HAIR THINNING

Thinning hair may be caused by lifestyle habits, genetics, or both. Certain medical conditions may also lead to thinning hair. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), it’s normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs per day. Any more than this means you could be shedding more than you should.

Lifestyle habits are a key contributor to thinning hair. These include:

• Over-treating your hair. This includes color treatments, perms, relaxers, and more.

• Using harsh hair products, such as extreme-hold hair sprays and gels. Temporary color can also be harsh for your hair.

• Wearing your hair up too tightly. Whether you’re wearing an up-do or pulling your hair up in a ponytail for working out, this can tug on your hair and break it from the follicles, causing thin spots over time.

• Not getting enough iron, folic acid, and other minerals in your diet. These all help follicles produce hair naturally.

• Experiencing uncontrolled stress. Stress is related to an uptick in hormones like cortisol. Too many stress hormones may kill off new hairs that are trying to grow from the hair follicles.

Thinning hair may also be hereditary. Underlying medical considerations can also lead to this condition. You might have thinning hair if you:

• Recently had a baby
• stop taking birth control pills
• are going through hormonal changes
• have lost more than 20 pounds in a short amount of time
• are being treated for an autoimmune disease
• have immune system deficiencies
• have a skin disorder or infection

Less commonly, thinning hair may be caused by:

• pulling at your own hair
• eating disorders
• a high fever