Hair loss comes with a host of other issues. If you’ve noticed a sudden uptick in shedding, you might feel a sense of panic settle in. Why are you losing your hair? Is the damage permanent? Is there something wrong with your body? The answer, in many cases, is a resounding yes to one (or all) of these concerns.
Illness and Hair Loss
Illness can cause an inflammatory response in the body, which is linked to less efficient immunity and greater difficulty healing and regulating your body’s processes. One of your body’s processes is to regulate the cycle of hair growing, resting, and falling out. Illness can interrupt this process and lead to a prolonged period of resting and falling out, and growth can stop altogether.
#1. Diabetes
Diabetes can contribute to a condition called alopecia, which is another term for hair loss. The type of alopecia relative to diabetes usually results in small, round patches of hair falling out, and is usually reserved for hair on the scalp. Alopecia affects both men and women, and is usually reversible.
#2. Autoimmune Disorders
Autoimmune disorders are a broad category of disorders in which the body essentially begins to attack itself. When signals become muddied, a body with an autoimmune condition will fail to recognize its own parts as an integral portion of the overall system and will send blood cells to remove the perceived threat.
Unfortunately, hair follicles can fall prey to autoimmunity and can, themselves, be attacked and rendered useless. This type of hair loss is often irreversibl,e but may be remedied if the illness has been treated and overcome.
#3. Anemia
Anemia is a term used to describe a lack of adequate iron in the body. Anemia is most common in women of childbearing age, and may even be as common as 50% of the population of women of childbearing age. Fortunately, hair loss linked to iron deficiency is usually easy to reverse.
#4. Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a skin condition characterized by scaly, itchy skin. When psoriasis is on your scalp, it can quickly lead to hair loss. The condition itself does not necessarily force hair loss, but continual scratching, picking, and medication can all contribute to hair loss.
Psoriasis itself can be difficult to treat, but one of the easiest ways to prevent losing hair with psoriasis is to keep itching and flaking under control. Topical creams can aid in this process, as can prescription medication. Some cases of psoriasis can be caused by allergies, so a visit to a doctor is the best option for psoriasis-related hair loss.
[expand title=”References“]
Web MD (1). Accessed 10/3/17.
Web MD (2). Accessed 10/3/17.
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