eyebrows, eyelashes, and other areas of the body. Usually, this condition results from the immune system mistakenly attacking the hair follicles, often triggered by illness or acute stress (more on this later).

Depending on the cause and extent of the hair loss, this symptom can be temporary or permanent.

Sudden Hair Loss and Excess Shedding

While the human scalp loses 50-100 hair follicles daily, certain conditions can accelerate shedding. The scalp can lose several hundred follicles in a day, exceeding the rate of follicle renewal and resulting in hair thinning. This symptom of hair loss is usually identifiable by its noticeable in your daily routine. The person might find large quantities of hair coming out in the shower when brushing their hair on their pillow in the morning.

There are several reasons for this symptom of hair loss, the most common being high levels of acute or ongoing stress. Fortunately, in many cases, this type of hair loss is temporary, though it may lead to overall thinning.

Full Body Hair Loss

Full-body hair loss, also known as Alopecia Universalis, is a type of hair loss that, as the name implies, causes hair to fall out all over the body at once. Similar to bald patches, this is usually the result of white blood cells in your body attacking hair follicles, mistaking them for foreign invaders. The cause of this hair loss symptom is not yet fully understood, though it has been linked to conditions such as thyroid disease, vitiligo, or high stress.

This can also result from medical treatments such as chemotherapy. Like Alopecia Areata, this hair loss is usually temporary.

Scaling Patches

Tinea capitis, also known as ringworm of the scalp, is a fungal infection of the scalp. This condition has several signs: itchiness, scaly patches, irritation and bleeding, and hair loss.

Ringworm is a highly contagious infection spread through direct contact and is common among toddlers and children. It can be transmitted from human to human, from animal to human, and even through contact with objects.

Treating ringworm usually requires oral medication to kill off the fungal infection and medicated shampoos to help reduce the spread on the scalp. Usually, hair loss from this condition is temporary; however, if there are patches of severe inflammation, the area may scar, causing permanent hair loss.

Causes of Hair Loss

Aging

As we age, our bodies undergo many changes, including wrinkles, skin sagging, weight fluctuations, and, of course, hair loss.

Hair follicles are made from strands of protein in the body. For healthy growth, these proteins require nutrients such as iron, protein, biotin, and zinc. As we age, the brain begins to stop sending signals to the hair follicles, resulting in hair dying off, falling out, and being unable to regrow, leading to hair loss. When this happens, you might wonder why all our hair doesn’t simply fall out at once.

This is because each of the roughly 100,000 hairs on our head has its own independent lifespan and renewal cycle.

When aging causes hair loss, there is no real magic number, and sadly, it’s not even reserved for the senior class. Signs of balding can happen as early as the teenage years. Studies have shown that roughly 25% of men begin showing signs of hair loss before age 21, and this number skyrockets to 66% by age 35. Finally, by age 50, despite being over a decade and a half before even being considered a senior, an astounding 85% of men will experience either hair loss or thinning hair.

Although aging is the leading cause of hair loss in men, it is not only a men’s issue. Women, too, are affected by hair loss as they age. By the age of 50, nearly 40% of women experience some form of detectable hair loss.

Genetics

Genetics is one of the biggest factors in our hair and in hair loss. Whether it comes down to colour, texture, or lifespan, family genetics largely play a part in hair loss. Those with a family history of balding and thinning hair are much more likely to experience it themselves.

You’ve probably heard that genetics causes hair loss to skip a generation in families, in which every other generation (usually just among men) will avoid the effects of hair loss, whether it be through their older siblings, parents, or grandparents.

But is there any merit to this claim, or is it simply wishful thinking from the eldest children of balding paternal figures?

The truth is, it’s complicated. Genetic traits don’t simply pick and choose whether to be passed on to the next generation. However, like all myths, there is some truth to its origins.

While disputed, many theorize that the trait causing hair loss is recessive. Recessive genes don’t ever truly “skip” transferring to a generation. Otherwise, that gene would be lost. Instead, recessive genes are not expressed when paired with a dominant gene.

A common example used to explain this is the gene for blue eyes.

Our DNA uses genes from our mothers and fathers that pair together. If both genes carry the blue-eyed allele, their child will have blue eyes. If neither has the gene, the child will not have blue eyes. If the blue-eyed gene comes from one parent but not the other, the weaker, recessive gene (blue eyes) carries over into your DNA without presenting itself.

The gene is still carried in the child, however, and can be passed on to their future children. This cycle repeats itself until paired with another blue-eyed gene. This is what causes genes to “skip” generations—sometimes they skip several generations, and other times they don’t skip at all.

This same idea can be applied to the genes that cause hair loss.

It’s also been shown that while you can inherit dominant hair genes from either parent, they most often come from the female side. You are far more likely to experience balding if it runs in your mother’s family history.

Stress

Stress is another leading cause of hair loss. When your hair is in its growing period, it’s in what is called the anagen phase. When that halts, and the hair sheds, it’s known as the telogen phase. Significant emotional stress can cause an abrupt shift in the hair follicle cycle and force the follicles prematurely into the telogen phase
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This wouldn’t be caused by a single bad day and would require more significant ongoing stress, such as a grieving period over a loved one, high-stress full-time work, and emotional turmoil over the pandemic and quarantine. It can take approximately three months for this type of hair loss to begin.

A common sign of these causes of hair loss is their acute nature. It happens very fast and very noticeably. Hair loss during this period can be around 200 hairs a day—that’s double the usual, if not more. Those who suffer from stress-related hair loss will often see hair come out in the shower, on their pillowcase, and in their brush.

The bright side is that this type of hair loss is usually temporary. As long as the cause of stress has been resolved, the associated hair loss should cease within roughly six months and then begin to grow back slowly.

Intense Hair Care

While proper hair care is important for keeping the scalp and follicles clean and healthy, excessive hair care can overprocess the follicles, making them more prone to brittleness, breakage, excessive shedding, and hair loss.

This problem can occur in hair that has been subjected to the following:

• Dyes
• Bleach
• Heated excessively
• Permed
• Relaxed
• Extreme-hold hair spray
• Over gelled
• Harsh shampoos

This can be a leading cause of hair loss in women, as women are more likely to use these products. Over-processed hair often feels very dry to the touch, breaks easily, and can be hard to style and maintain. Hairstyling problems like cowlicks and flyaways are frequent, and depending on your hair texture and length, it may just feel like the hair is flat and hanging dead on your head.

The brittle nature of the hair, causing breakage, is of particular concern, as it can leave patches of hair. Furthermore, if the scalp is burned during intense treatments such as bleaching, hair follicles can be damaged or fall out, leading to hair loss and baldness in the affected area.

Childbirth

Many women report that following the birth of a child, they experience hair loss, with noticeable excess shedding. Usually, this is due to hormonal changes in the body.

During pregnancy, hormonal changes stimulate hair growth, making hair thicker, more vibrant, and stronger. In the months following childbirth, hormone levels return to normal. When these hormones revert, the hair does as well, shedding to its pre-pregnancy state. This can give the appearance that the person’s hair is falling out, but in most cases, it is just a transitional period that lasts until the hair reaches its former thickness.

Covid

Among the many terrible long-term symptoms that Covid-19 brings, it can also be a cause of hair loss. Months after contracting Covid, people began reporting noticeable hair loss, often in clumps. While there’s no substantial evidence for why this may be, hair loss can occur after illnesses like fevers and may be linked to them.

Additionally, contracting COVID could be scary, especially during the stages when less was known about the virus. As such, researchers suspect heightened stress during the period of contracting COVID may be one cause of hair loss in women and men alike.

Psychological Effects of Hair Loss

Hair loss is not a condition that physically harms you. However, its psychological effects can be intense for those who suffer from it.

Hair loss can be associated with a prominent visual indicator of our body’s aging. This can be particularly disturbing to those who are younger and may begin to lose hair in their youth.

It is common for people experiencing hair loss to feel insecure about their appearance and worry about how others may perceive them. A common fear is of appearing older or having “weak” genes.

Furthermore, our minds can often blow insecurities out of proportion, like when you get a pimple, and you feel it’s growing bigger by the second. This is true of hair loss as well, making us feel our balding area is far more noticeable than it is, like a glowing target on our scalp.

In extreme cases, these insecurities can result in stress, anxiety, and depression. Unfortunately, as we’ve previously mentioned, long periods of high stress and anxiety also cause hair loss, so constantly fretting about it can worsen the condition.

Prevention

While the best form of hair loss prevention is to receive a treatment that provides you with long-lasting density results, you can also partake in some non-surgical or at-home treatments that can slow down the hair loss process, such as:

• Avoid certain hair styling. If you often wear hats or tight ponytails/buns or use high-heat hair styling tools, your hair can become brittle, and your scalp can be affected.
• Use gentle products. Try to avoid chemically treating or dyeing your hair, especially if the process involves harsh bleach. Gentle shampoos and conditioners tailored to your specific hair type and concerns are ideal.
• Avoid stressors. Environmental stressors like pollution or heat can cause your hair follicles to become weaker, while internal stress can cause your hair to fall out faster. Whether you’re experiencing work stress, physical stress, or mental health troubles, addressing these concerns can improve your hair health.

How We Can Help

There are several hair products out there to help treat hair thinning and balding, from shampoos and vitamins to growth products like Rogaine. However, when comparing FUE hair transplants with other solutions, the key difference is the lasting results.

Products like Rogaine may prove effective while you’re using them. However, the results may not even be seen for six months after starting use, which can be an expensive wait, considering that once you stop using the product, the results revert. Receiving hair transplants at Toronto Plastic Surgeons Wellness Centre provides highly successful and long-term (often permanent) results. Here are the two main types of procedures that we offer.

FUT Hair Transplant

In a Follicular Unit Transplant, a strip is taken of the scalp, usually the back of the head, where healthy follicles grow in an inconspicuous place. The strip is then applied to the designated area.

A benefit of this method is that it provides more grafts, and the survival rate of transplanted hair is typically around 86%.

One drawback of this method is that it can leave a linear scar, so those who wear their hair short may not favor this method, unlike those with longer hair, as is the case in most female hair transplant procedures.

FUE Hair Transplant

FUE hair transplant uses ARTAS transplant technology to permanently restore hair by restoring hair’s thickness and volume. But unlike the FUT hair transplant method, which requires removing strips of scalp, the FUE ARTAS method uses a robotic micro-rotary punch to extract healthy follicles and place them in the designated area.

Using this robot technology, we are able to perform this transplant in a far less invasive way than traditional transplants, making for a quicker, safer, less painful surgery that also causes minimal scarring afterward. Despite these benefits, an ARTAS hair transplant in Toronto does have a slight drawback compared with an FUT transplant: the hair survival rate is 61.4%.

What about Rogaine?

If you’ve been researching hair loss causes, you have probably seen Rogaine pop up in treatments. Rogaine is a hair growth product that has led the market for over ten years due to its easy accessibility at local pharmacies and reported effectiveness. But there are some drawbacks to using Rogaine.

For starters, it can take anywhere from four to six months before you begin to see gradual results, and it’s not an effective treatment for everyone. This means you will need to dedicate your time and money for almost half a year before you even know if the treatment is worth continuing.

Secondly, Rogaine primarily treats the top and crown of the head and is not an ideal solution for receding hairlines or male pattern baldness. Side effects can also include weight gain, chest pains, scalp irritation, and unwanted facial hair growth.

Lastly, Rogaine is a product. Like most products, it stops working when you stop using it, and hair loss will proceed once you do. It is also reported that the scalp can develop an immunity to Rogaine over time, and thus it may stop working even after you continue using it.

Whether you choose FUE or FUT, a hair transplant is a much more permanent solution, lasting years, if not permanently, before needing another procedure.

Schedule a Consultation

Our surgeons at Toronto Plastic Surgeons Wellness Centre specialize in several hair restoration methods for both men and women. You can trust us to perform your procedures with high integrity and precision.

If you’re ready to start treating your hair loss or even want to talk more about what causes hair loss, we can help you. Please schedule a consultation online or call 647-723-3739 to speak with one of our experts. Our experienced team will help you set up a meeting to help you determine the best treatment.

Posted by:

Dr. Stephen Mulholland, Md

Dr. Stephen Mulholland has been practicing plastic surgery for over 20 years. He is one of Canada’s most renowned and best plastic surgeons in Toronto with his wealth of experience, artistry, and humbleness towards his patients.

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