Understanding Common Changes in your hair :

· Common shedding. Yes, some patients come to us as a result of regular shedding rather than “true” hair loss (though to the person suffering it makes little difference because what they see on their floor and in their brush is excess hair and they see it disappearing off their scalp!).  But remember that it’s normal to shed up to 50-150 hairs a day (that’s significant!) and it’s also common to see more shedding after the summer. The medical name for this is telogen effluvium and it’s one of the most common diagnoses a dermatologist will make when it comes to hair.

· Hair aging. Just as with the rest of us, our hair ages. Seventy-five percent of women are affected by the age of 65 as estrogen levels decrease and the natural depletion of protein causes hair to get thinner and more fragile. By the time we reach our 30s the hair’s natural pigment has changed ever so slightly and the first signs of gray have set in. It’s natural for hair to change in individual hair thickness and form sometimes going from curly to wavy to frizzy, and also for overall hair density to decrease as you age.

· Stressed and over-processed hair. What else could be physically altering and weakening the hair? Think:  over bleaching or highlighting, colorist overlapping bleach at every appointment or frequent color changes. Grooming habits like aggressively pulling on the hair with a brush while blow-drying or raking through wet hair with a colmb. Could be stress from tight hair ties or sleeping in hair ties. Excessively using hot tools or flat irons for styling. Allowing your hair to go from wet to dry in a hair tie. Over washing. These typically cause more breakage than hair loss with the exception of poorly applied hair extensions which may cause both breakage and also affect hair growth. Hair relaxers, tight braids and ponytails can also cause hair loss and over years it can even cause scarring of the follicles which is a permanent form of loss.

· Hormonal factors. It can be easy to forget how much hormones can affect the health and life cycle of hair. Some women may be alarmed to see a rise in excess shedding after discontinuing hormonal contraceptives or if they are experiencing hyperthyroidism from accelerated hair cycling. Dryness and breakage is also common for those with hypothyroidism. Any hormonal fluctuation can affect the way hair grows but typically the effect resolves and the hair regrows as normal once the hormonal issue is resolved. If you’re prone to genetic hair loss the hormonal or stress fluctuations may accelerate the pattern leading to less than optimal hair regrowth.