Why Am I Losing So Much Hair? 11 Potential Hair Loss Causes
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11 Potential Causes of Hair Loss and Baldness

11 Potential Causes of Hair Loss and Baldness
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Updated on December 16, 2025
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11 Potential Causes of Hair Loss and Baldness

Losing hair is a common symptom of aging, but there may be more contributing behind the scenes!
11 Potential Causes of Hair Loss and Baldness

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Hair loss, medically known as alopecia, can happen for various reasons. Whether it’s baldness or noticeably thinning hair, it may be a side effect of a health problem that needs to be addressed and will grow back easily once you get the right treatment. In other cases, a genetic predisposition to hair loss is the root cause.

Your healthcare provider or a dermatologist can help you pinpoint the problem and figure out how to stop hair loss and renew growth, if possible. But before you go to your appointment, check out some of the most common causes of hair loss.

1. Androgenetic Alopecia

The activity of androgens, or male sex hormones, as well as some hormonal imbalances, contribute to the most common cause of hair loss: androgenetic alopecia, says Michele Green, MD, a cosmetic dermatologist in New York City. Androgenetic alopecia is another term for female- and male-pattern baldness.

In female-pattern baldness, androgens can cause weak hair follicles, also leading to excess shedding. Dr. Green says that androgen sensitivities may be exacerbated during estrogen-related changes, such as birth control use or menopause.

Male-pattern baldness, on the other hand, is related to an increase in an androgen called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Green says DHT not only binds to hair follicles and stops hair growth, but may also decrease a hair’s overall lifespan.

Additional medical conditions connected to this type of hair loss include:

  • High blood pressure
  • Heart disease
  • Prostate cancer
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

2. Thyroid Problems

Conditions involving thyroid hormones can contribute to hair loss because each causes a hormonal imbalance. Common thyroid conditions include hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid.

Autoimmune diseases of the thyroid gland, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease, may also contribute to hair loss.

Thyroid hormones help regulate nearly every function in the body, including hair growth. The right treatment to control either of these thyroid conditions will get hormones under control, stop hair loss, and even allow your hair to start growing back.

3. Postpartum Hormonal Changes

The hormone changes that follow pregnancy and childbirth can also lead to hair loss. “Postpartum hair loss is common and affects 40 to 50 percent of women who have recently given birth,” says Green.

Estrogen levels skyrocket during pregnancy, which can temporarily alter hair growth cycles. During this time, you’re likely to experience less hair loss than normal.

As estrogen plummets and then returns to baseline after pregnancy, you may notice more hair loss than usual — a condition known medically as telogen effluvium, or temporary hair shedding. It’s not uncommon for hair thinning to start one to six months after giving birth.

“Because not all hair follicles in the resting stage during pregnancy will move into the shedding phase at once, excessive shedding can last 6 to 15 months postpartum,” Green says. She also notes that postpartum hair loss is most noticeable along the hairline, as well as in long hair.

As the rest of your body recovers, so will your hair follicles. This hair loss is temporary — your hair will grow back. While postpartum hair loss isn’t exactly preventable, you can minimize it by handling your hair gently and keeping up with your prenatal vitamins.

4. Certain Medications

“Drug-induced alopecia,” or hair loss as a side effect of medication, can come from a number of medications for common health problems.

These medications include:

  • Blood thinners
  • Oral contraceptives
  • Antidepressants
  • Anti-inflammatories
  • Beta- and calcium channel blockers
  • Vitamin A and retinoids
  • Chemotherapy and cancer treatments

Your hair will likely grow back once you stop taking the medication that caused it to fall out. But don't stop taking prescribed medications without talking to a doctor first — they may be able to help you shift to a different medication to see if the hair loss improves.

5. Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata describes an autoimmune condition in which your immune system attacks and destroys hair follicles, inhibiting the growth of new hair.

Depending on the type of alopecia areata, hair loss may happen only on the scalp or all over the body. It can cause temporary or permanent thinning hair, patches of hair loss, and partial to total balding.

Alopecia areata has numerous causes, including genetics. Talk to your doctor about possible treatments.

How Is Alopecia Areata Diagnosed?

Kristen Lo Sicco, MD, provides insight into various diagnostic methods for alopecia areata.
How Is Alopecia Areata Diagnosed?

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6. Other Autoimmune Diseases

Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and an inflammatory condition called dermatomyositis are other autoimmune diseases connected to hair loss. This type of hair loss isn’t always reversible, but early diagnosis and prompt treatment could prevent some hair loss.

7. Injury and Illness

Physical stress can disrupt your body’s natural cycle of hair growth and rest, resulting in thinning hair — your hair may even come out in clumps. Any major stress to the system, such as a severe accident, injury, or infection could shock hair follicles.

An illness or surgery that puts stress on the body and mind can trigger hair loss, says Green. “Many experience acute telogen effluvium, in which up to 70 percent of hair follicles go into a resting (telogen) state compared to the estimated 10 to 20 percent of hair follicles normally in the telogen state.”

Physical trauma could also cause you to lose hair a few months after the fact. This type of hair loss tends to resolve within six months.

Treatment for the underlying infection can restore hair growth and prevent future hair loss, so your first step is to seek medical attention for the primary health problem.

8. Stress and Trauma

Emotional stress and trauma can also cause acute telogen effluvium.

 Indeed, a number of life-altering events could cause enough stress to disrupt the normal cycle of hair growth and trigger hair loss, including:
  • A divorce or breakup
  • Bankruptcy or other financial problems
  • Loss of a home
  • Death or illness of a loved one

This type of hair loss is usually temporary — once your stress levels subside, normal hair growth tends to resume.

“Hair loss after a stressful event commonly occurs within three to six months,” says Green. To support hair growth in this case, she recommends talking with a dermatologist about treatment options to stimulate hair growth, such as minoxidil (Rogaine) or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) office treatments.

9. Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania, or compulsive hair-pulling, is a mental health condition related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorders.

Other signs of trichotillomania include relief or pleasure after pulling hairs as well as noticeable patches of hair loss. Trichotillomania most often develops between ages 10 and 13, but it tends to be a chronic condition that may improve with treatment.

If you’re under a lot of emotional stress, it’s also possible to develop trichotillomania as a stress response.

Cognitive behavioral therapy and habit reversal training could help if you experience trichotillomania. These therapies can help you gain awareness of what triggers your urges to pull hair and help you develop other coping mechanisms.

Certain antidepressants or antipsychotics may also help, although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t approved any medications for use on trichotillomania alone.

10. Nutrient Deficiencies

Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can lead to hair loss and diminished growth due to their role in the hair growth cycle and cellular turnover, says Green.

Vitamin deficiencies that can cause hair loss include:

Inadequate nutrition or restrictive fad diets can also lead to a variety of nutrient deficiencies, which in turn can result in hair loss, from thinning hair to patches of baldness.

Before reaching for over-the-counter supplements, talk with your doctor about lab testing to determine if you have any nutrient deficiencies — some deficiencies, such as biotin, are quite rare. Research also suggests using supplements when you don’t have a deficiency is ineffective and can even cause hair loss and other health problems.

11. Harsh Hair Care

You can actually cause significant damage, breakage, and hair loss if you frequently pull your hair back into tight hairstyles like ponytails — this type of hair loss is called traction alopecia.

Repeatedly using heated styling tools, as well as perms, relaxers, and hair dyes may also contribute to damage-induced hair loss.

 “Seek out shampoos and conditioners that are mild and suited for your hair to avoid unnecessary damage,” advises Green.

The Takeaway

  • Health conditions, medications, stress, nutrient deficiencies, and even some hairstyles can all contribute to thinning hair.
  • Sometimes, hair loss is simply genetic and not a sign of an underlying health condition.
  • If you’ve noticed a sudden change in your hair, it’s not a bad idea to consult a doctor who can provide testing to help you rule out potential causes of hair loss.

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Oyetewa Asempa, MD, FAAD

Medical Reviewer

Dr. Oyetewa Asempa is an assistant professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine, and the director of the Skin of Color Clinic for Baylor's department of dermatology. She was born and raised in Atlanta and then went on to graduate summa cum laude from Howard University in Washington, DC.

She completed her medical training at University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, during which time she also completed a year of research at the National Institutes of Health. She completed her internship at George Washington University, and then her residency training at the Harvard dermatology program, where she served as chief resident in her final year.

She specializes in hair loss and scalp disorders, as well as pigmentary disorders in patients of color. She has spoken at multiple national conferences. Outside of medicine, she enjoys writing short stories, as well as writing and performing spoken word poetry.

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Kristeen Cherney, PhD

Author
Kristeen Cherney, PhD, is a freelance writer, essayist, author, and poet with more than 15 years of health writing experience for digital platforms such as Healthline, The Mighty, and LiveStrong. She’s covered nutrition, women’s and children’s wellness issues, as well as specialized topics ranging from diabetes and thyroid disease to anxiety, depression, asthma, allergies, and skin conditions.

With a doctorate in English (rhetoric and composition), Dr. Cherney focuses her academic scholarship on the intersection between disability and literacy. She also holds a Master of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Arts in communication.

Cherney has contributed to the books The Wiley Handbook on Violence in Education: Forms, Factors, and Preventions, Composing in Four Acts: Readings for Writers, and Georgia State University's Guide to First-Year Writing, as well as to scholarly journals like Praxis, the Journal of Teaching Writing, and the Journal of Dracula Studies.

Cherney enjoys running, meditating, hiking, and paddleboarding.
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Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
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