Alopecia is a fancy term for something that is not so fun, and that is hair loss. It is normal to lose from 40-100 strands of hair every day, and although that seems like a lot, it really isn't when you consider that on average, red haired people have 90,000 hairs, brunettes have 110,000, blondes have 140,000 and black haired people have 108,000. Also, with normal hair loss, these hairs are being replaced by the growth of new hairs.
There are many types of hair loss and many causes behind it, which will be discussed on this page:
Androgenic Alopecia
This type of hair loss is caused by a combination of age, heredity and hormones, and is characterized by a progressive shrinking of the hair follicles which eventually leads to halted hair growth. With this type of hair loss, there will be gradual thinning of the hair, and likely other family members will have experienced the same thing.
In men this condition is commonly recognized as male pattern baldness and is characterized by the thinning and gradual loss of hair on the crown (ie receding hairline or expanding "bald spot"). Women with the same condition will notice thinning in the crown, but rarely will go completely bald, though often the scalp may be visible.
Alopecia Areata
This is an autoimmune disease that causes sudden loss of patches of hair (round or irregular). It occurs when their is a problem with the body's immune system that causes it to attack hair follicles. For more information, please visit The National Alopecia Areata Foundation Website
Postpartum Alopecia
Hormones related to pregnancy tend to cause hair follicles to remain in the anagen(growing) stage and prevent them from reaching the telogen stage, in which they would normally fall out. This is the reason many women experience thickening of their hair during pregnancy, as new hairs are growing, but old ones are not falling out. However, soon after the baby is born, these hairs will begin to to be shed, and it will seem like you are losing a lot of hair. This is not cause for alarm as it is just the scalp ridding the hairs that normally would have been shed if you were not pregnant, and soon your hair will regain balance.
Telogen Effluvium
This premature shedding of hairs can have a number of causes:
childbirth
diets too low in protein
drugs
fever
shock
stress
The Telogen Effluvium generally is reversed when the cause is identified and treated.
Traction(Traumatic) Alopecia
This type of hair loss is caused by physical damage to the hair. The damage can be chemical (ie: excessive lightening/colouring/perming), or mechanical (ie: wearing ponytails too tight, or brushing/combing too roughly, especially on wet hair).
Other possible causes
There are many other possible causes of hair loss, including (but not limited to):
birth control
crash dieting
medicines
thyroid disorders
vitamin deficiencies
In any situation where hair loss occurs, it is advisable to consult a dermatologist or physician to rule out any underlying cause.