Overview: What does hair loss look like?
People lose hair every day. It’s a normal part of the hair’s growth cycle. After the hair falls out, new hair grows back. However, hair that falls out faster than it grows back may be a sign of hair loss or alopecia.
The most common cause of hair loss is male-pattern and female-pattern baldness. As many men and women age, their scalp hair usually starts thinning. This is the most recognizable form of hair loss, but people can lose body hair anywhere, like the eyelashes or arms.
Hair loss isn’t always gradual. Sometimes, hair falls out rapidly, in clumps, and without a particular pattern. Some disorders cause patchy hair loss in areas more affected than others. However, hair loss isn’t always permanent. In many cases, the lost hair grows back once the underlying problem, such as an infection or thyroid problem, has been fixed.
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What are the early signs of hair loss?
The most common early sign of hair loss is gradually thinning scalp hair or a receding hairline. Thinning hair may take several months before it’s noticed. Another sign of hair loss is rapid or patchy hair loss, which may be caused by various medical conditions. The first symptoms may be clumps of hair falling out or bald spots on the top of the scalp or other body parts. Some individuals may experience circular or patchy bald spots that are generally smooth and coin-sized.
Other hair loss symptoms
The obvious symptom of hair loss is hair loss. However, there are several ways in which hair loss can develop.
Male and female-pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) and other types of hair loss involve slow and progressive scalp hair loss.
Alternatively, hair can fall out rapidly (effluvium) or in clumps.
Hair can fall out in just a few areas, leaving bald patches. The affected skin may be scarred.
Hair is usually lost on the head, but any body part can be affected depending on the cause.
In rare cases, people can stop growing hair all over their body and are completely hairless by their mid-20s.
Lost hair can sometimes be fully restored with or without treatment. Sometimes, it can only partially grow back. In other cases, hair loss is permanent.
Hair loss vs. hair shedding symptoms
Normally, 50 to 100 hairs are shed daily. Sometimes, people lose far more than that (>300 per day) due to physical changes like fever, weight loss, childbirth, hormonal changes, illness, or severe anxiety. Hair shedding (telogen effluvium) is rapid but temporary hair loss, usually caused by severe stress or other medical conditions.
Healthcare professionals differentiate hair shedding from other types of hair loss as a temporary glitch in the hair’s growth cycle. Once the problem causing hair shedding has been fixed, the hair growth returns to normal, usually within a few months. That usually doesn’t happen with other types of hair loss.
| Shared symptoms |
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| Unique symptoms |
- Gradual hair thinning
- Patterned, patchy hair loss
- Treatment may help slow hair loss, although the hair loss is usually permanent
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- Rapid hair thinning
- Hair grows back after the cause has been successfully treated
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Types of hair loss: How can I tell which one I have?
Healthcare providers distinguish between several types of hair loss:
Androgenic alopecia: The most common type of hair loss is male-pattern and female-pattern hair loss.
Hair shaft abnormalities: Hair breakage is a common cause of hair loss. Other types of hair loss involve the hair falling out at the follicle rather than breaking somewhere near the skin or higher. If enough hairs break, it can look like real hair loss. Frequent causes include traction alopecia, which can result from tight hairstyles such as braids and ponytails. Other frequent causes include harsh hair products (such as perms), poor nutrition, and hair pulling (trichotillomania).
Anagen effluvium: Chemotherapy and other conditions can cause rapid hair loss in all its phases, including its growing phase (anagen phase). Hair falls out rapidly and in clumps. In most cases, the hair grows back, but not always.
Telogen effluvium: Hair shedding is the rapid hair loss in its resting phase (telogen phase) after its growth has stopped. Hair shedding is a temporary condition due to physical stress, emotional stress, and fixable problems such as poor nutrition. The hair almost always returns to its original thickness when the problem is resolved.
Tinea capitis: A fungal infection of the skin on the head called scalp ringworm can cause hair to fall out in bald patches around the infected skin.
Cicatricial alopecia (scarring hair loss): Hair loss due to inflammation can permanently damage and kill the hair follicle, which is then replaced with scar tissue. Hair loss is permanent and usually caused by autoimmune conditions, physical or chemical trauma, and infections. Scarring hair loss is more common among women than men.
Hypotrichosis: Some people have a rare genetic condition that prevents hair from growing on most, if not every, body surface. It starts in childhood and usually results in total hairlessness (alopecia totalis) by adulthood.
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When to see a doctor for hair loss symptoms
Normal age-related hair loss doesn’t typically require medical treatment, as it’s not usually life-threatening. However, if you are concerned about unexplained hair loss or experience other symptoms, such as fatigue, severe swelling, or puss, you should consult a doctor or dermatologist for an evaluation. Unexplained or sudden hair loss could be a sign of an underlying medical condition that requires treatment.
A healthcare professional typically diagnoses hair loss by taking a thorough medical history, examining the affected area, and performing a complete skin evaluation. As the goal is to discover the cause of your hair loss, a clinician usually performs a few tests on the hair and may use a handheld magnifier to examine hair follicles. Other tests might include a punch biopsy, a fungal culture, or blood tests.
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Complications of hair loss
Hair loss does not usually cause physical complications. Instead, the most common complications of hair loss are psychological and social. People who lose their hair may experience shame, embarrassment, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal.
How to treat hair loss symptoms
Healthcare professionals treat hair loss in one of two ways:
Healthcare professionals may recommend hair regrowth treatments for hair loss, including medications, hair transplant surgery, laser therapy, platelet-rich plasma, natural remedies, and dietary supplements.
Common medications used to treat hair loss include:
Rogaine (minoxidil): This is a topical medication that you apply to the scalp. It is one of the most common treatments for androgenetic alopecia. Minoxidil is available in liquid or foam form.
Propecia (finasteride): This is an oral medication commonly used for male-pattern baldness. It blocks the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is involved in hair loss. Women are generally advised not to use finasteride.
Avodart (dutasteride): Similar to finasteride, this medication is also a DHT inhibitor. It is sometimes used for hair loss, although it is not FDA approved for this use.
Aldactone (spironolactone): Sometimes used off-label to treat hair loss in women, this medication has anti-androgen effects that may help treat certain types of hair loss.
Corticosteroids: For cases of alopecia areata, corticosteroids may be prescribed. These can be administered through topical applications, oral medications, or injections into the scalp.
When hair loss is due to other health conditions or external factors, healthcare professionals can treat the cause to prevent further hair loss and possibly regrow hair. These treatments may include:
Antifungal drugs to treat fungal infections of the scalp
Thyroid medications for thyroid problems like hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
Discontinuation of medications that may be inducing hair loss
Changes in hairstyling or haircare
Lifestyle changes
Psychiatric treatment
Stress management
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Signs hair loss is getting better
Depending on the cause, hair loss can either be reversed or not. Sometimes, the hair will fully grow back once the cause is successfully treated. Some types of hair loss, such as age-related hair loss, can be partly reversed.
While hair regrowth medicines may be the first treatment option tried, the effects may be mixed. These medicines may slow hair loss or recover some hair growth. However, it could take several months to see any improvement in hair growth, depending on the treatment.
Laser treatments may also help restore hair loss, although the effectiveness can vary. According to studies, laser treatments may provide significant results after six months.
Hair transplants can restore a significant amount of hair. However, hair transplantation surgery may be expensive and require some downtime. The transplants usually grow within three months after surgery, although it could take up to a year to see maximum results.
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FAQs about hair loss symptoms
What diseases cause hair loss in females?
Women lose hair for all the same reasons as men. Yes, that includes age-related hair thinning, the most common reason women lose hair. Like male-pattern baldness, female-pattern baldness may run in families, with testosterone sometimes playing a role. Unlike men, women start losing hair after menopause. Additionally, women with female-pattern baldness usually experience thinning hair along the part line and, more generally, on the top of the head instead of a receding hairline commonly seen in men.
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Can anxiety cause hair loss?
Anxiety can cause hair shedding, a rapid but temporary loss of hair. This type of hair loss is often classified as telogen effluvium, which may occur due to periods of chronic stress or anxiety. The hair should grow back once the underlying anxiety or stress is resolved.
How much hair loss is normal in the shower?
Losing hair is normal when taking a shower, combing the hair, or brushing the hair. Every day, between 50 and 100 hairs fall out. They usually come out when pulled on. Don’t worry if there’s hair on the shower floor or in a brush unless it’s coming out in clumps. If that’s the case, see a healthcare professional or dermatologist to determine the potential cause.
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